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Ducks hope overtime victory against Coyotes leads to more success in OT

Ducks forward Ondrej Kase scores the game-winner in overtime against Coyotes goaltender Mike Smith during a game at Honda Center on Jan. 6.
(Christine Cotter / Associated Press)
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Ducks defenseman Josh Manson typically doesn’t see a ton of action in overtime, but he certainly has a pulse on the team during the extra session.

He could certainly measure the mental toll seven overtime losses had taken before the Ducks broke through Friday with an overtime win against the Arizona Coyotes.

“I think it was a long time coming,” Manson said. “It was nice to finally get one of those. There’s was big sigh of relief on the bench when the puck crossed the line. It was kind of surreal at the time because we had lost so many. It was big for us.”

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Will a breakthrough bring some newfound confidence in the three-on-three format following Ondrej Kase’s game-winning goal Friday?

Manson said yes, especially because, “For a while you’re just sitting on pins and needles and you start thinking about the negative.”

Judging by this recent stretch, the Ducks could be in for more overtime games going into Sunday’s homecoming for former Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau, now behind the bench for the Minnesota Wild. Five of the Ducks’ last seven games have gone beyond regulation.

Regardless of the coach, the overtime issue isn’t new. Under Boudreau last season, the Ducks lost their first five overtime games and finished 4-7 in that category.

Like Boudreau, Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle has brainstormed ways to be more effective and sometimes gone to two defensemen on the ice. Carlyle was just glad his team stopped the hemorrhage of points, although the Ducks are still well positioned in the Pacific Division race.

“We finally got the monkey off our back,” Carlyle said. “It’s been too long and too many points that went by the wayside.”

Kase’s resilience

Kase was briefly knocked out of the game when he tumbled into the boards late in the first period. But he returned for the start of the second period and played the rest of the way with the same jump that has kept him up with the Ducks.

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“He’s one of those guys who is kind of like the Energizer bunny,” Carlyle said. “He just keeps going and finds ways. If he gets knocked down, he picks himself back up. He delivers in clutch situations for us, in the shootout and overtime.”

NEXT UP

VS. MINNESOTA

When: 5 p.m. Sunday.

On the air: TV: NBCSN; Radio: 830.

Update: The Ducks took Saturday off. The Wild are expected to start goalie Devan Dubnyk after Darcy Kuemper played Saturday against the Kings. Dubnyk leads the NHL with a 1.82 goals-against average. Former Ducks wing Chris Stewart has seven goals in 37 games after he scored eight goals in 56 games with Anaheim last season.

sports@latimes.com

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