Beckett Sennecke’s hat trick turns a tied game into a 6-2 Ducks win over Sharks

The game changed almost as soon as it was tied

San Jose struck first and did it quickly. Eric Pohlkamp put the Sharks ahead 1-0 at 1:37 of the first period, with Ethan Cardwell picking up the assist, and for a brief moment the visitors had the kind of start that can simplify a road game. Anaheim erased that advantage just 1:20 later when Jackson LaCombe scored at 2:57, assisted by Cutter Gauthier and Tristan Luneau, and that sequence established the tone of the night: every time San Jose found a foothold, the Ducks answered by speeding the game back in their direction.

The Ducks grabbed their first lead at 6:07 of the opening period when Leo Carlsson scored on a snap shot, with Drew Helleson and Nikita Klepov on the setup. That gave Anaheim a 2-1 edge after one, and it mattered because the Ducks never had to spend long chasing the game again. They were not flawless early, but they were efficient, turning three first-period scoring plays into a lead and forcing San Jose to keep re-starting its push.

The Sharks did find one more equalizer. Jimmy Huntington scored at 11:05 of the second period, assisted by Brett Leason, tying the game 2-2 and restoring uncertainty. It lasted all of 1:10. Sennecke answered at 12:15, with Carlsson and LaCombe assisting, and when he scored again at 16:07 on a setup from Luneau and Nico Myatovic, Anaheim had turned a tied game into a two-goal cushion before the second intermission. That stretch, more than any single stat, is where the evening tilted for good.

Sennecke finished the job, but Anaheim had help everywhere

Sennecke’s third goal arrived at 8:10 of the third period, assisted by Mikael Granlund and Myatovic, and it did more than complete a hat trick. It shut the door on any realistic San Jose recovery by extending the Ducks’ run to three unanswered goals after Huntington’s equalizer. Anaheim added one more at 13:44 when Luneau scored from Alex Killorn, making it 6-2 and putting a neat finish on a night when the Ducks produced in every period: two goals in the first, two in the second and two in the third.

What stood out about Anaheim’s attack was how many names were attached to it. Sennecke had the headline with three goals, but Luneau finished with a goal and two assists, LaCombe had a goal and an assist, Carlsson had a goal and an assist, and Myatovic added two assists. That kind of spread matters. Anaheim did not rely on one isolated burst from one line; it kept collecting contributions across the lineup, and the totals reflect that depth with 11 assists on six goals.

The team numbers support the shape of the result without overstating it. Anaheim outshot San Jose 32-23, won 58.3 percent of the faceoffs, and held the edge on special teams by going 1-for-3 on the power play while keeping the Sharks scoreless on two chances. Laurent Brossoit handled the rest with 21 saves and a .913 save percentage. San Jose still had moments, especially in getting the game back to 2-2, but the Ducks were cleaner in the categories that help a lead grow rather than disappear.

Our take: Anaheim found the separating gear; San Jose needs more after the equalizer

Our take: this score feels earned, not accidental. Anaheim did allow the first goal, and it also let the Sharks back to even in the second period, so there is still room to tighten the opening portion of games and the moments immediately after momentum swings. But the Ducks’ response each time was decisive. They tied the game 1:20 after falling behind, retook the lead in the first, and answered Huntington’s equalizer in just 70 seconds. Add the faceoff advantage, the shot edge, and the broader scoring support, and 6-2 reads like the product of a team that kept taking the next important shift.

For San Jose, the path to improvement is more visible than mysterious. The Sharks scored early through Pohlkamp and later found a second goal from Huntington, but they were outshot by nine, lost the faceoff battle by more than 16 percentage points, and went 0-for-2 on the power play. Those are not abstract issues; they are the possessions and extra-man chances that could have helped sustain the 2-2 tie. The other concern is what happened right after that tie was restored. When a game is even at 11:05 of the second and is 4-2 by 16:07, game management has slipped somewhere, whether in puck control, defensive detail, or both. Anaheim exposed that stretch ruthlessly.

Scoring moments

1. 1st · 1:37

   Eric Pohlkamp Goal (1) Snap Shot, assists: Ethan Cardwell (1)

2. 1st · 2:57

   Jackson LaCombe Goal (1) Wrist Shot, assists: Cutter Gauthier (1), Tristan Luneau (1)

3. 1st · 6:07

   Leo Carlsson Goal (1) Snap Shot, assists: Drew Helleson (1), Nikita Klepov (1)

4. 2nd · 11:05

   Jimmy Huntington Goal (1) Wrist Shot, assists: Brett Leason (1)

5. 2nd · 12:15

   Beckett Sennecke Goal (1) Wrist Shot, assists: Leo Carlsson (1), Jackson LaCombe (1)

6. 2nd · 16:07

   Beckett Sennecke Goal (2) Slap Shot, assists: Tristan Luneau (2), Nico Myatovic (1)

7. 3rd · 8:10

   Beckett Sennecke Goal (3) Backhand, assists: Mikael Granlund (1), Nico Myatovic (2)

8. 3rd · 13:44

   Tristan Luneau Goal (1) Slap Shot, assists: Alex Killorn (1)