Heat on Ducks after a 2-1 loss

A division title figured to be a fait accompli in December when the Ducks roared to a team record 27-4-6 start.

Instead, the Ducks’ fate comes down to tonight’s regular-season finale at Columbus after Friday’s 2-1 shootout loss to the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center kept them from clinching their first Pacific Division title.

The defeat was tough to take because Dallas captain Brenden Morrow scored with 6.1 seconds remaining in regulation to tie the score before Ladislav Nagy won it in the shootout -- the Ducks’ 10th shootout loss.

“I guess we’re going to have to do it the hard way,” Ducks winger Teemu Selanne said. “As long as we can do it, that’s all that matters. It was a pretty tough break with seconds to go to give up the tying goal.”

The Ducks (47-20-14) need one point against the Blue Jackets to clinch the division title. Anaheim can also secure the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference before it plays if San Jose loses to Vancouver earlier at home.

A doomsday scenario has the Sharks winning and the Ducks losing, leaving the teams tied with 108 points. San Jose (51-26-4) would win the tiebreaker based on more victories and Anaheim would probably open the playoffs on the road at Nashville.

The Ducks had hoped to avoid a must-win scenario tonight and, for 59 minutes Friday, they did.

“How much did we want it means nothing at this point,” Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle said. “This is the hand we’re dealt. This is what we have to do.”

Two days after his illegal stick cost the Ducks a key power play in a 3-2 shootout loss to San Jose, Selanne appeared to put his team in position to win by scoring his team-leading 46th goal late in the second period.

Ilya Bryzgalov was playing brilliantly in place of Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who remained at home to tend to his newborn son, Maxime, who has a non-life-threatening health condition. The Ducks supported him by killing all five Dallas power plays, including a five-on-three situation in the second.

But they couldn’t close it out. Mike Ribeiro got the puck behind the Ducks’ net and sent it to the right corner, where Nagy dug it out and threw a shot toward the net that deflected off Morrow and past Bryzgalov.

After a review by officials, the goal stood.

“Everyone was crowded around the crease and I got a good bounce,” Morrow said. “I knew I didn’t have any kicking motion. I would’ve been really surprised if it didn’t count.”

Bryzgalov had stopped the Stars to that point. He finished with 29 saves.

The second-year goalie also stopped Jussi Jokinen, Sergei Zubov and Mike Modano in the shootout and got a piece of Nagy’s shot but not enough to keep it out of the net.

*

TONIGHT

at Columbus, 4 PDT, FSN Prime Ticket

Site -- Nationwide Arena.

Radio -- 830.

Records -- Ducks 47-20-14, Blue Jackets 33-41-7.

Record vs. Blue Jackets -- 1-1-1.

Update -- Center Todd Marchant underwent successful hernia surgery in Philadelphia after visiting a specialist Thursday to find the root of his abdominal and groin problems this season.

eric.stephens@latimes.com