‘Last-Place Ducks’ Eye Playoffs : Hockey: They beat the Sharks, 5-4, for their 10th victory of the season and then start thinking about postseason possibilities.

The Mighty Ducks have won 10 games this season. They’re last in the Pacific Division and tied for last in the Western Conference. Their power play and penalty-killing rank among the worst in the NHL.

And they’re talking playoffs.

The Ducks’ 5-4 victory over San Jose in front of 17,174 at The Pond of Anaheim on Sunday was their third in their last six games, and if not for a Dallas victory earlier in the day they would be a mere three points out of a playoff spot. As it is, they are five points out, and they play 12 of their final 15 games at home or at the Forum.

“If we continue to play well at home, we have a chance to make the playoffs, as crazy as that sounds,” said Mighty Duck Coach Ron Wilson, a tad miffed that “last-place Ducks” seems to be the team’s nickname.

“It sounds crazy to the writers because everybody thinks we stink.”

Actually, it’s the Pacific Division that stinks. Conventional wisdom says it takes a .500 record to make the playoffs, but Calgary is the only team in the Pacific above that mark in this shortened season. The laggards make the race for the final two or three Western Conference playoff spots interesting.

“We feel we have a legitimate shot at making the playoffs,” said Duck winger Garry Valk, who scored 1:16 into the game to start a three-goal barrage in the first 9:02 that set a club record for the fastest three goals from the start of a game.

The Ducks chased San Jose goalie Wade Flaherty 3:27 into the game after Patrik Carnback easily put in the rebound of his own shot for a 2-0 lead. Rookie Paul Kariya made it 3-0 just past the nine-minute mark with his 13th goal of the season.

Center Bob Corkum quickly agreed with Valk, dismissing questions about whether making the playoffs is an achievable goal.

“I can tell you the 25 guys in this locker room believe in the cause and will fight for it every night,” Corkum said.

Despite a 3-0 lead after the first period, the Ducks needed a little fight to beat San Jose. Still, they are 3-0 against the Sharks this year after going 0-6 against them last season.

“We almost gave them an opportunity to get back in the game. In fact, we did,” Wilson said.

Goals by the Sharks’ Jim Kyte and Ulf Dahlen cut the lead to 3-2 during the second period, and the score would have been tied if referee Mick McGeough hadn’t disallowed a San Jose goal five minutes into the second period, ruling that the video review showed Ray Whitney kicked the puck into the net. San Jose Coach Kevin Constantine contended it should have been a goal.

Duck rookie defenseman Oleg Tverdovsky broke the game back open at 8:46 of the third, though, holding the puck on a two-on-one before lifting a shot high to beat Arturs Irbe. Peter Douris gave the Ducks a 5-2 lead at 13:59.

Duck goalie Guy Hebert, who made 21 saves, allowed two more goals that proved inconsequential as Jeff Odgers scored at 14:50 and rookie Jeff Friesen scored a goal with an extra attacker on in the final second of the game.

The loss was the Sharks’ ninth in the last 12 games, and the Ducks are only two points behind them in the standings. But to reach eighth place in the conference and win a playoff spot, they would have to pass four teams--Winnipeg, San Jose, Edmonton and either Dallas or the Kings, as the standings are now.

“The games we must win, we’ve been playing well in,” Wilson said.

Duck Notes

Duck linemates Stephan Lebeau and Shaun Van Allen each had two assists. . . . Forward Tim Sweeney, playing for only the second time in the last 11 games, had an assist. . . . Forwards Todd Krygier (groin) and Todd Ewen (hand) were scratched because of minor injuries. . . . Defenseman Robert Dirk required about 10 stitches to close a cut over his eye in the first period but returned. . . . The goal by San Jose’s Jim Kyte was his first in the NHL since the 1989-90 season.