Ducks end dismal season on high note with win over Kings

All it took was a red-hot Korbinian Holzer for the Ducks to end their season on a good note.

Holzer was finally unleashed, so to speak, when he scored his first goal in more than two years Friday, and it was entirely representative of the season-series ending game between the Ducks and Kings at Honda Center.

Depth players and prospects took the spotlight, and it was a prettier showing for the Ducks, who got goals from Holzer, Sam Steel, Daniel Sprong and Carter Rowney in a 5-2 win.

Holzer slammed home Max Jones’ backhand feed through the slot for his first goal since April 2, 2017, a span of 38 games for the veteran defenseman.

Holzer said he scored in minors in February so it wasn’t completely foreign.

“I kind of still knew how to do it,” Holzer said. “But Jonesy made a great play obviously. He gets most of the credit. I just had to put it in the open net and find a spot there.

“Obviously it feels good, the last game of the season, to get a goal. Get the donut out of the stat sheet there.”

Holzer missed 42 games with a wrist injury and climbed his way back into the back end of the Ducks’ defense.

It doesn’t make up for the lost time but it meant more.

“I think this feels a little emotional, too,” Holzer said. “I had the injury. That kind of stuff, you never know how you come back from that. I knew I had a lot of doubters coming at me and talking to me.

“For me, it’s a little bit of satisfaction coming back and playing well and getting an opportunity and trying to make the most of it.”

Holzer’s glimmer of hope could be symbolic of the Ducks, who will start over after they finished with 80 points, their fewest since they also had 80 in 2012.

That feeling could not be said of the Kings.

They will mercifully end their season Saturday on the heels of a loss to their rival.

Michael Amadio scored on a solid night for his line, and rookie Carl Grundstrom added his fifth goal in 14 games on a bull-rush drive to the net in the third period. But the Kings’ performance seemed to run counter to their previous win and overall final approach of playing for each other.

“I thought we played hard,” Alec Martinez said. “We had breakdowns. They capitalized on our mistakes.”

It wasn’t the ideal follow-up for Kings goalie Jack Campbell.

In his first start since his career-best 49-save performance Tuesday, Campbell was charged with four goals allowed in his final start of the season.

Campbell made big stops on Jones and Derek Grant moments before Holzer’s goal but was outnumbered on the attack. He went into Friday second in the NHL with a .930 save percentage and fourth with a 2.23 goals-against average.

“He’s been awesome,” interim coach Willie Desjardins said. “Too bad, tonight, that he finished that way, but he made some big saves again.”

Steel scored shorthanded and finished with five goals in five games. Jones recorded his first multipoint game with two assists.

Sprong beat Campbell cleanly with a snap shot from the far edge of the right circle for a 3-1 lead at second intermission before Steel and Jakob Silfverberg scored on an empty net.

Amadio zipped the puck through from the left side after Matt Roy’s shot was redirected by Austin Wagner and kicked out by John Gibson.

Rowney easily deposited a no-look pass from Jones from the slot following a scramble that left the Kings chasing the play.

Ducks defenseman Brendan Guhle suffered an upper-body injury in the first period and did not return. Ducks defenseman Andy Welinski was reassigned.

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UP NEXT FOR KINGS

VS. VEGAS

When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday

On the air: TV: FSW; Radio: iHeartRadio (LA Kings Audio Network)

Update: Vegas has already clinched a first-round playoff matchup with the San Jose Sharks. Former St. Cloud State teammates Jimmy Schuldt of the Golden Knights and Blake Lizotte of the Kings could make their NHL debuts against each other

curtis.zupke@latimes.com

Twitter: @curtiszupke