PITTSBURGH — Ryan Getzlaf skated Wednesday and Thursday at Great Park Ice in Irvine and felt certain it was time to rejoin his Ducks teammates after sitting out for five games because of a lower-body injury. So, he jumped on a plane bound for Pittsburgh and met them in time for Friday’s practice.

It remained to be determined whether he would be sound enough to play Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins, but he certainly looked like he might play for the first time since an awkward collision with the Kings’ Alex Iafallo in the Ducks’ shootout win Nov. 30. He remained on injured reserve Friday.

The center skated on a line with Sam Steel on his left wing and Troy Terry on his right. Steel has replaced Getlzaf as the Ducks’ top-line center, with Vinni Lettieri filling in for left wing Adam Henrique, who has been sidelined for three games because of a lower-body injury.

“I had a good week back home and I needed to come join the team and find out where we’re at,” Getzlaf said. “Today was my first day on the ice with the team. It was about going out there and seeing about the pace and the little contact and things like that, the moments you can’t imitate.

“We’ll see how it reacts.”

GETZLAF (PART 2)

The Ducks are 3-0-2 without Getzlaf, including 2-0-1 on their five-game trip after their latest victory, a 2-1 shootout win Thursday over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Overall, they are 15-8-5, a surprising second in the Pacific Division, one point behind the first-place Calgary Flames.

“When you win hockey games, it brings your group together,” Getzlaf said. “That’s the way it is. You’re having fun. You’re playing hockey. … When things are rolling and you’re hooting and hollering and jumping around and all that kind of stuff, it’s real easy to be a tight-knit group.”

SMELLY DUCKS?

It hasn’t taken long for the Ducks to establish their identity in less than 30 games. According to Ducks coach Dallas Eakins, it’s rooted in their resilience, their ability to rally from deficits and play well without injured players such as Getzlaf, Henrique, Max Comtois and Max Jones in the lineup.

Getzlaf was the Ducks’ second-leading scorer with 20 points, including 19 assists, when he was sidelined. He’s since been passed by rookie center Trevor Zegras, who has 22 points (six goals, 16 assists), and Sonny Milano, who has 20 points (eight goals, 12 assists).

“We’re like that bad, nasty smell that you can’t figure out where it’s coming from, but it just doesn’t go away,” Eakins said. “We have the ability to respond, to score timely goals, to get penalty kills, to get huge saves from our goalie. I’d like to say I’m surprised by it, but the group is making us even less surprised.”

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VIRAL SENSATION

The video of Milano’s goal after Zegras’ alley-oop pass in the Ducks’ victory Tuesday over the Buffalo Sabres has been viewed more than 50 million times on social media platforms, including ESPN’s Instagram account, according to a team spokesman. ESPN’s IG is now at 31 million-plus views.

Zegras has appeared on numerous TV networks and shows since Tuesday, including ESPN several times, plus TNT’s Wednesday’s hockey broadcast and ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

Ducks at Pittsburgh

When: 4 p.m. Saturday

Where: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh

TV: Bally Sports SoCal