Leo Carlsson opened the scoring for Anaheim with a coast-to-coast rush at 2:59 of the first, and Carlsson later added a second-period goal on a 2-on-1 to extend the lead.

John Carlson capped the night with his first NHL hat trick, powering the Ducks to a 6-1 win over the San Jose Sharks at Honda Center.

Sharks forward Kiefer Sherwood stressed the need to outwork opponents and improve in battles, penalties and shifts.

Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov stopped 24 shots as Sherwood called for more effort to regain momentum.

Looking ahead, the Sharks host Vancouver on Saturday and the Ducks welcome Vancouver on Sunday.

Shakir Mukhamadullin scored for San Jose, and Askarov made 27 saves; the Sharks entered the matchup having won five of seven.

San Jose was held to their first shot until 13:12 of the first period and were outshot early, with no power play on the night until late in the game.

San Jose fell to 37-34-7, four points behind the Kings for the second Western Conference wild-card spot, following yesterday's loss to Edmonton.

Ducks improved to 42-32-5 with the victory as the Sharks dropped to 37-34-7 in the standings.

The Sharks remain four points behind the Kings for the second wild-card spot, with other teams like Nashville and Winnipeg ahead in the standings.

Anaheim’s win marked a sharp turnaround after a 5-0 loss to Nashville, as the Ducks push to secure a postseason berth.

In his 17th season after a trade from Washington, Carlson delivered three goals and helped the Ducks snap a six-game skid, posting 12 points in 13 games with Anaheim.