THE ANAHEIM DUCKS lost 4-3 to the Chicago Blackhawks Wednesday night (Shutterstock).

Moral victories are nice, but for teams at or near the cellar in a sports league, a real-live win is what you really need.

The Anaheim Ducks played a good game Wednesday at Honda Center against the Chicago Blackhawks. Their oft-dormant offense showed some vitality, but the Orange County team still lost, falling 4-3 as Patrick Kane scored the game-winner with 16.1 seconds left to play.

“We said earlier, we’ve been generating a lot of chances in these last few games,’ said Devin Shore. “It’s good to see them go in from the depth in our lineup. But this one stings. Tough one.”

The loss – the team’s fourth in five games – put the Ducks’ record at 24-31-9, good for 57 points and seventh place in the NHL Pacific. For Chicago, the win improved the team record to 27-28-9. The 63 points still leaves the Hawks in eighth and last place in the NHL Central.

After a scoreless first period, each team scored two goals in the second and one each in the third until Kane’s deciding tally. Lighting the red lamp for Anaheim were Shore, Carter Rowney and Troy Terry.

Goalkeeper Ryan Miller had 31 saves on 35 Chicago shots.

The Ducks are next in action on Friday hosting the Las Vegas Golden Knights at Honda Center at 7 p.m.