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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- With the playoffs nearing, the Anaheim Mighty Ducks took full advantage of their last chance to pick up a head-to-head win against San Jose.
Teemu Selanne scored two goals and Oleg Tverdovsky had his third in as many games as the Mighty Ducks beat the Sharks 4-2 Friday night to tighten the race for the last playoff berth in the Western Conference.
|  | | Anaheim's Steve Rucchin leaves San Jose defenseman Mike Rathje in his wake. |
"Two points is two points. That's all that matters to me," Selanne said after the Ducks survived their latest third-period letdown to move within four standings points of the eighth-place Sharks, 76-72. Each club has 10 games left.
Anaheim jumped out to a 3-0 lead, but San Jose peppered Mighty Ducks goalie Guy Hebert with 13 shots in the first 10 minutes of the third period. Todd Harvey connected to make it 3-1 1:10 in.
Jeff Friesen's short-handed goal at 14:45 brought San Jose to within 3-2. But Selanne scored an empty-net goal as time expired for the 4-2 final.
The loss ended a four-game unbeaten stretch by San Jose, its longest of the season.
"We knew what was at stake, we just couldn't get the job done," Friesen said of the opportunity to push Anaheim closer to playoff elimination. "But we can't hang our heads. We have a huge game in Dallas (on Sunday) and we have to get that win."
After the hard-hitting game, Anaheim coach Craig Hartsburg questioned why the league did not assign two referees to the game.
The Sharks drew nine penalties, including Bryan Marchment's major misconduct in the third period for spearing Paul Kariya.
"It was a vicious, dirty game," Hartsburg said. "It was a bad decision by the league to not assign two referees. "This is a tense time for teams, with everyone fighting to get into the playoffs."
Anaheim took a 1-0 lead in the first period on a sensational individual effort by Selanne, who streaked down the right side and launched a shot at a tough angle stopped by goalie Steve Shields. Selanne skated behind the goal and was in perfect position to net Kariya's rebound for his 27th goal.
Fredrik Olausson made it 2-0 for the Mighty Ducks 4:30 into the second period, scoring his 12th goal with assists from Kip Miller and Ladislav Kohn.
But Hebert stood his ground, and stood out as the difference in the last game of the season between the teams. Anaheim wound up with a 4-1-1 edge over the Sharks, and is 7-2-3 against San Jose the last two seasons.
"He made some big stops," Friesen said. "We had some chances to take over the game but couldn't do it."
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
San Jose Clubhouse
Anaheim Clubhouse
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