Ducks punch tic ket with 3-1 win over Wild

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With little to play for on Wednesday night, the Minnesota Wild let a tight game get away form them in Anaheim when the Ducks scored twice to clinch a playoff berth with a 3-1 decision.

Ondrej Kase struck for the winner with just under four minutes left in regulation.

“We needed to raise our emotional level in the third period,” Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle said. “We had an opportunity to win 20 minutes of hockey to get ourselves qualified for the playoffs. [We] went out and played with a lot more emotion and determination, (and) got the job done.”

The Ducks are a point back from the San Jose Sharks and a point clear of the Los Angeles Kings; the Kings clinched a berth with the St Louis Blues losing to the Chicago Blackhawks Wednesday.

Ryan Miller made 26 saves to get the win for Anaheim who improved to 42-25-13.,

“This whole year has been a bit of struggle,” Anaheim captain Ryan Getzlaf said. “We accomplished one goal we wanted.”

Matt Dumba scored the lone goal for the Wild ho clinched third place in the Central Division on Monday.

“The third period, they definitely outworked us,” Wild head coach Bruce Boudreau said. “It was a great test that this is what playoff hockey’s going to be like. … Maybe it’s a cheap lesson learned.”

Nick Ritchie had a goal for the Ducks and Andrew Cogliano sealed with a late empty net goal.

“Even from the beginning of the season, I was sitting out and was anxious to play. There were a lot of the guys along with me. We were winning and losing, floating around .500. To make the playoffs, you certainly can’t stay at .500. It was a big push by the team to get on some runs, to get the playoff spot with two games remaining,” Miller said after the win in his first start since early March.

[WATCH: All Wild vs. Ducks highlights]

Devan Dubnyk made 27 saves in taking the loss.

“I just treated it like another game,” Dubnyk said. “It was a pretty good builder for us for how playoffs are going to be. They showed, obviously in the third period, that game meant a little more to them, and hopefully that’s a lesson for us that we are going to have to match that and even more so come playoff time.”