Ducks top-line center Ryan Getzlaf couldn’t hit water if he fell from the end of Huntington Beach Pier to start the season. Or so it seemed, anyway. Getzlaf, a former Hart Trophy finalist as the NHL’s MVP, underwent an appendectomy that sidelined him for four games, but declined to use it as an excuse for his poor play. He also owned up to a number of misplays that cost the Ducks games.

All that has changed, however.

Getzlaf’s game has been peerless since the Christmas break.

No surprise, but the Ducks have been sizzling since then, too.

Getzlaf has 22 points (five goals, 17 assists) in 21 games since the break.

The Ducks are 15-4-2 in the same stretch. They were last in the Pacific Division going into the break, but after a 3-2 overtime victory Saturday over the Chicago Blackhawks, they were third with a 27-19.8 record. They were one point behind the second-place San Jose Sharks and seven behind the division-leading Kings.

The Ducks’ seven-game trip continues Monday with a visit to Calgary.