Ducks gear up for test with the best

This was a tuneup. A prelim to the main event.

The Ducks seemed ready to rumble Wednesday. They traded blows with the St. Louis Blues and came away with a 4-2 victory at the Honda Center when Brendan Morrison out-scrapped three Blues at the crease.

His game-winning goal with 2 minutes 37 seconds left merely ended a bit of sparring that sent the Ducks off to a marquee event up north, where they face the NHL’s best team, the San Jose Sharks, tonight.

“The time has come where we have to play like an elite team,” said goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who made 26 saves against the Blues.

The Ducks prepared by dominating much of a brisk game that was interrupted by some old-time-hockey moments, with an unusual footnote. There were three second-period fights. Ducks enforcer George Parros was involved in none. He did, however, score a goal.

“Yeah, that was kind of bizarro-world out there tonight,” Parros said.

Call it what they may, it was an effort that the Ducks will need to duplicate tonight.

The Ducks trail the Pacific Division-leading Sharks by 11 points and, in the NHL, banners beget banners. Of the last 15 teams to win the Stanley Cup, 11 also won their division title, including the Ducks in 2007.

“We can’t worry about where we’re going to end up, but we have to beat teams like San Jose,” Giguere said. Still, he said, “this is a test to see where we are as a team.”

Where the Ducks are is second place in the division. They have six games left with the Sharks and would seemingly need to continue the success they have had against San Jose the last two seasons. The Ducks have a 10-4-2 record against San Jose in that time. The teams have split two games this season.

The Sharks, though, come in with the NHL’s best record and all the trimmings that come with that.

Their goaltenders rank third in the league, allowing 2.35 goals per game. The power player play is fifth. Joe Thornton, Devin Setoguchi and Patrick Marleau are among the NHL’s top 13 scorers.

“That team just doesn’t lose,” Ducks forward Teemu Selanne said.

The Ducks found a bit of that in themselves Wednesday. The Blues tied the score with a power-play goal by Brad Boyes. Morrison erased that by digging out the puck and getting it into the net.

“After they got that goal, I think we had the next 10 shots,” Giguere said. “That’s the sign of a good team. You don’t panic.”

The game turned chippy with what was apparent payback for St. Louis goaltender Manny Legace being injured on Parros’ first-period goal. Ryan Carter clipped Legace in the head with his knee as he skated by in celebration. Shenanigans began in the second period.

First, the Blues’ Yan Statsny squared off with Carter. Two seconds after play resumed, the Ducks’ Steve Montador went at it with B.J. Crombeen.

Later in the period, the Ducks’ Corey Perry buried Barret Jackman into the boards. Jay McClement immediately jumped Perry, and the moment teetered on a free-for-all. The Ducks ended up with a power play, which they cashed in when Chris Kunitz chipped in a Ryan Getzlaf pass to break a 1-1 tie.

“I love the fighting,” Selanne said. “I wish I could fight too. Old guys don’t do that.”

Selanne then looked ahead, saying, “Let’s get to San Jose and see where we’re at.”

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chris.foster@latimes.com