Ducks beat Sharks in a shootout, 2-1

SAN JOSE – The big picture in the Pacific Division is still fuzzy with three-fourths of the season yet to be played, but it’s becoming clear the Ducks and San Jose Sharks are starting to emerge as the ones to beat.

The streaking teams played to a shootout for the second time in eight days, with goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere again playing a key role in the Ducks’ 2-1 victory Saturday night at HP Pavilion.

Giguere stopped 28 shots and foiled all three Sharks attempts in the shootout. Giguere hasn’t been scored upon in the last 10 shootout tries he has faced, including two in a 3-2 win over San Jose last week.

Corey Perry’s goal in the second round made the difference in another close game between the defending Stanley Cup champions and the team that many pick to dethrone them.

“We’re getting the job done,” Perry said. “Jiggy’s standing tall and guys are putting the puck in the net when they’re called upon.”

It was also the third straight victory in a shootout and fourth this season. What is also becoming clear is the Ducks are beginning to have their way with the Sharks, especially in San Jose.

The Ducks (10-8-3) might sit two points behind the Sharks (11-7-3) in the division, but they’ve continued their mastery of the current leader by winning for the fourth consecutive time on their ice dating to last season.

In doing so, the Ducks extended their season-high winning streak to four games and stopped San Jose’s streak at four. The third of eight meetings comes Dec. 18.

“We’ve been winning a few games lately but we still weren’t happy with the way we were playing,” Giguere said. “All we were looking for was a 60-minute effort, or a 65-minute effort tonight. I think we did that.”

Chris Kunitz gave the Ducks the initial lead at the 15:24 mark of the first period with a deft deflection of Francois Beauchemin’s shot from the point to finish off a strong shift with linemates Perry and Ryan Getzlaf.

It was the seventh goal for Kunitz and only his second since Oct. 28.

Kunitz’s goal stood up until the third period behind a focused, disciplined effort by the Ducks, particularly on defense. The Sharks’ one-two punch of Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau up the middle was held off the score sheet and the Ducks killed all four of San Jose’s power plays.

“The system hasn’t changed and I think we’re getting more comfortable with it,” Coach Randy Carlyle said of his team’s penalty killing. “It didn’t allow them to gain momentum.”

But their chance at gaining more ground on the Sharks took a hit thanks to a former Duck.

Traded away midway through the 2005-06 season because of his defensive shortcomings and his battles with substance abuse, Sandis Ozolinsh haunted his former team with two key plays in a 30-second span of the third period.

Jeremy Roenick won a faceoff back to Ozolinsh, who shot the puck toward Giguere and rookie Torrey Mitchell managed to deflect it enough to get it past the goaltender to tie the score.

Moments later, Ozolinsh went from potential goat to hero. The veteran defenseman, in his second stint with the Sharks, tipped Andy McDonald’s backhand try toward his own net while goalie Evgeni Nabokov was caught out of position.

As the puck trickled toward the goal line, Ozolinsh tipped it away before it could cross the red barrier.

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 eric.stephens@latimes.com