Kings see a net gain, and some net loss, in victory

The Kings rallied to win a game that meant little to them, pulling out a 5-4 shootout victory over the dead-but-they-didn’t-know-it Ducks on Tuesday at the Honda Center by erasing deficits of 3-0 and 4-1 and prevailing on Anze Kopitar’s slick backhand past Curtis McElhinney.

The Ducks’ playoff hopes had been snuffed a few minutes earlier, when Colorado beat Vancouver in a shootout in Canada. The Kings have a playoff berth sewn up, but their hopes of doing anything more than four-and-out when they reach postseason play have suddenly dimmed.

What stands out about this game for the Kings, more than their comeback or their rise to sixth place in the West, is the possibility -- no, likelihood -- that they are heading toward the playoffs with a goaltending problem.

Again.

Jonathan Quick, so solid for much of this season, failed in his sixth attempt to earn his 40th win. He was yanked in favor of Erik Ersberg -- Jonathan Bernier being simply too far away to reach Anaheim in time -- after giving up three goals on eight shots and combining with defenseman Randy Jones on an inexcusable gaffe behind the net that let Bobby Ryan score the Ducks’ third goal into a vacated cage.

Apparently, taking two games off last week to work on his technique wasn’t enough of a respite to rebuild his confidence and form.

“It looks like his concentration is off a bit here. At this time of the year we’re just going to have to have him going,” Kings Coach Terry Murray said. “It’s a critical position.

“He’ll bounce back. He’s been through these looks at different times of the year and he’s always come back, responded the right way. I expect that for the next game.”

Or it could be his last game, with Bernier waiting in the wings and racking up honors in the American Hockey League.

The Kings were able to escape with a win Tuesday because they finally grasped the brilliant notion that they should challenge the Ducks’ porous defense and go to the net, a formula enough other teams have used often enough to keep the Ducks out of the playoffs this season.

Dustin Brown, Alexander Frolov (during a power play), Justin Williams and Michal Handzus scored in regulation, the final goal coming with 1:09 left and Ersberg heading to the bench for an extra skater. Williams set it up by floating a pass over the stick of Scott Niedermayer and to Handzus for a backhander by the right post.

Teemu Selanne scored twice for the Ducks, ripping the second goal past Ersberg from the left circle during a power play for a 4-1 lead at 12:19 of the second period. But they couldn’t hold on, and it became moot, anyway, when Colorado won.

The Ducks started the season poorly and ended in much better form but couldn’t overcome their early failings in a season of transition on defense and in goal.

“We know that we’re better than this,” Niedermayer said.

“I hope this is a bitter taste for everybody in this room. We need to learn from this or else we’ll find ourselves in the same situation.

“We came up short of where we want to be. We had some challenges to overcome that we didn’t. I personally can say I didn’t play as well as I would have liked to all season.”

In the shootout, Corey Perry scored for the Ducks, and the Kings’ Jarret Stoll hit the crossbar. Selanne shot over the net and Jack Johnson brought the Kings even by scoring on a low wrist shot. Saku Koivu shot wide and then Kopitar won it with his clever backhander.

“This was one of those games again where we didn’t come out of the gates as we should have and battled back at the end,” Kopitar said.

“We all realize that’s not going to take us long. But we know we can come back in those situations. We clinched the playoffs and we could have easily let this slide but we battled back.”

The last and most interesting battle could be in goal, between Bernier and Quick.

helene.elliott@latimes.com

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