SAN JOSE, California (Ticker) -- A change in net prompted a change in results for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.
Martin Gerber recorded his second career shutout and Sandis Ozolinsh and Petr Sykora each scored first-period goals as the Ducks held on for their first win of the season, a 2-0 triumph over the San Jose Sharks.
Anaheim failed to register a win in its first five games for the worst start in the 11-year history of the franchise. Starting goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere has allowed 11 goals in four losses, prompting the Ducks to make a change.
"We had a hard time getting (a win)," Anaheim coach Mike Babcock said. "We really felt that we could have won some games and didn't. We ended up shooting ourselves in the foot. Even down the stretch tonight wasn't as smooth as it is going to be, but it is a place to start."
Gerber made his second start of the season and the 24th of his career. He stopped 34 shots en route to his first shutout since February 23, 2003.
"I got a couple of lucky bounces there at the beginning," he said. "The defense was solid also. A few pucks were turning in the air, but I just wanted to make sure to make the save. (The Sharks) were shooting from everywhere, but I was just trying to take as much space away as possible."
"We got a real good effort out of Gerber," Babcock said. "He made a lot of good saves tonight, especially in the first 10 minutes, when we were not as good as they were. That is what you need your goalie to do."
The 29-year-old goalie got all the support he needed with 5:28 left in the first, when Sergei Fedorov made an accurate pass to Ozolinsh while being dragged to the ice by rookie defenseman Tom Preissing.
Ozolinsh benefited from the pass, backhanding a shot past San Jose goalie Evgeni Nabokov. It was Fedorov's third assist in two games.
"It happened automatically," Fedorov said. "I got a chance to chase the puck and reach it first. The defenseman scrambled for the puck, but I was able to go around him. There are not many chances you see like that, but that was one of them. Then I saw big Oz's skates. As I went down, I slid it to him. Then I knew my job was pretty much done there."
Sykora added his first goal of the season just 68 seconds later to give Anaheim some breathing room.
Andy McDonald assisted on both goals for the Ducks, who defeated the Sharks for just the sixth time in 16 meetings.
"It took us a few games to get it going, but I thought tonight was probably the first game that we played pretty well," Sykora said. "Sergei played awesome today. It doesn't happen overnight, you have to work on it. Finally, we got that first win."
Nabokov made 25 saves for the Sharks, who fell to 0-2-1-0 on a five-game homestand.
San Jose has scored just eight goals in its first six games, including only one in its last three. It has been shut out twice this season.
"We are getting the shots, but the puck isn't going in right now," Sharks center Vincent Damphousse said. "The luck will come if we continue to get and make opportunities."
"You have to work for lucky breaks," San Jose center Mike Ricci added. "We need more people in front of the net. You can't say that it is bad luck. We have scored one goal in three games. To win, we have to be able to score. The worst thing is saying that we have to score, but we have to score."
The Sharks, who went 0-for-3 on the power play, had their best scoring chance with 12 minutes left but wasted a 3-on-1 opportunity as they were turned away by Gerber.
