Sharks dominate Ducks in Rookie Faceoff, Musty nets hat trick

The San Jose Sharks put on an impressive display Sunday afternoon at the 2024 Rookie Faceoff, defeating the Anaheim Ducks 7-2 at the Toyota Sports Performance Center. From start to finish, the Sharks controlled the game, showcasing a strong team effort that was highlighted by a hat trick from 2023 first-round pick Quentin Musty.

After a relatively even first period, which saw defenseman Jeremie Bucheler open the scoring at 13:00, the Ducks tied it late in the period on a power-play goal from Cutter Gauthier at 19:52.

Despite Anaheim’s late equalizer, the Sharks seized momentum in the second period and never looked back.

Nolan Burke kicked off the second frame by regaining the lead for San Jose with a power-play goal at 5:39. Just over 10 minutes later, Musty began his scoring spree, converting on another Sharks’ power play at 16:55 with assists from linemates Collin Graf and Kasper Halttunen.

The Sharks' power play continued to click in the third period. Just 2:45 into the final frame, Musty struck again, notching his second goal of the game, once again with help from Graf and defenseman Luca Cagnoni. Halttunen joined the scoring party at 11:17, finishing a play initiated by Musty to extend San Jose's lead to 5-1.

Barely a minute later, Musty completed his hat trick at 12:47, wiring a shot past Anaheim’s goaltender Vyacheslav Buteyets after a slick pass from Cagnoni. Anaheim attempted to respond, with Yegor Sidorov netting a goal at 14:40, but the Sharks shut the door from there. To cap off the dominant performance, Colton Roberts added San Jose’s seventh goal in the final second of the game, sealing the 7-2 win.

Musty, the game's standout performer, finished with four points (3G, 1A), while Cagnoni (3A) and Graf (2A) were active in creating offense. Goaltender Gabriel Carriere was solid between the pipes, making 22 saves on 24 shots, ensuring the Sharks stayed in control throughout the game.

San Jose’s power play was lethal, converting on all three opportunities, while the penalty kill stood tall, allowing just one goal on four Anaheim power plays. The win marked an excellent all-around team performance, setting the tone headed into the Sharks final game on Monday against the Colorado Avalanche at 11:30am. Watch live on sjsharks.com or in the Sharks + SAP Center Mobile app. Listen live on the Sharks Audio Network.