(For example, the oft-cited many branches of the Hartford Whalers family coaching tree.)

Familiarity is important: Who rode the bus together from Sudbury, Ontario, to Owen Sound decades ago or how about those friendships forged playing alongside each other in the NHL?

These are (some) things to consider as the Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek explores the pool of coaching candidates to fill the vacancy created when he did not bring back Dallas Eakins. Will Verbeek rely on his personal rolodex of hockey relationships or go outside the box?

With openings in Washington, Columbus and now in Calgary and the New York Rangers, there is plenty of competition for the best and brightest coaching prospects. Another factor: The Ducks will pick second at the draft next month in Nashville and that could slightly change their timetable to hire a coach.

“Now I’ve got some more work to do,” Verbeek said on a conference call last week, regarding the draft. “I’m optimistic I can get there with a new coach announcement before the draft but not holding my breath to it.”

Although this tweet from broadcaster and former NHL goaltender Darren Pang was in 2020, it still holds true today.

Coaching opportunities open up every year. Every year, there’s a different flavor. I get that. But there are so many successful, professional, motivated ass’t coaches that need to get their due. Brad Shaw. Kirk Muller. Lane Lambert are 3 off the top of my little noggin.

— Darren R Pang (@Panger40) August 23, 2020

And so, there are three distinct categories: Recently and not-so-recently unemployed NHL head coaches (hello, Orange County resident Travis Green), minor-league coaches awaiting their chances and experienced NHL assistants. This particular exercise will focus on five NHL assistant/associate coaches – in alphabetical order – the Ducks should think about interviewing.

(Or maybe they already have done so)

Jay Leach 

Current position: Seattle Kraken assistant coach.

Previously, of note: Head coach Providence Bruins (AHL).

Age: 43.

Not surprisingly, Seattle’s playoff success has sparked even more interest in Leach, already considered an up-and-comer in the industry and the youngest coach on this list. With the Kraken, he is responsible for running the defense. He played 70 games in the NHL and had an extensive AHL run. With development front and center with the Ducks, Leach’s coaching track record with the Providence Bruins stands out. In Providence, he worked with now-NHLers Jake DeBrusk, Trent Frederic, Matt Grzelcyk and Connor Clifton (to name a few) at a critical stage of their early professional careers. Leach very briefly crossed paths with Ducks forward Frank Vatrano when Leach was an assistant with the Providence Bruins in the 2016-17 season. Fun fact(s): Leach played three games for the Long Beach Ice Dogs of the ECHL in the 2003-04 season, and 28 games with the San Jose Sharks in 2009-10, a teammate of now-Kings GM Rob Blake.

Kirk Muller 

Current position: Calgary Flames associate coach.

Previously, of note: Carolina Hurricanes head coach, Montreal Canadiens assistant/associate coach.

Age: 57.

Most recently, Muller was in charge of the power-play unit and forward group in Calgary. Known as personable and relatable (those qualities were surely and greatly tested this past season with the Flames). He also has the kind of head coaching experience that the Ducks are looking for at this stage of the rebuild. Additionally, there is an on-ice connection to Verbeek. Verbeek and Muller were teammates in New Jersey and in Dallas, and, in fact, the night Verbeek set a then-record for the Devils for goals in a game (four), Muller had three himself in an 8-6 win over the Minnesota North Stars in the 1987-88 season.

Brad Shaw 

Current position: Philadelphia Flyers associate coach.

Previously, of note: New York Islanders interim head coach (2005-06), Columbus Blue Jackets assistant coach, St. Louis Blues assistant/associate coach.

Age: 59.

OK, not every single candidate mentioned here is going to have a strong tie to Verbeek. But Shaw does check that box, having played with Verbeek with the Hartford Whalers. In his final season with the Blues, in 2015-16 – in which they lost to the San Jose Sharks in the conference final, Shaw coached a strong defense corps, which included Kevin Shattenkirk, Alex Pietrangelo, Jay Bouwmeester and Colton Parayko.  In 2020, then-Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella lavished praise on Shaw, his assistant in Columbus, in an interview with Alison Lukan of The Athletic, saying: “He is one of the most intelligent coaches that I’ve ever met.”

Fun fact: Shaw coached the Mighty Ducks AHL affiliate, then in Cincinnati, for three seasons, starting in 2002-03, succeeding Mike Babcock.

Mike Vellucci 

Current position: Pittsburgh Penguins assistant coach.

Previously, of note: Head coach Charlotte Checkers (won AHL championship in 2018-19).

Age: 56.

In Pittsburgh, Vellucci oversees the penalty kill and the forwards. What could be appealing – from the Ducks’ standpoint – is his long history of successful player development at the junior level and in the AHL. He was two-time coach of the year in the OHL (Plymouth Whalers) and AHL coach of the year in 2019. NHL teams have been interested enough in Vellucci to interview him for head coach openings, and he has been patient in his climb up the coaching ladder, a quality that would come in handy with the Ducks’ assignment.

Trent Yawney

Current position: Kings assistant coach.

Previously, of note: Chicago Blackhawks head coach, Syracuse Crunch/Norfolk Admirals head coach and Anaheim Ducks assistant coach.

Age 57.

Before stints in Edmonton and Los Angeles, Yawney had extensive familiarity with the Ducks’ organization having been on the coaching staff under Bruce Boudreau and Randy Carlyle. In Chicago’s organization, he worked with defensemen Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook. He was also the head coach of the Ducks’ AHL franchises in Syracuse and Norfolk, the latter a team which included a young goaltender named John Gibson. In the Ducks’ organization, he developed the likes of defensemen Brandon Montour, Shea Theodore, Josh Manson, Hampus Lindholm and Cam Fowler. What makes Yawney particularly appealing is that the Ducks are back in almost the same situation now with many promising young defensive prospects who will be working their way through the pipeline. If they can mature the way the previous generation did, the Ducks will be well on their way to turning the corner.

They went into the NHL’s annual draft lottery with the best odds to win (25.5%) but the reality was still a three out of four chance that they might not end up with the No. 1 overall draft pick in June.

And that’s exactly what happened.

The numbers came up for the Chicago Blackhawks who moved up two places to the No. 1 spot. The Ducks slid back to No. 2 and even though they will get an impactful player at that position, the sense is that the gap between the best player and the second-best in this year’s draft is wide. The NHL’s draft will be held June 28-29 in Nashville.

“If you had asked me three or four days before the season was coming to a close and you told me we were going to get the No. 2 pick, I would have been extremely excited,” Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek said in a conference call.

“It looks like (Regina Pats center) Connor Bedard will go No. 1. But now we get to determine and pick the player we want versus if we would have slid to three, someone else would have dictated. Now we get to make the pick.”

Like a lot of anxious onlookers waiting to see the outcome, Verbeek was asked about the emotions he was feeling leading up to the reveal.

“Turn the card,” he said. “Let’s kill the suspense here and get after it. Turn the card. We ended up picking two. Like I just said, I’m excited. We have a chance to pick a player that is going to be an outstanding player and add to our group of real good young players.”

The Blackhawks, who had the third-highest odds of winning it at 11.5%, will almost certainly select Bedard, considered the most promising junior prospect since Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid. The high-quality consolation prize is expected to be Canadian forward Adam Fantilli, of the University of Michigan, who has star upside as well. But Bedard has long been thought to be in a class by himself – and no matter how the Ducks might frame this, in the immediate aftermath of the lottery process, it’s a massive disappointment.

And it will echo the events of 2005 when the lottery draw came down to Pittsburgh and the Ducks. The Penguins won the draft lottery and took Sidney Crosby and the Ducks selected Bobby Ryan, who became a good player but not a generational superstar like Crosby.

Crosby ultimately changed the course of that franchise.

Losing out on the right to draft Bedard is a blow to an organization that is at a pivotal point in the rebuilding process. Had the Ducks won the Bedard Lottery, that would have probably charted a different path than having the chance to draft a really good player such as Fantilli, Swedish forward Leo Carlsson, American center Will Smith or Russian forward Matvei Michkov.

“When you look at our prospects, I think where we need to get deeper is at the forward position,” Verbeek said. “Building any championship team, you have to have a really good goaltender and strong defense and I think you need to be strong up the middle. That’s how I’m going to be trying to look to build our team and make it stronger.”

They’ll probably get somebody who will play in the NHL for a long time, but players like Bedard are called generational for a reason. They don’t come along every year.

The lottery result could possibly change the Ducks’ timetable for hiring a new coach. Verbeek had hoped to complete the process before the NHL draft.

“I’m not sure now. I probably would have had more time if we would have won the lottery,” he said. “Now I’ve got some more work to do. So I’m optimistic I can get there with a new coach announcement before the draft but not holding my breath to it.”

It’s the second time the Blackhawks have won the lottery in the past two decades, and the previous victory in 2007 netted them Patrick Kane, who helped them win the Stanley Cup three times between 2010 and 2015.

Bedard, a native of North Vancouver, British Columbia, led all junior players across Canada with 72 goals and 143 points this past season while playing for Regina of the Western Hockey League. He doesn’t turn 18 until July.

In a pre-taped TV interview that aired on ESPN, Bedard said of his future being determined: “There’s different emotions watching, but I think we’re all just watching as fans. … It’s more for the teams.”

It was back in 2005.

Ultimately the Pittsburgh Penguins won the lottery and were able to draft Sidney Crosby, while the Ducks had to settle for the second overall selection and took Bobby Ryan.

The Ducks got a productive NHL player in Ryan, who went on to play 378 games with them, scoring 289 points. But the Penguins landed a franchise-altering superstar in Crosby, who led them to three Stanley Cup championships and defined the organization for close to two decades.

It’s an illustration of the difference between a generational player and a productive NHL player.

The Ducks have the best odds (25.5%) of winning the draft lottery, which will take place on Monday night (5 p.m., ESPN). Should they do so, that would give them the right to draft 17-year-old Connor Bedard of the Regina Pats, the most heralded junior prospect since Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid.

“There are several really good players in this draft,” Burke said in an interview with the Orange County Register on Friday. “If Anaheim does not win – and they drop one or two spots, they’re still going to be fine. But (Bedard) would be a difference-maker. Whoever wins this kid is going to get a player to make them better right away – and sell tickets.

“There are a lot of great hockey players who never sold one ticket in their life. This kid sells tickets.”

Every draft has players with great potential, but rarely is there a sort of anticipation that has followed Bedard for years now.

Even though the Ducks have the best odds, there is still a 74.5% chance that another team will end up with Bedard. Starting this year, the most a team can move up in the lottery is 10 places. Another key change: teams cannot win the lottery more than twice in the period of five years. Also, the Ducks cannot drop more than two spots, meaning they’re ensured of a top-three selection.

“The league made dramatic, important, systemic changes to the draft lottery. All for the good,” Burke said.

Burke was GM with the Ducks when they won the Stanley Cup in 2007, and would later go on to run franchises in Toronto and Calgary, and was president of hockey operations with the Penguins until last month.

The 2005 draft lottery was held in July, about a month after Burke was hired by the Ducks. When the lottery came down to the final two teams, the wait became a bit longer, and a bit more agonizing, when the televised program went to commercial break. Burke didn’t hide his displeasure and retold the story of the chain of events.

“(Host) James Duthie was there for TSN and said, ‘We’re going to find out who wins the NHL draft, just after this break,’” Burke said. “I turned to James Duthie and said, ‘I could kill you right now.’ I didn’t know they were taking a break.

“After we came out of the break and they pulled the card, for some reason, I saw the colors of the Penguins and I thought it was ours. I thought we’d won. For half a second there, I was convinced and thought great, ‘We won.’ Then, ‘Oh well.’”

There are unmistakable parallels between 2005 and 2023. The four players, all forwards, ranked after Bedard – Adam Fantilli of the University of Michigan, Leo Carlsson of Sweden, Matvei Michkov of Russia and Will Smith, who is headed to Boston College this fall – are considered impactful, just like the players selected after Crosby in 2005.

“We had Bobby Ryan and Jack Johnson sitting there and Carey Price as a possible guy and felt once we got to five we were guaranteed a good player,” Burke said. “But I thought we were getting Sid and I was really disappointed.

“Bobby Ryan was a good pick. Bobby was good for us. A good kid and he had a good career. But he was no Sid.

“They use the term generational player. They overuse it. But any adjective you use for Sid is earned.”

It has been a steady revolving door in San Diego as the 37-year-old McIlvane will be Gulls’ fourth coach in four seasons, following the recently retired Roy Sommer, Joel Bouchard in 2021-22 and Kevin Dineen in 2020-21.

The Gulls are coming off a historically bad season (20-49-3), finishing last overall in the 32-team AHL with 43 points. And there was a 20-point gap between the Gulls and their closest competitor in the Pacific Division, the Henderson Silver Knights (29-38-5).

Even with some highly rated organizational prospects on the way to San Diego, McIlvane is facing a significant challenge with the Gulls.

“Matt brings a winning pedigree to our organization in addition to a strong culture of development and performance,” Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek said. “Our players in San Diego will benefit from his leadership, philosophy, and his championship experience in Europe and the international level.”

The bulk of McIlvane’s coaching experience has been spent in Europe. Most recently, with EC Red Bull Salzburg, he won consecutive league championships in 2021-22 and 2022-23.

“I am humbled to be the next coach of the San Diego Gulls,” McIlvane said in a statement. “I am incredibly grateful to Pat Verbeek for the trust to take on this responsibility. The Samueli family runs a first-class organization, and it is an honor to join the hockey club. I can’t wait to meet the rest of the management, staff and players. We are ready for the challenge to develop Ducks prospects into NHL players and give the fans at Pechanga Arena San Diego an exciting team to cheer for.”

Before joining Salzburg, he was an associate coach with EHC Red Bull München in 2018-19 and an assistant coach there for four seasons, starting in 2014.

McIlvane was also an assistant on Germany’s coaching staff in 2018 at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, which was a silver-medal effort.

Eakins is out after four seasons as Ducks coach with official word coming down in the morning, less than 12 hours after the completion of their regular season.

The Ducks announced they would not renew the coach’s contract. In four seasons, Eakins’ record was 100-147-44, punctuated by this season’s last-place finish in the NHL. They went 23-47-12 and went without a win for nearly a month down the stretch, dropping their final 13 games on their way to a franchise-worst 58 points.

“When I looked at it, there were three things: I wanted a fresh start. I wanted a new voice speaking to the team and I wanted a different direction,” Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek said in a media briefing at Great Park Ice.

“There’s a lot of good things about Dallas. He’s a good person. He was in a difficult situation. I think he handled himself with the utmost professionalism, great dedication to the organization and work ethic. … Today was not a fun day for anybody. It’s never fun to have to do this.”

The new coach, in conjunction with Verbeek, will determine the status of the remaining assistants on the coaching staff. Preferably, Verbeek would like to get the coaching hire done before the NHL draft, which is June 28-29 in Nashville, adding, “But I’m not going to limit myself to that. I’m going to open the search up, wide open. I’m not going to limit any candidate to this job. Obviously, there’s still a lot of work to do.

“I feel we’re on a path with younger players getting infused in the lineup. Now we’ve got to have those players start taking bigger steps.”

Another meaningful piece will be added in Nashville, a silver lining to the season of futility. The Ducks’ late-season swoon helped secure the spot in the league’s cellar and the best odds (25.5%) of winning the draft lottery on May 8. By finishing with the worst record in the league, the Ducks can drop no lower than third. The big prize, of course, is generational talent Connor Bedard of the Regina Pats.

Even if the Ducks don’t win the lottery, the ‘consolation’ prizes might be considered worthy of top-pick status in a non-Bedard year, headlined by forwards Adam Fantilli, Leo Carlsson and Matvei Michkov.

Failing to win a game after March 17 and a slow start – 1-6-1 in their first eight games – created a feeling of inevitability that change would be coming after the Ducks failed to make the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season.

“We got off to a bad start,” Verbeek said. “I expected our team to compete harder. And so, got behind the eight-ball and eventually we got better. But not at a level that I want. It’s not the standard that I want. It’s certainly not near the standard of winning.”

This was the first major move in what is expected to be an eventful offseason for the Ducks. Eakins was first hired by the organization as coach of the San Diego Gulls in the AHL, starting in the 2015-16 season. In a statement released on social media, Eakins thanked the team’s ownership as well as the two general managers for whom he coached – Bob Murray, who hired him in June of 2019, and Verbeek.

“I will be forever grateful for my eight years in the Ducks organization. From jump-starting San Diego to dealing with COVID to a full-on rebuild was an inspiring and rewarding challenge,” Eakins said. “Every staff member and player made me a better coach, but more importantly, a better person. The enthusiasm and patience of the fans will never be forgotten. Thank you to Bob Murray and Pat Verbeek for giving me a chance. I will always be in your debt.”

“Thank you to Henry, Susan and Jillian Samueli for the inspiration. Your leadership makes the Ducks organization an incredible place to work. You remind us all that community and others come first. But most of all, thank you to my three wonderful ladies at home who support me like no other. I look forward to our next great adventure! #GoDucks #WinToday #DFM”

pic.twitter.com/4s3P8cWoVC

— Dallas Eakins (@dallaseakins) April 14, 2023

For the Ducks, there was individual improvement on a number of fronts this season. Defenseman Cam Fowler reached career highs in assists (38) and points (48), as did leading scorer Trevor Zegras with 42 assists and 65 points. Rookie center Mason McTavish demonstrated maturity beyond his years as he played in 80 of 82 games, finishing with 43 points as a potential Calder Trophy finalist. Troy Terry adeptly took on leadership duties and showed that his breakthrough season in 2021-22 was no fluke, recording 61 points (23 goals, 38 assists) in 70 games.

But cohesive play was lacking on many nights. Ducks goalie John Gibson also noted after the season finale, “The only thing we were consistent at was being inconsistent.”

The Ducks’ power play and penalty kill each ranked 31st and their goals allowed (338) was the most since the San Jose Sharks gave up 357 in the 1995-96 season. Goalies were under siege more nights than not. Earlier this month, the Ducks broke the NHL record for most shots on goal allowed in one season. Their final total of 3,207 shots against easily eclipsed the 3,080 established by the San Jose Sharks in 1992-93.

Organizationally, there was plenty of blame to go around. One key factor was a flawed roster construction. Eakins was dealt a rough hand when Verbeek moved out one-third of the Ducks’ defense corps (Josh Manson to Colorado and Hampus Lindholm to Boston) at the trade deadline last year and the replacements were inadequate on most nights. The acquisition of free-agent defenseman John Klingberg was a big miss and the return for him at the deadline in February – receiving defenseman Andrej Sustr, forward Nikita Nesterenko and a fourth-round pick in 2025 from Minnesota – only compounded the mistake as the worst four-year stretch in franchise history lurched toward its conclusion.

Verbeek, who wrapped up his first full season as Ducks GM, was asked to assess his own performance and declined to do so.

“Haven’t really thought about it,” he said. “I’m too busy trying to worry about the whole thing. I guess I could do a self-evaluation somewhere down the road. But not right now.”

Verbeek said he didn’t see this dismal season as tanking, acknowledging that “a lot of things that I tried during the summer didn’t work out.”

He was optimistic about the Ducks’ future, noting their 11 picks in the upcoming draft and nine in 2024.

“You can’t put a time or an exact period on when some of these young guys are going to take steps,” Verbeek said. “I feel comfortable in the players that we drafted. I feel comfortable in the players that are coming, that we’re going to be challenging for playoffs. But experience, time, development, that’s going to be important.”

He was vague when asked what he meant by “a different direction” for the team.

“I think that just a style or an identity is going to be important,” Verbeek said. “When you look at where we were (with) time spent in our zone … my concern down that road was it could be difficult for more development if we had stayed on that kind of path.”

No, he wasn’t spoiling for a fight. The Columbus Blue Jackets entered the night a point ahead of the Ducks (they beat Pittsburgh), and the Chicago Blackhawks were even with Anaheim (they went to overtime with Philadelphia and picked up a point). A Ducks loss to their historic rivals from up the freeway would secure last place in the league and with it the best chance to win the draft lottery and select generational talent Connor Bedard.

Goin’ Yard for Bedard. That’s what it came down to for the Ducks, who went into a full-on rebuild this season and have endured more than a full season’s worth of growing pains.

In a sense, then, both the Kings and Ducks got what they (sort of) wanted Thursday night.

The Kings got the win, 5-3, featuring an Adrian Kempe hat trick, and will begin the playoffs on Monday night in Edmonton on a fairly positive note, winning their last two after a three-game skid that cost them not only a shot at the division title but home ice in the first round. The Ducks finished the regular season 32nd and last in the league, which will give them the best shot at drafting Bedard.

But Dallas Eakins will not be their coach going forward. The Ducks announced Friday morning that Eakins’ contract would not be renewed, with general manager Pat Verbeek giving the traditional separation statement: “This was a very difficult decision, one that comes after careful and considerable deliberation. At the end of the day, I simply feel that a fresh perspective and new voice will be beneficial for the team.”

It was almost preordained, and more a question of when. When a general manager inherits a coach and then plunges into a full scale rebuild, it’s generally a given that by the time the roster is ready to flourish, someone else will be in charge.

“Right now, for me, is a time to not jump and just move on and get into your next day,” Eakins said after Thursday night’s game. “I think now it’s really important to look back and reflect and really understand what it takes to be competitive in this league first, then to win in this league. They are very small things that have a really big effect on the scoreboard.

“There’s a number of things that we’ve got to do here. We’ve got to get stronger. We’ve got to understand how to manage the game. All things that I think we took steps forward in, but it just takes time. It’s not as simple as going and flicking the light switch…It just takes time and there’s lots of examples across the league. We need to be really patient.”

Eakins had said earlier in the week that he’d hoped to continue as coach but understood the way things work, and in any event hoped to remain with the organization in some capacity. He was a very successful 154-95-23 in four seasons with the Ducks’ AHL club in San Diego, but was 100-147-44 in his four seasons with a Ducks team in transition.

The Ducks were competitive, and feisty, Thursday night, but Kempe’s empty-net goal with a little more than a minute to play Thursday night assured the outcome. It was his 41st of the season, giving him his first career 40-goal campaign (following 35 last season) and continuing to burnish his reputation as an all-around player. He finished last spring a minus-2, but finished this regular season a plus-22 and also was third on the team in scoring (67 points) behind Anze Kopitar (75 with his 28th goal and two assists) and Kevin Fiala (23 goals and 72 points, but currently injured).

“A couple of years ago, I feel like I had a lot of good looks (but) always was a pass-first guy,” Kempe said. “And, you know, I figured out that if I try to put the puck on net a little more, it’ll go in. And, yeah, kind of a switch went off in my head, and coming into last year I think was the biggest step I took just in terms of volume shooting.”

The Kings had the good fortune to get out of Thursday night with everybody still ambulatory, which is always a plus. Health has been an issue down the stretch; in addition to Fiala, defenseman Alexander Edler and right wing Gabe Vilardi have been unavailable and were injury scratches Thursday night, and Mikey Anderson only recently returned from an injury suffered when Connor McDavid boarded him in Edmonton two weeks ago.

“The relief comes in the fact that … we’re as healthy now as we were coming into the game,” Kings coach Todd McLellan said. “I’d be lying if I said we weren’t concerned about that, a game that really doesn’t mean anything to either of the two teams playing. You hate to see somebody block a shot and go down or take a hit. But that’s where the relief comes from.

“I don’t think we can take a deep breath and relax. That would be a mistake for our group and we don’t have enough time to do that anyhow.”

But Thursday’s results did mean that the Kings were locked into a rematch with Edmonton, and that could be problematic. Never mind last year’s result, when the Oilers knocked out the Kings in seven games in the first round. These Oilers come into the postseason on an even more blistering pace, 18-2-1 and with nine straight victories to end the regular season. Their goalie, Stuart Skinner, has a .972 save percentage over his past five starts and stopped 63 of the 64 shots he faced in the two recent victories over the Kings.

A questioner suggested to McLellan on Thursday night that facing the Ducks’ young talent might have set the Kings up for their meeting with the Oilers. A few years from now, that might be true. Now, not so much.

“Oh, I don’t think there’s anything that sets you up for Edmonton,” he said. “It’s a different monster there, you know. … I think that they have a little bit of a different approach. Certainly, their power play’s a little more dangerous, and there’s just different elements.”

Simply put, what Edmonton has – building with talent around a budding superstar – is what Verbeek would like to emulate.

Bedard would be that superstar. He doesn’t turn 18 until July 17, but he finished his junior season with the Regina Pats with 71 goals and 143 points in 57 games – and added an exclamation point with nine goals and 14 assists in seven games for champion Canada at the World Junior Championships over the holidays.

How important was it to the Ducks to finish 32nd instead of 31st? In the NHL the last-place team has a 25.5% chance of getting the No. 1 pick out of the lottery. Chicago, by finishing 31st, has a 15.5% chance.

Then again, there was this sign held by a Ducks fan in the stands Thursday night: “Top Three Draft Pick – Better Than First-Round Playoff Loss.” That might depend on who you’re able to take with that pick. But you work with what you have.

“Everyone in here is competitive,” right wing Troy Terry said. “I think you can see it in our game. Whether we lost or not, what I was proud of is we kept battling until the end.

“… Especially last year it felt like we took a step (forward, only) to have it go backwards this year. Just to keep everyone in this room together, that’s something that we’re proud of. There’s a lot to address this summer about what we need to do moving forward.”

The first step is May 8, lottery night.

jalexander@scng.com

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  The Kings’ Anze Kopitar, right, scores past Ducks goaltender John Gibson during the first period of their regular-season finale on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Ducks head coach Dallas Eakins watches from behind the bench during the first period of their regular-season finale against the Kings on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  The Kings’ Drew Doughty, left, slides on the ice as the Ducks’ Ryan Strome races to try to take the puck during their regular-season finale on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  The Ducks’ Troy Terry, second from left, celebrates his goal with Cam Fowler, left, Simon Benoit (13) and Adam Henrique, right, during the first period of their game against the Kings on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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  The Ducks celebrate after Troy Terry (19) scored a goal during the first period of their regular-season finale against the Kings on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  The Ducks celebrate a goal by right wing Troy Terry, obscured, during the first period of their game against the Kings on Thursday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

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  Ducks right wing Troy Terry, right, celebrates with defenseman Cam Fowler after scoring a goal during the first period of their game against the Kings on Thursday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

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  The Ducks’ Troy Terry celebrates his goal with the bench during the first period of their game against the Kings on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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  Ducks left wing Max Jones, left, Kings defenseman Sean Walker, center, and Kings center Rasmus Kupari vie for the puck during the first period on Thursday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

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  Officials break up a fight between Ducks center Sam Carrick, left, and Kings center Phillip Danault during the first period on Thursday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

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  The Kings’ Mikey Anderson brings the puck up the ice between the Ducks’ Sam Carrick (39) and Colton White, right, during the first period on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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  The Kings’ Anze Kopitar, right, celebrates with Adrian Kempe, center, and Quinton Byfield after Kopitar scored a goal during the first period of their game against the Ducks on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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  Kings center Anze Kopitar is congratulated as he skates past the bench after scoring a goal during the first period of their game against the Ducks on Thursday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

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  The Kings’ Carl Grundstrom, left, fends off the Ducks’ Simon Benoit as he reaches for the puck during the first period on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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  Ducks defenseman Colton White, right, passes the puck as Kings left wing Alex Iafallo defends during the first period on Thursday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

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  The Kings’ Rasmus Kupari, left, has his shot stopped by Ducks goaltender John Gibson during the first period on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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  Ducks right wing Troy Terry, right, shoots as Kings center Anze Kopitar defends during the first period on Thursday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

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  Ducks goaltender John Gibson covers the puck as the Kings’ Blake Lizotte is knocked off balance by Cam Fowler (4) during the first period on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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  Ducks goaltender John Gibson, left, blocks a shot by the Kings’ Alex Iafallo, right, during the first period of their regular-season finale on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Kings defenseman Drew Doughty, left, defends against Ducks center Nikita Nesterenko during the first period on Thursday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

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  Ducks goaltender John Gibson, left, makes a save on a shot from the Kings during the first period on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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  The Kings’ Vladislav Gavrikov, left, and the Ducks’ Troy Terry battle for the puck during the second period of their regular-season finale on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  The Ducks’ Simon Benoit breaks past the Kings’ Vladislav Gavrikov during the second period on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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  Kings defenseman Drew Doughty reaches for the puck after falling to the ice during the second period of their game against the Ducks on Thursday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

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  Kings left wing Trevor Moore (12) scores past Ducks goaltender John Gibson during the second period on Thursday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)uring the second period of an NHL hockey game in Anaheim, Calif., Thursday, April 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

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  The Kings’ Trevor Moore, center, celebrates with Viktor Arvidsson, right, and Phillip Danault after scoring to give his team a 3-1 lead during the second period of their game against the Ducks on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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  Kings left wing Trevor Moore (12) celebrates with right wing Viktor Arvidsson (33) and center Phillip Danault, right, after scoring during the second period of their game against the Ducks on Thursday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

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  Ducks head coach Dallas Eakins watches from behind the bench during the first period of their regular-season finale against the Kings on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  The Ducks’ Trevor Zegras, left, chases after the puck in front of the Kings’ Mikey Anderson during the second period on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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  The Kings’ Trevor Moore controls the puck as the Ducks’ Cam Fowler trails after him during the second period on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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  The Ducks’ Kevin Shattenkirk, left, and the Kings’ Alex Iafallo play for a rebound during the second period on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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  The Kings’ Kevin Fiala makes a pass as he is chased by the Ducks’ Nikita Nesterenko during the second period on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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  Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe, left, controls the puck against Kings right wing Adrian Kempe during the second period on Thursday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

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  Kings goaltender Joonas Korpisalo makes a save during the second period of their game against the Ducks on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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  The Kings’ Phillip Danault skates after the puck as he is stopped by the Ducks’ Kevin Shattenkirk during the first period on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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  Kings right wing Viktor Arvidsson shoots during the second period of their game against the Ducks on Thursday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

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  The Ducks’ Troy Terry, center, plays the puck in front of the Kings’ Vladislav Gavrikov, left, and Matt Roy during the second period on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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  The Ducks’ Troy Terry, right, takes a shot as he is chased by the Kings’ Vladislav Gavrikov during the second period on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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  The Ducks’ Frank Vatrano, right, forechecks on the Kings’ Sean Durzi during the second period on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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  Kings left wing Trevor Moore reaches for the puck after falling to the ice during the second period of their game against the Ducks on Thursday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

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  The Kings’ Viktor Arvidsson, right, attempts a pass in front of the Ducks’ Kevin Shattenkirk during the first period on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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  Three separate fights break out between the Kings and the Ducks during the third period on Thursday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

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  The Ducks and the Kings brawl on the ice during the third period of their regular-season finale on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Kings and Ducks players fight during the third period on Thursday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

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  Kings and Ducks players fight during the third period of their game against the Ducks on Thursday night at Honda Center. Kings center Phillip Danault (24) was penalized and Ducks center Trevor Zegras (11) was ejected. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

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  The Kings’ Drew Doughty (8) reacts as he grabs on to the Ducks’ Simon Benoit (13) with Arthur Kaliyev (34) trying to stay involved during the third period on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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  The Kings’ Sean Durzi, top, pins the Ducks’ Kevin Shattenkirk to the ice after both teams broke out in a brawl during the third period of their regular-season finale on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  The Ducks’ Kevin Shattenkirk, right, and the Kings’ Phillip Danault stand along the boards after a scrum on the ice during the third period on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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  The referee orders Ducks forward Trevor Zegras to the penalty box after a fight broke out during their regular-season finale against the Kings on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Ducks forward Trevor Zegras argues with the referee on why he should go to the penalty box after a large brawl during the third period of their regular-season finale against the Kings on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Ducks center Trevor Zegras, right, yells at Kings center Phillip Danault (24) as they go to the penalty boxes during the third period on Thursday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

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  Ducks left wing Max Jones (49) scores during the third period of their game against the Kings on Thursday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

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  Ducks left wing Max Jones celebrates after scoring during the third period of their game against the Kings on Thursday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

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  The Kings’ Quinton Byfield, left, skates after the puck past the Ducks’ Isac Lundestrom during the third period on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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  The Ducks’ Colton White, right, skates after the puck as the Kings’ Phillip Danault keeps an eye on him during the third period on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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  The Kings’ Carl Grundstrom, right, is checked by the Ducks’ Kevin Shattenkirk as he skates after the puck during the third period on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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  The Kings’ Anze Kopitar, right, fends off the Ducks’ Simon Benoit for the puck along the boards during the third period on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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  Ducks center Trevor Zegras controls the puck during the third period of their game against the Kings on Thursday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

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  The Ducks’ Trevor Zegras celebrates his goal to cut their deficit to 4-3 during the third period of their game against the Kings on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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  The Kings’ Adrian Kempe, right, takes a pass for a breakaway past the Ducks’ Cam Fowler (4) and Benoit-Olivier Groulx, left, during the third period on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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  The Kings’ Adrian Kempe, right, looks to make a play with the puck as he is chased by the Ducks’ Cam Fowler during the third period on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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  Kings center Anze Kopitar (11) celebrates after right wing Adrian Kempe (9) scored during the third period of their game against the Ducks on Thursday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

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  The Kings’ Adrian Kempe, top right, celebrates with Alex Iafallo (19) and Drew Doughty after Kempe scored during the third period of their regular-season finale against the Ducks on Thursday night at Honda Center. Kempe had three goals and one assist in the Kings’ 5-3 win. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Ducks head coach Dallas Eakins watches from behind the bench during the first period of their regular-season finale against the Kings on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  The Kings’ Adrian Kempe (9) celebrates his power-play goal with Drew Doughty (8), Alex Iafallo (19) and Viktor Arvidsson (33), during the third period of their 5-3 victory over the Ducks on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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  Kings right wing Adrian Kempe (9) celebrates after scoring during the third period of their 5-3 victory over the Ducks on Thursday night at Honda Center. Kempe had three goals and an assist as the Kings clinched third place in the Pacific Division. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

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  Kings right wing Adrian Kempe celebrates after scoring during the third period of their game against the Ducks on Thursday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

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  Ducks center Sam Carrick is ejected during the third period of their game against the Kings on Thursday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

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  The Kings’ Adrian Kempe, right, reacts after scoring an empty-net goal for a hat trick as the Ducks’ Adam Henrique looks on during the third period on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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  Kings right wing Adrian Kempe (9) celebrates with center Phillip Danault (24) after their 5-3 victory over the Ducks on Thursday night at Honda Center. Kempe had three goals and an assist. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

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  Kings right wing Adrian Kempe, right, celebrates with goaltender Joonas Korpisalo after their 5-3 victory over the Ducks on Thursday night at Honda Center. Kempe had three goals and an assist. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

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  Wild Wing, the Ducks’ mascot, tries to rally the crowd during their regular-season finale against the Kings on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  Wild Wing, the Ducks’ mascot, poses for a photo with a fan before their regular-season finale against the Kings on Thursday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

ANAHEIM — On the final night of the regular season for the Kings and Ducks – teams occupying wildly different ends of the spectrum – they found a form of common ground on Thursday night at Honda Center.

Their fates and fortunes were, in part, determined elsewhere.

In short:

By losing 5-3 to the Kings, the defeat ensured that the Ducks will finish last overall in the NHL, thereby securing the best odds (25.5%) in the draft lottery on May 8 and the chance to win the right to select Connor Bedard, who is widely considered the best prospect in hockey since Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid. But they received some late ‘help’ in the race to the bottom a little more than half an hour before their own game started when the Columbus Blue Jackets tied the Pittsburgh Penguins with 3:25 remaining in regulation and went on to win in overtime.

That win gave the Blue Jackets 59 points, one more than the last-place Ducks, who have missed the playoffs for five consecutive seasons but can fall no lower than third in the lottery, which means they will get a premium prospect in a top-heavy field headlined by forwards Bedard, Adam Fantilli, Leo Carlsson and Matvei Michkov.

“Long year, a challenging year,” Ducks goalie John Gibson said. “It was the circumstances that we were in. I’m not going to sit here and tell you it was fun. It was a long year. It was growing pains. I wish I had an answer.

“That’s the most frustrating part. Sometimes we looked good. Sometimes we looked bad. The only thing we were consistent at was being inconsistent.”

As for the Kings, there was the question of a playoff opponent. Heading into the game, there were two possibilities – Edmonton or the Vegas Golden Knights and the Kings left the ice still awaiting the Vegas result that would decide their foe. The Golden Knights’ 3-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken assured the Kings and Oilers will meet in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight year. Game 1 is Monday night in Edmonton.

A year ago, the Oilers trailed 3-2 in the best-of-seven series but went on to win, taking Game 7, 2-0, in Canada. The Kings were without defenseman Drew Doughty and forward Viktor Arvidsson.

This time around there are other injury concerns for the Kings. They are still without forwards Kevin Fiala and Gabe Vilardi and defenseman Alex Edler, who is getting closer to returning, did not play against the Ducks.

Adrian Kempe’s four-point night – three goals and one assist – paced the Kings. Kempe’s fourth career hat trick included his 39th, 40th goals and 41st goals of the season, another impressive campaign after his breakthrough season a year ago. His 41 goals – making him the first King with a 40-goal season since Luc Robitaille in 1993-1994 – are six more than last season – and his 67 points are 13 more than last season.

“The fact that he’s been able to elevate his play almost on a weekly basis – he just keeps getting better – is a real good sign for him as an individual and us as an organization for a long time,” Kings coach Todd McLellan said. “Less streaky than he was in the past. Scores big goals. Scores them from all over the place. While he’s doing that, he’s physical and defending well.

“Hell of a year. Hell of a player.”

Two of Kempe’s goals came on the power play as the Kings went 3 for 8 with the man advantage and his hat trick came on an empty-netter with 1:38 remaining in regulation.

“I probably didn’t think about it before the season,” Kempe said of hitting the 40-goal plateau. “But obviously throughout the year, I just tried to stay with my game and not focus too much of where I’m at in terms of goals and stuff like that. Playing with some really good players.

“They were looking for me all night. I’m just very happy I’m out there with those guys. My linemates helped me all year to score, to get there.”

Kings goalie Joonas Korpisalo made 21 saves, making his second start in as many games. The last time he started in back-to-back games was March 28 and March 30, both losses.

Arvidsson had three assists and Doughty had two assists. Captain Anze Kopitar (No. 28) and Trevor Moore (No. 10) scored the Kings’ other goals.

Shaking off a 2-5-0 skid that killed their chances at the division title, the Kings won their final two games to finish with 104 points, the second-most in franchise history behind the 1974-75 squad (105).

Kempe and Moore scored goals in quick succession in the second period to turn a 1-1 game into a 3-1 lead.

Troy Terry (No. 23) scored in the first period for the Ducks, and Max Jones (No. 9) and Trevor Zegras (No. 23) scored in what was a fight-filled third period. Gibson, who made 31 saves, made his first start since April 1.

The Ducks were running the gamut of emotions after finishing the season on a 13-game winless streak. Their power play was ranked 30th, the penalty kill was 31st and their goals allowed (338) was the most since the San Jose Sharks gave up 357 in the 1995-96 season. The Ducks ranked last in the NHL in goal differential (minus-129) – the league’s worst since the 1999-2000 Atlanta Thrashers (minus-143).

“I think it’s a lot,” Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said. “It’s sadness. It’s frustration. There’s a number of things that we’re very proud of. There’s a lot that, it just comes in waves. I am proud that in a game like this – where it’s our last game – and we know it is totally over, that they still had some rage in them.

“They went out and battled hard and really kept the love of the rivalry between us and the Kings.”

There were three Ducks players making their NHL debut in the waning days of the season, including defensemen Jackson LaCombe and Drew Helleson, who both drew in against the Kings. Rookie Mason McTavish missed the finale with an upper-body injury but played in 80 of 82 games and was in the Calder Trophy conversation for most of the season.

Terry knows what it is like to have endured tough times early in his career.

“I never wanted Mac (McTavish) to go through that but some of those guys get to see what it’s like,” Terry said of a losing season. “To have that feeling that we all have right now. And we never want to feel like this again.”

The Ducks’ rookie goaltender has answered the call when asked to play internationally for his native Czech Republic at the junior level and made his World Championships debut in May last year for the national team, beating Great Britain, 5-1.

It is different a year later.

Dostal explained why earlier this week.

“I talked about it with (Ducks GM) Pat (Verbeek) a little bit and also with the national team,” Dostal said. “Obviously, I would like to go, but I don’t have a contract so far. I told the national team if we sorted it out somehow, then I’d like to go. But you don’t want to get hurt, if something happened.

“So without a contract, I’m probably not going to go.”

Fortunately, management with the national team knew where Dostal was coming from.

“The GM is Martin Havlat,” Dostal said of the former NHL forward, who played 14 seasons. “He told me he understood, has been in that situation so many times.”

Dostal, who will be coming out of his entry-level contract, is one of a handful of pending restricted free agents among the Ducks. Most prominent are the team’s two leading scorers, Trevor Zegras and Troy Terry. In an interview in March, Zegras cited the contract as a possible factor against playing in the Worlds, saying then: “With the contract stuff up in the air, I feel like that’s the first priority.”

Ducks rookie Mason McTavish would be an obvious choice to represent Team Canada, but McTavish finished the season injured and did not play in the regular-season finale against the Kings on Thursday night at Honda Center because of an upper-body injury. It is understood that it is not a serious injury but perhaps the best thing for him at this point might be a prolonged break.

Even before the injury, McTavish noted that he had played a lot of hockey the last couple of years, speaking about the physical and mental toll.

Eakins will coach his 291st game with the organization against the visiting Kings on Thursday in the regular-season finale for both teams.

With the final chapter of this season about to close for the Ducks (23-46-12), there are questions looming about the future of players and coaches on expiring contracts, including Eakins himself. Just when they will be answered is a decision for general manager Pat Verbeek, who is wrapping up his first full season with the Ducks.

“It’s as simple as that for me,” the fourth-year Ducks coach said. “I’ve got my fingers crossed, I hope there’s a process to it. We’ll see where it goes. That’s just pro sports.”

Equally unclear is Verbeek’s timeline. He’s under no obligation to instantly make his call.

“That’s Pat’s decision,” Eakins said. “Respect the hell out of him. I think he’ll make the decision that he thinks is right for our organization at this time. I’m certainly going to respect that one way or the other because I only want the best for here.”

Eakins was talking about a tumultuous 2022-23 season for the Ducks, which has them in contention for last place overall heading into the finale. In an interview in the dressing room at Great Park Ice after the Ducks’ final practice of the season Wednesday, Eakins touched on the future.

“For me, personally, I have zero interest in going to somewhere where it’s rainbows and butterflies. That kind of ‘walk in and win right away’ mentality,” Eakins said. “There’s a part of me that enjoys going through the mud part of it, because the payoff down the road will be an incredible experience, to watch these young men develop and watch a team develop and do something far different that it has been this year.”

After three losing seasons under Eakins, the Ducks are sitting in second-to-last place in the NHL, one point ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets. They started the season slowly – failing to win in regulation until Game 20 – and are finishing in roughly the same manner, having not won in their last 12 games.

There is a potential pot of gold at the end of the rainbow this year, in the person of Regina Pats center Connor Bedard, the consensus No. 1 draft pick who is widely considered to be a franchise-changing talent.  By virtue of their poor season, the Ducks are one of a handful of teams to have a legitimate chance at getting Bedard.

“I’ve said it before. I’m inspired by the ownership,” Eakins said. “I understand Pat’s plan and the patience and the work ethic that it’s going to take to get it there. When my coaching days are over here – and I hope they are not – I want to be a Duck forever.”

If coaching isn’t in his immediate future, Eakins would welcome a chance to stay in the organization in a different capacity,

“I want to go do something else here,” he said. “I just think this is an incredible organization that is well led. When you find a place that is inspiring to work, I don’t think you should be trying to go look somewhere else to do whatever you’re going to do.”

KINGS AT DUCKS

When: Thursday, 7 p.m.

Where: Honda Center

TV: Bally Sports West, Bally Sports SoCal

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  Ducks left wing Brock McGinnk, left, takes the puck as Vancouver Canucks center Dakota Joshua falls to the ice during the first period on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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  Ducks center Nikita Nesterenko, right, puts Vancouver Canucks defenseman Cole McWard into the boards during the first period on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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  Vancouver Canucks center Sheldon Dries, right, falls while under pressure from Ducks center Trevor Zegras, left, and right wing Frank Vatrano during the first period on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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  Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson, right, celebrates with right wing Brock Boeser after Boeser scored during the first period of their game against the Ducks on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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  Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson, second from left, and right wing Brock Boeser, left, celebrate with teammates on the bench after Boeser scored during the first period of their game against the Ducks on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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  Ducks center Isac Lundestrom, right, tries to score on Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko during the first period on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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  Ducks center Mason McTavish celebrates his goal during the first period of their game against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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  Vancouver Canucks left wing Phillip Di Giuseppe, right, passes the puck while under pressure from Ducks center Benoit-Olivier Groulx during the second period on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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  Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes, right, passes the puck while under pressure from Ducks right wing Troy Terry during the second period on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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  Ducks center Trevor Zegras falls to the ice while under pressure from Vancouver Canucks center J.T. Miller during the third period on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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  Vancouver Canucks left wing Andrei Kuzmenko, below, falls to the ice while under pressure from Ducks defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk during the third period on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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  Ducks center Derek Grant, right, passes the puck as Vancouver Canucks right wing Conor Garland reaches in during the third period on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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  Vancouver Canucks defenseman Akito Hirose, left, hits Ducks right wing Troy Terry with his stick during the third period on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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  Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko, left, and right wing Conor Garland congratulate each other after they helped the Canucks defeat the Ducks, 3-2, on Tuesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

ANAHEIM — The door to the NHL’s cellar cracked open Tuesday for the Ducks as the ‘race’ to the bottom of the NHL standings took an unexpected and eventful turn several thousand miles away in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

The Penguins, fighting for their playoff lives, lost to the Chicago Blackhawks, who came into the game having dropped 11 of their last 12. That result came shortly after the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets picked up a point with an overtime loss in Philadelphia.

Chicago wrapped up its 5-2 win about three minutes before the puck dropped for the Ducks’ game against the Vancouver Canucks at Honda Center.

The Ducks suffered yet another loss as they fell to the Canucks, 3-2, keeping them in contention for last place overall, which carries a 25.5% chance of winning the NHL draft lottery on May 8 and the right to select uber-prodigy Connor Bedard. The Ducks haven’t won in 12 games, last winning on March 17 against the Blue Jackets.

The standings for the three bottom teams after Tuesday’s games:

No. 30: Chicago – 58 points. One game remaining.

No. 31: Ducks – 58 points. One game remaining.

No. 32: Columbus – 57 points. Two games remaining.

Even though the Blackhawks and Ducks have the same number of points, Chicago holds the first tiebreaker: wins in regulation.

On Tuesday, the Canucks were sparked by center Elias Pettersson hitting the 100-point mark in a season with his primary assist on Brock Boeser’s power-play goal at 12:14 of the first period and adding another on J.T. Miller’s game-winning goal at 1:26 of the third period, which broke a 2-2 tie.

Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal made 33 saves and the offense was led by two secondary assists from Trevor Zegras and defenseman Drew Helleson’s first NHL goal, at 15:32 of the second period.

“I always dreamt of it,” Helleson said. “I didn’t know if it was ever going to happen. But it’s pretty surreal. It’s just kicking in now that it actually happened. It’s a pretty good feeling for sure.

“I kind of blacked out and then I looked up and saw Z (Zegras) skating at me. He was smiling almost bigger than I was.”

The friendship between Helleson and Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe – who made his NHL debut in the loss – goes back to their youth hockey days in Minnesota. What would they have said then, if they had been told they’d eventually be teammates in the NHL?

“I think it depends on when you would have told us,” Helleson said. “If you would have told us when we were little, we would have believed you. But I think growing up, through the ranks, maybe not so much. To actually be here with him is pretty cool and to see his first game is pretty special.”

Ducks coach Dallas Eakins noted how excited the players and staff were for Helleson’s first goal.

“It’s certainly one of those little victories that we take in games like this,” Eakins said.

Ducks rookie Mason McTavish had the other goal, scoring on the power play at 17:20 of the first, to cut the Canucks’ lead to 2-1. McTavish did not finish the game because of an upper-body injury suffered in the second period.

For the third time in three games, there was an NHL debut for the Ducks. On Saturday, it was goaltender Olle Eriksson Ek, in an overtime loss at Arizona. One day later, Helleson made his debut, playing alongside Nathan Beaulieu on the second defense pair against Colorado. And it was LaCombe taking the vaunted rookie solo lap Tuesday.

LaCombe logged 18:24 of ice time, recording three blocked shots and one hit. He signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Ducks on Monday, two days after his University of Minnesota team lost in the NCAA championship final.

LaCombe’s parents were in the arena for his debut and his two older sisters were on hand, too, surprising him with their unexpected arrival. Of course, there was no shortage of advice from his new teammates.

“There were definitely a few guys – playing with (Kevin) Shattenkirk. He was kind of giving me pointers the whole time,” LaCombe said. “He was great the whole time, so it was awesome. And the coaches were great about it before the game, telling us to play and just use your instincts.”

Said Eakins: “I thought he played well. He didn’t seem nervous at all. Looks like he’s got a little bit of ice in his veins.

“There was a play in the third period where the puck was basically right on the line, on the blue line, and he walked it straight across with no fear. Usually, a guy will just get that puck and rip it in deep. But I thought he showed great confidence.”

Earlier in the day, the Ducks recalled forward Bo Groulx from their AHL affiliate in San Diego and Groulx made his season debut, centering the fourth line and was 67% in the faceoff circle.

“He was really good,” Eakins said. “I started throwing him out there for a few more on the penalty kill and thought he did a good job there.

“It’s amazing. Bo has played games here before but his maturity level now, coming in, it’s like he’s gained five years of manhood.”