What we learned from the Ducks’ 5-3 win over Calgary

There’s nothing wrong with being a one-line team on some nights if that one line produces the way the Ducks’ top line did Tuesday.

Rickard Rakell, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry combined for four goals and six assists in a 5-3 win against Calgary. They took 11 of the Ducks’ 32 shots and erased deficits of 2-0 and 3-2.

Here’s what we learned:

The Ducks might have found a long-term role for Rakell on the top line.

Rakell has been with Getzlaf and Perry for at least six games, a significant stint given that Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau isn’t known for continuity with his lines.

He sounded open to it but there was a caveat.

“You never say ‘forever,’” Boudreau said. “But when [Rickard’s] playing really well, he really complements the line well. He’s got a really good offensive eye, knowing how to go to holes, which is what they really need, and he can really skate. [On] night’s like tonight it was really good, you know? On other nights, it’s not so good.”

Goalie John Gibson showed no rust.

Gibson made his season debut and made 19 saves on 20 shots when he was thrown into the game in relief of Anton Khudobin. Gibson hadn’t played an NHL game since April and has spent this season in the minors after the Ducks signed him to a three-year contract extension in September.

“He made big saves in the end,” Boudreau said. “I thought he was a little nervous-looking early on … you hate to give him the opportunity in those circumstances, but at the same time, he came through.”

The Ducks aren’t far behind in the Pacific Division.

They enter Wednesday two points out of the third and final guaranteed berth into the playoffs from the division and can leapfrog Arizona for fourth with a win.

This for a team that still ranks last in the Western Conference in scoring and is 8-10-4.

Getzlaf at least liked the thoroughness on Tuesday.

“We have to be able to maintain stuff throughout a hockey game, where there’s going to be ups and downs, there’s going to be goals scored against,” Getzlaf said. “We’ve got to be able to maintain. I thought we did a better job of that tonight. Not all night, but we did a lot better job.”