Anaheim Ducks Set Franchise Record for Points in a Season

The Anaheim Ducks picked up a huge 5-2 win over the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday, clinching both the Pacific Division and the highest points total in franchise history, per the team's official Twitter account.

The Ducks entered the game with 110 points through 79 games, while the Sharks came in with 107 through 79. Had the Sharks won, they'd trail the Ducks by just one point in the Pacific Division standings with two games left to play.

But, that didn't happen as the Ducks stood up tall behind 20-year-old goaltender John Gibson, who was making his second career NHL appearance after shutting out the Vancouver Canucks on Monday.

Gibson, a top goaltending prospect, turned in another fine performance Wednesday night, stopping 36 of the 38 shots he faced against one of the league's more talented teams.

Buoyed by Gibson's netminding and a pair of Patrick Maroon marks, the Ducks turned a close game into a blowout, scoring the final three goals of the night in a game that was tied 2-2 midway through the second period.

In winning the game, Anaheim not only clinched the highest points total in team history but also broke a franchise record for most goals in a season with 259 through 80 games (3.2 goals per game). The previous record-holding team, the 2006-07 Ducks, scored 258 regular-season goals on the way to a Stanley Cup championship.

This year's Ducks hope to meet the same fate but will have to fight their way through a stacked Western Conference. The reward for a record-setting season will likely be a first-round matchup with either Anze Kopitar's Los Angeles Kings or Zach Parise's Minnesota Wild.