Anaheim captain Ryan Getzlaf pleased with the state of the Ducks

After setting a franchise record with 11 consecutive victories, after vaulting temporarily into first place in the Pacific Division standings, after solidifying a Stanley Cup playoff bid, maybe a lull was inevitable for the Ducks.

If the Ducks were worried they had reverted to their head-scratching play of October and November they weren’t going to admit it before facing the Boston Bruins on Friday at the Honda Center. If they were conceed their invincible aura was damaged they weren’t saying so.

The Ducks were 1-3-1 in their last five games before facing the Bruins.

“We’ve played some pretty good hockey,” Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf said, delivering a state of the team address after the moing skate. “We went on a run there that, obviously, we knew wasn’t going to last the whole season. We knew that. That’s the way hockey is.

“It’s a matter of responding and playing the right way most nights. Or every night, for that matter. There’s no reason we can’t play the right way every night. We’re not going to win every night. … We’ve just got to continue playing properly and building toward the end.”

The number of regular-season games has reached a manageable number, with the end of the 82-game slog now within sight. The Ducks had 12 left, including Friday’s matchup against the Bruins, and they were feeling good about themselves and their second-place standing in the Pacific.

The Ducks faced a six-point deficit, however. They also were only a point in front of the third-place San Jose Sharks. They were all but assured of one of the top three spots and a guaranteed playoff berth, with the fourth-place Arizona Coyotes trailing by 16 points.

It remained to be seen if they could catch the division-leading Kings.

Or whether it was worth the time and effort.

“Honestly, I don’t think that’s the most important thing,” Ducks defenseman Kevin Bieksa said of chasing a fourth consecutive division championship at the expense of resting and preparing for what could be a lengthy playoff run in April, May and perhaps June.

If the playoffs started Friday, the first-place Kings would have played the Nashville Predators, the first wild-card team, in the first round. The second-place Ducks would have faced the third-place Sharks and would have held home-ice advantage.

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“We feel pretty comfortable we’re going to be in the top three,” Bieksa said. “San Jose or L.A. pick your poison, right? They’re two great teams. The key is to be playing good hockey, to be playing the right way, roll together some wins and feel good about yourself going into the postseason.”

Bieksa’s retu to the lineup after a two-game absence because of a lower-body injury figured to give the Ducks a boost. They were without defenseman Sami Vatanen for the fourth game because of an upper-body injury and center Nate Thompson for the third game because of a lower-body ailment.

After a so-so start in his first season with the Ducks, after a trade June 30 from the Vancouver Canucks, Bieksa has combined with Cam Fowler to form a steady defense pair for coach Bruce Boudreau. Bieksa, who had four goals and 14 points before Friday, wanted back in the lineup.

“You don’t want to let off the gas,” he said.