San Jose, CA -- (Sports Network) - Travis Moen scored two goals to lead the Anaheim Ducks to a 7-4 win over San Jose in the opener of a key Pacific Division home-and-home set at the Shark Tank. These teams will meet again on Wednesday in Anaheim.

Rob Niedermayer registered a goal and two assists while Samuel Pahlsson, Andy McDonald and Dustin Penner also scored for the Ducks, who improved to 3-1 since their four-game losing streak and increased their lead in the division over San Jose to five points. Anaheim goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere made 34 saves and Ryan Getzlaf added a late short-handed empty-netter in the win.

"The first game is always very important, so we're happy we got the two points," said Giguere. "(Wednesday's game) is going to be even harder. They are going to come out even hungrier and we're going to have to answer back."

Jonathan Cheechoo scored twice while Mike Grier and Patrick Marleau both notched a goal for the Sharks, who are now 2-4-1 since they opened 2007 with a 6-1 mark. Wednesday's game at Anaheim will mark the start of an eight-game road trip for San Jose.

Vesa Toskala allowed six goals on 30 shots in the losing effort.

The Ducks scored twice in a 32-second span in the first period to take control.

Moen opened the scoring with a sharp-angle shot that beat Toskala at the 13:16 mark. Skating with great speed through the neutral zone, Moen banked the puck off the boards, skated around San Jose blueliner Marc-Edouard Vlasic, regained control of the puck and fired home a wrist shot from beneath the left circle.

Only 32 ticks later, it was 2-0. Niedermayer took the puck the length of the ice and moved into the offensive zone before he passed across the slot from along the outer rim of the right circle for Pahlsson, who accepted the disc along the left side and lit the lamp.

Grier's 11th goal cut the Sharks deficit in half with 1:51 remaining in the opening period. Grier sent the puck into the crease from the base of the left boards along the goal line, but the intended centering pass ended up deflecting off the skate of Giguere and it trickled over the goal line.

Anaheim, though, exploded with four goals in the second period and blew the game wide open.

"We didn't respond to adversity that we were facing very well," said Sharks head coach Ron Wilson. "We felt sorry for ourselves and we didn't stick to the plan. When you don't stick to the plan against a good team, you see what happens."

After McDonald's goal made it 3-1, an alert play by Niedermayer gave the visitors a three-goal edge. San Jose's Matthew Carle attempted to clear the disc off the high glass from his own goal line, but he partially whiffed and the puck squirted loose. Niedermayer capitalized on the turnover when he swooped in and beat Toskala with a wrist shot from in close at the 11:51 mark.

Penner's 18th goal of 2006-07 -- from Todd Marchant and Chris Pronger at 16:13 -- increased Anaheim's lead to 5-1 before Moen's second tally of the contest with 1:33 remaining in the frame.

Niedermayer was again at the center of the action. The veteran forward hustled down the right-wing side and stopped inside the circle to look for an open teammate. Niedermayer then sent a flip pass into the low slot for the cutting Moen, who beat Toskala with a snap shot as he was falling down for his ninth goal.

The Sharks made it interesting with three goals in the final stanza, but it was too little, too late. The first came off the stick of Marleau, who corralled the puck after a shot by Ryane Clowe and put home a stuffer at the left post at 1:19.

Two goals in under two minutes -- both scored by Cheechoo and both assisted by Marleau and Joe Thornton -- brought San Jose within 6-4 with over five minutes remaining in regulation.

The first of Cheechoo's goals was scored on the power play after Corey Perry was whistled for interference and the momentum continued soon after with his 18th goal of the season, but Getzlaf's unassisted short-handed tally after Toskala had been pulled capped the scoring.

Game Notes:

Ducks defenseman Scott Niedermayer returned to the lineup after he had missed three games with a stress fracture in his foot...San Jose outshot the Ducks 18-3 in the third period...The Ducks were 0-for-1 on the power play, while San Jose finished 2-for-5 with the extra skater...Attendance was 17,496.