Column: With 101 points, Ducks not looking back at slow start

If the Ducks’ start had been slightly less terrible, if they had avoided a mid-March slump after they’d climbed from the depths of the standings to the top of the Pacific division, maybe they wouldn’t have had their playoff positioning taken out of their hands.

But what’s done is done, and they saw no sense Saturday in brooding over what might have happened if they’d won more games early, had avoided losses to Vancouver and Winnipeg within the last week, or hadn’t let the Kings take them off their game a few days ago.

“At this point of the year we’re not looking back at all,” center Ryan Getzlaf said after the Ducks’ 5-3 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday afternoon at Pepsi Center. “We put a lot of things behind us this year and worked really hard to get where we are, so we’re just looking forward.”

They still can look forward to the possibility of winning the Pacific title. The Kings’ 4-3 shootout loss to Winnipeg on Saturday means the Ducks can win their fourth straight division championship if they beat the Capitals on Sunday in Washington in their regular-season finale. Getting one point wouldn’t be enough for the Ducks because the Kings hold the first tiebreaker, with more regulation and overtime wins. The Capitals, who long ago clinched the No. 1 spot in the East, have nothing at stake on Sunday and might rest some of their key players.

In this case, finishing first isn’t much of a reward because it would set up a first-round series against Nashville. The second-place finisher will face San Jose, a different and still formidable challenge that would come with shorter travel.

“There’s not going to be any easy games in the playoffs. I don’t think any team in the league expects that,” said winger Ryan Garbutt, who made a quick move from his backhand to his forehand to convert a pass from Corey Perry and give the Ducks a 3-0 lead at 9:37 of the second period. “We’re just going to play out the season as hard as we can and play hard against whoever we play against.”

The Ducks could have eased up Saturday and settled for second place. But the players who sat out were injured and those who played exerted a lot of energy in blocking 19 shots and delivering 19 hits to the vacation-bound Avalanche. Ryan Kesler, who combined with linemates Andrew Cogliano and Jakob Silfverberg for six points, blocked a shot with 4:37 left in the third and didn’t play again, though Coach Bruce Boudreau said Kesler was fine.

“Initially they just were factors on one end, on defending,” Boudreau said of the trio. “But now we’ve got two 20-goal scorers on the line and not a lot of teams can say they’ve got two 20-goal scorers as their checkers. So that’s good. And Kes just keeps doing what he’s doing, blocking shots like a madman.”

The Ducks scored two power-play goals in four chances and killed six of seven disadvantages, maintaining their NHL lead in both categories at 23.4% and 87.1%, respectively. They played like they were in postseason mode even if they didn’t know who they’ll play when the pursuit of the Stanley Cup starts Wednesday around the NHL.

“I think the coaches here do a great job of getting us ready to play every day. They’ve had us playing playoff hockey since I got here,” said Garbutt, who was acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks on Jan. 21. “I know we had a little bit of a lull, but it’s not because guys haven’t been working hard or playing as hard as they can. I think that with the depth we have on this team, it’s only going to help us in the playoffs.”

Silfverberg reached 20 goals for the first time in his career, completing as striking a personal turnaround as the Ducks have pulled off as a team. He had no goals in his first 20 games but has scored 12 in his last 18 and has been outstanding defensively.

“Who would have thought? After that start, no,” he said of his status as a 20-goal scorer, still something special. “First of all, it’s good to get the win after the last couple games. Scoring 20 goals, it’s fun.”

Winning playoff games is even more fun, and Silfverberg said the Ducks hope to use these weekend games to build momentum for the postseason. “I think today was a step in the right direction,” Silfverberg said. “The games before that have been a little too sloppy, but I think today we played a little bit better.

“It’s a good final rehearsal coming into playoffs.”

helene.elliott@latimes.com

Twitter: @helenenothelen