Playoff-bound Ducks have fun

Nothing was at stake for the playoff-bound Ducks in their penultimate game of the regular season against the Kings, but you wouldn’t get away with telling that to little-used defenseman Joe DiPenta.

DiPenta marked his first game since Feb. 2 with a rare goal that sparked the Ducks’ 4-3 win Saturday at Staples Center as they also put the wraps on another year without a postseason for the Kings.

Teemu Selanne scored twice for the Ducks (46-27-8), with his first goal coming eight seconds after DiPenta’s first-period tally and his second being decisive at 6 minutes 28 seconds of the third.

The win ensured the second consecutive 100-point season for the Ducks, but all the talk afterward centered on DiPenta, who has been a regular healthy scratch since Scott Niedermayer ended his sabbatical and returned to a loaded defense corps in mid-December.

In his 23rd game of the season, the 29-year-old DiPenta got his first goal and sixth of his three-year NHL career when he sneaked a shot from the point past Kings goalie Dan Cloutier.

“You try to make the most of the opportunities when you get them,” DiPenta said. “Especially when you never know how many you’re going to get.”

As he skated back toward the bench, DiPenta couldn’t suppress a big smile when he received high-fives from his teammates.

“I didn’t even bother,” he said, beaming in the dressing room.

“We were so happy and pumped to see him score,” Selanne said. “He hasn’t played many games, but he comes to work every day. Just a positive guy and everything.”

After DiPenta answered Dustin Brown’s goal for the Kings, Selanne couldn’t resist stealing some of his teammate’s thunder.

Selanne stripped Kings defenseman Jon Klemm of the puck on the ensuing faceoff and put a backhand past Cloutier on a breakaway. The two goals in eight seconds tied an Anaheim record set by Selanne and Chris Kunitz against Phoenix on Nov. 30, 2005.

“That was probably pretty symbolic of the way we played this year,” Kings Coach Marc Crawford said.

The Kings’ Brian Willsie and Patrick O’Sullivan sandwiched goals around one by the Ducks’ Ryan Getzlaf in a 2:05 span early in the second period. Selanne broke the 3-3 tie when he snapped a wrist shot past Cloutier, who made 22 saves in what could have been his last game as a King.

Several more may not be back. Scott Thornton will be one as he’s expected to announce his retirement after 941 games with six teams over 17 seasons.

“I don’t know,” Thornton said. “We’ll see what happens. I’ll try to prepare for that. I think it’s time. I still love to play.”

The Ducks are merely sharpening their game for the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, where they’ll play host to Dallas for Game 1 on Wednesday or Thursday.

Todd Marchant may sit out today’s season finale against Phoenix after taking a shot off his foot early in the first period. X-rays taken afterward didn’t show any broken bones.

But they’ll get captain Chris Pronger back as his eight-game suspension ends. To hear Selanne tell it, maybe they don’t need Pronger. Or Niedermayer.

After all, they’ve got DiPenta.

“I was joking when he scored the goal,” Selanne said. “I said, ‘Scotty who?’ We have Joe. I’m going to tell [Pronger] that he has to earn his spot. You don’t get anything for free in this league.”

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