Ducks’ Gerber Gets Little Backup

This would be a fitting swan song for this Mighty Duck.

Martin Gerber played as well as a goaltender can, stopping shot after shot. And, as often has been the case, he had nothing to show for it but a loss, in this case a 2-1 victory for Vancouver in front of an announced crowd of 14,977 at the Arrowhead Pond on Wednesday night.

Sami Salo, who had earlier aided and abetted on the Ducks’ only goal, whistled a shot from the blue line through traffic at the crease that beat Gerber to the right with 20 seconds left. The victory moved Vancouver into first place in the Northwest Division.

“If this was my last game of the year, it [stinks] to lose it,” said Gerber, who stopped 41 of 43 shots.

For Gerber, it might have been a fitting result in what could have been his last game as a Duck. His value as a goaltender has increased. His on-ice value has increased so much that the Ducks may be better off trading him and getting a quality player in return.

Gerber has had 11 games in which he gave up two or fewer goals and has not received a victory this season. He is 0-8-3 in those games. Last season, he had nine games in which he gave up two or fewer goals and didn’t get a win.

He lost this one when the Ducks failed to win a faceoff -- one of the very few areas they have been successful in this season. Brendan Morrison won the draw from Sergei Fedorov, and Morrison got it back to Salo, who fired.

Until that point, Gerber had stopped 21 shots in the third period. The Ducks had four shots in the period and were outshot, 43-23, for the game.

“They came out in the third period like they were on a mission,” Duck Coach Mike Babcock said. “Gerbs gave us every chance to win tonight.”

One of the happy topics about the Ducks this season has been Gerber, who has come a long way since being an obscure eighth-round pick in the 2001 draft. He established himself as one of the top backup goalies in the NHL and improved that reputation considerably this season, so much so that the Toronto Maple Leafs made a play for him before the trading deadline.

“I feel I can be a No. 1 goalie,” said Gerber, who will play for Switzerland at the World Championships, which begin April 24. “I am confident I can do the job. I just need the chance to do it.”

That chance could possibly be elsewhere next season, provided a labor agreement can be reached in the NHL. Gerber could also play in Europe, if the right offer came his way.

“Gerbs thinks he can be a No. 1 goalie, and we would like to accommodate him and help our team at the same time,” Babcock said.

Ruslan Salei gave the Ducks a 1-0 lead by firing a wild shot that glanced off the shoulder of Vancouver defenseman Salo and into the net 2:38 into the second period.

Markus Naslund tied the score four minutes later, beating Gerber with a backhander.

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The Ducks will lose more than $20 million this season, a source familiar with the operation said. The team, which is for sale, was once a cash cow for the Walt Disney Co. but is not thought to have made a profit in eight seasons.... Petr Sykora returned to the Duck lineup Wednesday, playing 14 minutes 54 seconds. He sat out Sunday’s game at Minnesota because of severe dehydration.... Duck defenseman Lance Ward sat out because of a lower back injury, Babcock said. He was injured in the Ducks’ 3-1 loss to Columbus on Friday.