Kariya lifts Ducks past Sharks 5-3> Forward hits 100 points

SAN JOSE, Calif. – The Anaheim Mighty Ducks are still alive in the playoff race following a super effort by scoring leader Paul Kariya.

Kariya scored a goal and had three assists, all in the second period, as the Mighty Ducks defeated the San Jose Sharks 5-3 Sunday to keep their playoff “I really didn’t know about the points I got in the second period. I was just playing hockey,” said Kariya, a former University of Maine star who set a career high for most points in a period and tied a career high for points, and assists, in a game.

The Mighty Ducks remained in ninth place in the Western Conference, three points behind Winnipeg and Calgary with four games to play.

“It was huge today to come up with a four-point game like t “It was huge today to come up with a four-point game like that,” said Anaheim coach Ron Wilson of Kariya. “We were very sharp in jumping on their miscues.”

When Kariya scored his 46th goal at 8:03 of the second period, it was his 100th point.

“I only had 48 points last year, so anything I did today was better than last season,” Kariya said.

Anaheim scored three goals on three consecutive shots in the second period to take control.

Roman Oksiuta scored the first, a power-play goal, at 4:26. Kariya’s shot bounced off San Jose goalie Arturs Irbe in front of the net, and Oksiuta backhanded the rebound past Irbe.

Teemu Selanne scored his 38th goal 30 seconds later, taking a pass from Kariya in front of the net and driving in a backhander.

“Usually when you play one good period, you don’t win,” Selanne said. “We both had scoring chances, but we didn’t play well.”

Ray Whitney scored a power-play goal at 7:33 for the Sharks, taking a pass from Owen Nolan and slapping it past Anaheim goalie Guy Hebert from 30 feet out in the high slot.

Kariya responded with an unassisted goal 30 seconds later to give Anaheim a 3-1 lead.

“Paul killed us today,” said Sharks’ defenseman Doug Bodger. “He dominated the game out there.”

Darren Van Impe scored his first career NHL goal at 15:45 of the second period, with an assist from Kariya.

Valeri Karpov scored Anaheim’s fifth goal at 2:04 of the third period.

Whitney scored a shorthanded goal for the Sharks at 5:59. Ulf Dahlen also scored for the Sharks.