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Ducks sweep to a title

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The Ducks’ torrid pace had slowed the last few weeks, but they regrouped in time to clinch their second Pacific Division title in franchise history and the No. 2 seeding in the playoffs.

Goaltender Viktor Fasth made 24 saves and Ryan Getzlaf, Radek Dvorak and Sami Vatanen each scored goals Monday to give the Ducks a 3-0 victory over the Oilers at Edmonton and a sweep of the teams’ back-to-back games.

The Ducks previously won a division title in 2007 as a springboard to winning the Stanley Cup.

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They started this season impressively but had struggled to score lately. They were winless in four games before their two strong performances against the Oilers.

“I think it was certainly important to win the division, but it was more important to get back to playing the way we know we can,” defenseman Francois Beauchemin said.

“It was a good two games for us, and that’s what’s most important.”

Getzlaf scored during a first-period power play and Dvorak was set up by Long Beach native Emerson Etem for a 2-0 lead at 11:48.

Vatanen added an insurance goal at 3:55 of the third period, fanning on his first attempt but getting the puck back and rifling it past goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin.

Fasth earned his fourth shutout.

The Ducks will finish their four-game trip at Vancouver on Thursday and will end the season at home against Phoenix on Saturday. They will open the playoffs against the No. 7-seeded team, which hasn’t yet been determined.

“This is the second step. The first was making the playoffs. So this is another good step,” winger Teemu Selanne said. “Good so far, but a lot of hard work ahead for sure. We have to be ready. The toughest part is coming up.”

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helene.elliott@latimes.com

Elliott reported from Los Angeles.

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