Mighty Ducks Keep Playoff Drive Alive : Hockey: Goalie Hebert shuts down Toronto, 3-1, with more than a little help from the penalty-killing unit.

The Mighty Ducks know this is the time when teams wilt. Look at the Kings.

There are only five games between them and the off-season, but the Ducks haven’t folded. They beat Toronto, 3-1, in front of 17,174 Saturday at The Pond of Anaheim.

“I’ve known teams that really went into the tank when they faced elimination,” said goalie Guy Hebert, who won his 19th game of the season and carried a shutout into the third period. “It’s somewhat frustrating that no matter how well we play we can’t do enough to pass San Jose without their help. But in retrospect, it’s really positive.”

Even if the Ducks win all their remaining games, the Sharks only have to tie one in their last five to clinch the final Western Conference playoff spot.

The Ducks have won four of their last five games, but they’re almost out of time.

The Maple Leafs, who have the fifth-best record in the NHL but were 1-2-1 against the Ducks, are limping toward the playoffs. They conducted a closed-door meeting after the game.

“They weren’t kissing each other in there,” Toronto Coach Pat Burns said. “We’re just trying to keep things positive. We’re not the favorites any more. . . . We have to stick together and play as a team. That’s how we got this far.”

That and a hard-working style have gotten the Ducks further than they had the audacity to imagine.

“You’ve got to play well every night,” said Joe Sacco, who scored a goal for the third consecutive game. “Plus, it’s pride. We’ve got a lot of pride in this room. We’d like to finish ahead of certain teams. I don’t know what the expansion record was, 31?”

It was--until the Florida Panthers broke it by winning their 32nd game. But the victory over Toronto was the Ducks’ 31st, tying them for second with the 1967-68 Kings and Philadelphia Flyers.

Hebert made 27 saves, but the victory probably belonged to the penalty-killers who shut out Toronto on eight power-play attempts and killed a five-minute high-sticking penalty against Patrik Carnback in the second period.

Duck Coach Ron Wilson was unhappy with the call, which came after Carnback’s stick hit Todd Gill’s face as Carnback tried to recover the puck that Gill knocked away.

But the Ducks kept Toronto at bay, with Shaun Van Allen blocking a shot by Drake Berehowsky.

It was one big kill after another--too many for Wilson’s comfort--but the Ducks escaped.

“They didn’t give up many shots,” Hebert said. “I think Toronto was trying to work plays and make pinpoint passes and get two or three real quality shots, but our guys were pressuring them, and they didn’t really get many chances.”

The Ducks took a 1-0 lead into the third on Sacco’s first-period goal, his 18th. Then John Lilley, who played for Team USA at Lillehammer, celebrated his first NHL goal after circling behind the net and putting in a backhander off a pass from David Williams at 4:37 of the third.

Stephan Lebeau scored at 6:58 for a 3-0 lead. But Bob Rouse spoiled Hebert’s shutout bid with a goal at 7:30.

Duck Notes

Guy Hebert will be invited to be the goalie for the U.S. team coached by Ron Wilson at the World Championships later this month, said Lou Nanne, Team USA general manager.

Times staff writer Helene Elliott contributed to this story.