Ducks rally for a point in loss to Toronto, secure a spot in playoffs

TORONTO —  Despite not playing their best, the Ducks clinched a playoff spot for the fourth consecutive season in a 6-5 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night.

The Ducks entered the game needing only one standings point to reach the playoffs and got it when they rallied from a 4-1 deficit to force the extra period.

“The first 38 minutes we didn’t compete,” Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau said.

“They were getting the pucks deep and beating us to the punch. We scored the first power-play goal, but we must have given the puck away six times in the next five minutes.

“To the team’s credit in the third period, or even at the end of the second, they never quit.

“Then in the third period I thought we played pretty well, for the most part.”

Nazem Kadri had two goals and two assists for the Maples Leafs, including the overtime winner.

“My mind-set’s totally changed,” Kadri said of his evolution as a player. “Before I went pro, taking faceoffs, if I won them I won them, if I lost them I lost them. Half the time I was trying to go forward on draws anyway to try to create offense.”

The Maple Leafs scored three power-play goals against the NHL’s top penalty kill to win for the fifth time in six games.

They gave up four unanswered goals before rallying to even the score at 5-5 on Connor Brown’s first NHL goal before Kadri sealed the victory 41 seconds into the extra period.

Tyler Bozak also scored twice for the Maple Leafs, with Frank Corrado getting his first goal for Toronto.

Jamie McGinn tallied twice for the Ducks, who also got goals from Andrew Cogliano, Ryan Garbutt and Brandon Pirri.

“We had some guys step up and make some plays,” Ducks forward Ryan Getzlaf said. “You saw on the goals, we executed properly and we were able to maintain puck control, those kinds of things.”

Garret Sparks made 33 saves for Toronto, Frederik Andersen 20 for the Ducks.

The Ducks, who have the NHL’s top power play, opened the scoring with the man advantage. Picked up in a midseason trade with the Buffalo Sabres, McGinn was first to a rebound in the slot and tucked the puck past the right pad of Sparks.

Bozak matched his effort just over a minute later. Playing his first game since Feb. 6 after a 21-game absence because of a concussion, Bozak fired a shot from the right point that eluded Andersen, who was screened in front by winger Josh Leivo.

The Leafs pulled in front less than three minutes later on a power play. Kadri ended an 11-game goal drought with his first goal since Feb. 29. The Ducks hadn’t given up a power-play goal in eight games.

Before the game, the Ducks announced that Ryan Kesler and Simon Despres had returned to Southern California, Kesler for personal reasons and Despres for further evaluation of an injury

Boudreau told reporters that Despres was hit Tuesday and “wasn’t feeling right” and alluded to Despres’ sitting out 42 this season because of a concussion.

Times correspondent Curtis Zupke contributed to this report.