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Ducks lock up playoff spot by knocking off rival Kings

Los Angeles Kings v Anaheim Ducks

ANAHEIM, CA - APRIL 08: Teemu Selanne #8 of the Anaheim Ducks waves as he skates after being named first star of the game against the Los Angeles King at Honda Center on April 8, 2011 in Anaheim, California. The Ducks won 2-1 to clinch a berth in the playoffs. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

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In what was billed as the biggest game between the Southern California rivals, the Anaheim Ducks rode a two-goal performance from Teemu Selanne to beat the Kings 2-1 and punch their ticket to the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Ducks knew they needed to win one of their final two games in the home-and-home series against the Kings to close out the regular season—and took care of business at home during Fan Appreciation Night. Their 97 points keep them in the 7th spot in the Western Conference, but playoff seedings were the furthest thing from the players’ and fans’ minds on Friday night. All they wanted was a spot in the dance when the night began—and they sent the fans home happy.

The Ducks win means this will be the first postseason since the Ducks came into the league that both Anaheim and Los Angeles will make the playoffs in the same season. Obviously the game was huge for the Ducks, but the game proved to be just as big for hockey as a whole in California. Teemu Selanne summed up what the playoffs will mean for hockey in Southern California:

“I’m proud of both teams. We need this. Obviously for hockey here in Southern California, this is going to be a huge boost for both franchises. So I’m very happy about this situation.”

If anyone on the ice should know what this game meant to the state, it would be Selanne. The man of the hour has played in 91 of the rivalry’s 101 total games over his 18 year career—managing to score 50 of his 635 career goals against the cross-town Kings. After the game, Selanne was serenaded with chants of “one more year” from the 17,587 fans in attendance. He flashed a grin and remained non-committal, but games like this certainly have to make him think about coming back for another season.

Just because the Ducks were able to earn a playoff spot on Friday night doesn’t mean the teams will mail it in on Saturday night. Now that the Ducks are in the playoffs, they can focus on earning the best seeding possible. If they can win on Saturday, they will ensure that they avoid the Presidents Trophy winning Vancouver Canucks in the first round. Likewise, the Kings can still earn home-ice advantage in the first round if they are able to win on Saturday night and both the Coyotes and Predators lose their final games of the season. More likely, if they can win their final game and either Phoenix or Nashville loses, they’ll vault into the #4/#5 match-up and avoid both the Red Wings and Sharks in the first round.

No matter what happens in the final game of the season, Friday’s game took the rivalry to a new level. Next stop for both teams: the Stanley Cup playoffs.