Goalie John Gibson likely to start Game 1 of playoffs

The questions about bouncing back have come at John Gibson even though he’s answered them on the ice. No, he hasn’t found his game again because he never lost it.

In his three starts since he came back from injury, Gibson has a 1.32 goals-against average and stopped 97 of 101 shots. He’s taken the net back with such little ambiguity it seems likely he’ll be the Ducks’ starter for Game 1 of the playoffs. Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle guards his starting-goalie strategy like nuclear launch codes, and Gibson says he’s indifferent. But Gibson summed up his season with brevity.

“I’ve been here the whole year,” Gibson said. “I got hurt for a month.”

During that time, Jonathan Bernier made it interesting with a 10-0-2 record and 1.82 goals-against average in March. There was a window when a goalie controversy might have surfaced, but Gibson’s return has pulled the shades low on it.

Bernier said he never viewed it as competition.

“To be honest, whenever I get the call, I go in,” Bernier said. “I think I compete against myself. I don’t compete against anybody else.

“I feel good mentally, so that’s a big part of it. We come into the postseason and I feel confident and Johnny’s had some good games, too, so it’s a good sign that we’re both feeling good.”

It’s not even clear who will start Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Kings at Honda Center. Going into Saturday night, the Ducks were still waiting for their playoff opponent, with four teams still in play. Carlyle said his lineup wouldn’t change much regardless of their position.

It truly gets meaningful next week, though, and Ducks goalie coach Sudarshan Maharaj said Gibson has sought to nail down the No.1 job that’s been waiting for him.

“It’s been something that Gibby has always felt is within him,” Maharaj said. “As a young guy, we had Viktor [Fasth] and Jonas Hiller. Freddie [Andersen] was here, so we had that battle. This is the first time that there’s actually been not the big logjam. It’s very much in his DNA that he feels he’s capable.”

Ritchie reaction

Nick Ritchie didn’t give an opinion on his two-game suspension for punching Chicago’s Michal Rozsival but did state his intent.

“I thought I was doing the right thing — defending a teammate,” Ritchie said. “It turned out worse than I thought. I thought I was going to engage in a fight, and that obviously didn’t happen.”

Ritchie retaliated for Rozsival’s cross check of Corey Perry, and Rozsival is injured. Ritchie will miss Sunday, as well as Game 1 next week.

“That obviously isn’t fun,” Ritchie said. “There’s not much I can do about it now.”

Ondrej Kase skated on Ritchie’s line Saturday.

Etc.

Hampus Lindholm, who has been out because of an upper-body injury, said he’ll wait to see how he feels Sunday before determining if he can play. … Nate Thompson (upper body) skated and Carlyle said he’s “almost 100%.”

NEXT UP

VS. KINGS

When: 5:30 p.m. Sunday.

On the air: TV: FSW, Prime; Radio: 830, 790.

Update: The Ducks will recognize longtime Kings broadcaster Bob Miller, who is retiring after the game. … The Kings have acknowledged trying to stay focused after playoff elimination. “You want to compete and you still want to enjoy it and you still want to win,” the Kings’ Jarome Iginla said. Carlyle said of the Kings: “I don’t think that they’re going to change. They’re a hockey group that has pride.”

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