A big line of credit for Ducks

No one in the Ducks’ dressing room is thinking past tonight’s Game 4 against the Minnesota Wild, despite holding a 3-0 advantage in the best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series.

But when the subject turns to the twentysomething line of Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Dustin Penner, the Ducks can’t help but think of the future.

These three form the second line of attack and have helped put the Ducks within one victory of advancing to the conference semifinals for the second consecutive season.

After combining for 71 goals during the regular season, their impact is no surprise to Coach Randy Carlyle.

“We’ve talked about the youth on our team and they are at the forefront of it,” he said. “They’re not considered rookies or sophomores anymore. They became everyday NHL players this year. And we said that we wouldn’t protect them like we did last year.”

In Game 1, all three had a piece of the winning goal.

It began with Getzlaf, who fired a length-of-the-ice, stick-to-stick pass to Penner. Instead of a booming one-timer, Penner attempted a wrist shot. A sprawling Niklas Backstrom, the Wild’s star goaltender, managed to block the shot, only to find himself facing a close-up Penner and a converging Perry. The two Ducks took turns furiously jamming at the loose rebound until Penner finally knocked it in.

It was a defining moment of the series.

Veterans such as forward Rob Niedermayer, himself once considered a player with unbridled potential, marvel at how far the three have come in so little time. Perry and Getzlaf are in only their second year, while Penner is in his first full NHL season.

“Right now, they’re just sort of realizing how good they can be,” Niedermayer said. “I’ve seen how they’ve kind of grown. There’s not as much inconsistency in their game as there used to be. For any young player, that’s the hardest thing to do. You can just see their confidence growing. You see how hard it is to play against them in practice. They’re a very talented group.”

All three are also big, adding to their effectiveness. Getzlaf is 6 feet 3 and 211, Perry is 6-3 and 202, Penner is 6-4 and 243.

Getzlaf, 21, is often considered the one with the most upside. All of that skill converged in a Game 2 moment that produced the most dazzling play of the series.

With the Ducks leading, 2-1, late in the second period, the second-year center took apart Minnesota defenseman Martin Skoula with a quick one-on-one move to his backhand before flipping the puck past Backstrom. It was an insurance goal the Ducks needed in an eventual 3-2 victory.

“What we’ve said about Getzlaf is he can be as good as he wants to be,” Carlyle said. “He’s a big, skilled hockey player. He can do some things that a lot of guys don’t even try to do with the puck. And he has ability to do things at a high pace.”

Perry, 21, has one assist in this series but averaged five minutes more ice time than last season while taking on new responsibilities, such as killing penalties in Game 2.

An uncommon sight, for sure, but not one outside the winger’s capabilities.

“I think if there is one player that has transferred into somewhat of a man, I think it’s Corey Perry,” Carlyle said. “You can pretty much trust him.”

Said Perry: “It’s definitely encouraging from the coaches’ aspect that they trust us in those situations.”

The Ducks saw enough of these three last season to whet their appetite.

Getzlaf last year had 14 goals and 39 points in 57 games while Perry had 13 goals and 25 points in 56 games. Penner, 24, spent most of last season at the Ducks’ minor league affiliate in Portland, Maine. But when left wing Jonathan Hedstrom abruptly returned home to his native Sweden during last year’s playoffs, Penner stepped in to contribute three goals and six assists in 13 games.

“Randy was in no hurry to rush us into anything,” Getzlaf said. “He didn’t want to just throw us in there and make us play big minutes. We were fortunate to have the kind of team in front of us where we didn’t have to jump in and play huge roles.

“This year, he’s obviously put a lot more on our shoulders.”

They’ve withstood the pressure. Getzlaf had 25 goals in the regular season -- one of six Ducks to do that -- and 58 points. Penner’s 29 goals ranked second on the team. Perry topped his rookie totals with 17 goals and 27 assists.

More important, the three have fit easily into a locker room full of professionals.

“As a player, when you’re shown that confidence from the coaching staff and the organization, you obviously feel good about yourself,” Ducks captain Scott Niedermayer said. “At the same time, when given that opportunity, you have to go out and earn it and make the best of it. They’ve continued to work hard during the whole time.”

Now Penner, Getzlaf and Perry are out to bridge the gap between potential and performance.

“This is exactly what we want,” Getzlaf said. “The playoffs are a pretty big opportunity for everybody to kind of showcase themselves. If you can play well in the playoffs, you can go a long way in this league.”

Exactly what the Ducks are counting on.

eric.stephens@latimes.com