Antti Niemi earned his 30th NHL shutout, and third of the season, with 28 saves, Joe Pavelski scored his second goal of the game during a two-man advantage, and the San Jose Sharks beat the Anaheim Ducks 3-0 on Wednesday night.
Frederik Andersen made 24 saves for the Ducks, who own the league's best record despite being shut out for the second time this season.
Corey Perry returned to the Anaheim lineup after missing 10 games because of a sprained knee. The Ducks are 16-7-1 this season when he is in the lineup and 8-2-5 without him. He missed five games in November with the mumps.
San Jose center Joe Thornton left with an undisclosed injury in the first period after a collision with Ducks defenseman Clayton Stoner. The six-time All-Star has played every game for the Sharks during the previous three seasons and all 38 this season.
The Sharks opened the scoring at 4:33 of the first when Marc-Edouard Vlasic's wrist shot from the left point deflected in off Pavelski's leg.
The Ducks had penalty-killers on the ice for six minutes during a 7:10 stretch late in the period. They killed Ryan Kesler's interference penalty and hooking infractions against Emerson Etem and Sami Vatanen.
Perry took a slap shot just before the second period ended. Tommy Wingels then slammed him into the boards in front of the Ducks bench, and a scrum ensued.
Anaheim captain Ryan Getzlaf threw his stick against the glass behind the empty bench as he went to the dressing room, and was assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty - resulting in a 5-on-3 power play for San Jose to start the third.
Pavelski scored with 1 second left on the power play.
Logan Couture added an empty-net goal with 2:05 remaining.
Sharks left wing John Scott served the third game of a four-game suspension he received because of a punch to the face of Ducks forward Tim Jackman on Dec. 22. Scott was also suspended in October for coming off the bench to fight Jackson.
NOTES: The Ducks are 5-8 with a tie on New Year's Eve, including a 6-3 home victory last year against the Sharks. ... The Sharks have played nine times on New Year's Eve - all on the road - and are 7-1-1. ... The Ducks finished 2014 with a league-best 107 standings points. ... Each team had a goal disallowed because of a player making contact with the goalie. ... Jackman fought Micheal Haley at 3:02 of the first period. ... The Ducks are 0 for 21 on the power play since Jakob Silfverberg's goal on Dec .13 at Winnipeg. ... San Jose is 6 for 20 on the power play in its last four games against Anaheim. ... Sharks forward Patrick Marleau has three goals in his last 33 games. Thornton has two goals in 18.
Freddie says no! Watch @f_andersen30 rob Patrick Marleau again and again and again. #SJSvsANA pic.twitter.com/V9e9PcFEwU
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) January 1, 2015
