Kings Finish Ducks : Hockey: Gretzky finally scores a goal in 2-1 victory that ends Ducks’ playoff hopes. Kings are still in the hunt.

Wayne Gretzky ended a 10-game goal-scoring drought with a power-play goal and Rob Blake also scored with a man advantage as the Kings remained in the playoff picture with a 2-1 victory over the Mighty Ducks on Sunday at the Forum.

The Kings moved into a three-way tie for the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot, while the last-place Ducks were eliminated in their second season in the NHL.

The Kings, San Jose and Winnipeg all have 39 points with two games remaining, one point ahead of 11th-place Edmonton, which did not play Sunday. The Sharks lost, 4-3, to St. Louis, while Winnipeg was idle and will be host to the Kings on Tuesday.

The Ducks were beaten by the Kings for the first time this season, but still won the season series, 2-1-2.

The Kings are still in danger of missing the playoffs for the second straight season. They need at least one point in their final two games to have a chance because the tiebreaker is against them since they have the fewest victories in the conference with 15.

Grant Fuhr won his first game in goal since being acquired from Buffalo on Feb. 14. He withstood a furious rally in the third period as the Ducks pulled goalie Mikhail Shtalenkov for an extra attacker in the final 42 seconds. Fuhr made 31 saves to improve to 1-6-3.

The Kings, who had looked flat while going 1-7-2 in their 10 previous games, played an emotional first period, engaging in several skirmishes and earning four penalties.

Blake and Gretzky scored power-play goals to give the Kings a 2-1 lead in the first.

Gretzky and Jari Kurri assisted on Blake’s goal at 13:14. Blake’s straight shot into the net from just inside the blue line was his third goal and only his second in 10 games since returning from a groin injury.

Gretzky scored his 11th goal of the season from the top of the right circle at 17:24 for the Kings’ game-winner.

Duck goalie Guy Hebert left the game at 9:33 of the second period after a collision with King left wing Eric Lacroix.