Ducks are pretty much done after 3-2 loss to Bruins

Calculating the number of points between the Ducks and playoff elimination has been overheating the NHL’s computers, which must account for dozens of possible scenarios that can be spawned by three-point games.

But it’s clear the end is near for the Ducks, a fate hastened by their 3-2 loss to the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins at Honda Center.

Their performance on Sunday was much like their season: moments of brilliance mixed with costly errors they couldn’t overcome.

“The whole thing is tough to swallow,” center Ryan Getzlaf said. “We’ve worked really hard the last three months. We just had such a big hole to come out of.”

After falling 20 points out of eighth place, the Ducks cut their deficit to four, but the sensational pace that brought them that close simply wasn’t sustainable the rest of the way. They’re 5-8-1 since Feb. 27, dropping them out of contention.

They were boosted Sunday by Teemu Selanne’s 248th power-play goal, which lifted him to fourth on the NHL’s all-time list, and Lubomir Visnovsky’s persistence in scoring off a scramble with 2 minutes 29 seconds left in the third period. But, as in this season, they fell too far back and got too few breaks to get back to even.

“At this time of year in the position that we’re in, you get so far behind the eight ball that you’re playing in desperation,” winger Jason Blake said. “Every game’s a playoff game. And in a way you’ve got to give credit to the way we fought.”

Commendable? Sure. But not good enough for them to prevail Sunday or get them into the playoffs.

The Bruins scored first, at 4:37 of the second period, when a too-soft clearing effort by defenseman Francois Beauchemin was intercepted by defenseman Zdeno Chara at the left point. Chara blasted a shot that deflected in front and eluded goaltender Jonas Hiller, who was making his club-record 69th start.

The Bruins, steadier after some prolonged struggles this season, took a 2-0 lead at 5:59 of the second period after Chris Kelly faked a shot and instead fed Benoit Pouliot for a hard snapper from the left circle.

The Ducks cut that in half at 9:11, during a power play. Getzlaf, at the the right point, passed across to Cam Fowler, who moved in before taking a shot that Selanne redirected past goalie Marty Turco. That left Selanne behind Dave Andreychuk (274), Brett Hull (265) and Phil Esposito (249) in power-play goals.

A goaltender interference call on a crease-crashing Andrew Cogliano wiped out Matt Beleskey’s apparent tying goal for the Ducks, at 7:22 of the third. Turco said Cogliano didn’t make contact with him but said Cogliano prevented him from going as far as he would have otherwise gone to stop the puck. The Ducks forward disagreed.

“The puck was already going in before he was trying to make a save,” Cogliano said.

What the officials thought is all that matters, and they waved it off.

Brian Rolston, a sparkplug since the Bruins acquired him from the New York Islanders on Feb. 27, padded Boston’s lead to 3-1 when he converted a pass from Kelly off a two on one at 13:06.

Visnovsky made it close at 17:31, darting in to score after Turco had stopped Bobby Ryan and Corey Perry, but the Ducks fell short. Again.

“We fought well to get back in the game then you score and they disallow it,” Blake said. “And to top it off they come down and score. It takes the wind out of your sail.”

The Bruins, who swept the Kings and Ducks and have won four of their last five games, headed back East to prepare to defend their title.

The Ducks prepared to play spoilers the rest of the way, starting Wednesday at home against San Jose.

“There is a lot of character in that room,” Coach Bruce Boudreau said. “We’ve had one of the better records in the NHL from the beginning of January, so let’s try to continue to work on that.

“It’ll be something to really look forward to coming into next year.”

helene.elliott@latimes.com

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