Ducks ‘in a good spot’ to compete for a playoff spot next season

IRVINE — For the Ducks, it was another season of pain, both literal and figurative, as an injury-marred campaign crashed short of the postseason landing strip yet again.

But it was also a period of growth, both personal and collective.

Though they finished just a tick better than last year’s NHL-worst total of 58 points, new leadership and a youth movement on the roster set a course toward snapping a string of six consecutive non-playoff seasons.

“You could throw wins and everything out the window...