Bruce Boudreau will get his first taste of Anaheim's rivalry with Los Angeles tonight, as the Ducks new head coach leads his team in a home test against the Kings at the Honda Center.
Boudreau was fired as head coach of the Washington Capitals last Monday, but before the week was out he landed the same position in Anaheim. The former Jack Adams Award winner is 0-1-1 in two games since taking over for the fired Randy Carlyle.
The last-place Ducks have lost nine of their last 10 games overall and are 10 points behind their nearest competitor in the Pacific Division.
After blowing a three-goal lead in Friday's 4-3 overtime loss to Philadelphia, the Ducks were dealt a 5-3 setback by Minnesota on Sunday. The loss to the Wild dropped Anaheim to 1-3-1 on a six-game homestand that will end tonight. The Ducks are just 5-9-1 as the host this season.
The Kings swept Anaheim in a home-and-home set earlier this season to take an early 2-0 lead in the six-game season series. Los Angeles has taken four of seven overall from the Ducks and the clubs each have three wins in the last six encounters in Orange County.
Anaheim was defeated by the visiting Wild on Sunday after Nick Johnson scored the game-winning goal late in the third period. Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler tied the game with a slap shot midway through the final period, but Johnson's tip-in with 5:31 remaining gave the Wild the lead for good.
Ryan Getzlaf and Saku Koivu both had a first-period goal for the Ducks, while Jonas Hiller made 31 saves in the loss.
"We have to play a full 60 minutes," said Boudreau. "In the second period we stood around and watched."
The Kings had a two-game win streak halted by Montreal on Saturday, as they capped a four-game homestand with the 2-1 loss to the Habs. Andrei Kostitsyn netted the deciding goal in the second period for the Canadiens and Carey Price stopped 26-of-27 shots to post the win.
Dustin Penner recorded the lone score for the Kings in his first game since Nov. 10. Penner, who notched his first goal, had missed the previous nine games with a hand injury.
Jonathan Bernier made 25 saves for the Kings, who lost for the fourth time in seven outings.
"We need to be more diligent in front of the net. I thought our intensity on the puck was not good enough," said Kings head coach Terry Murray. "We need to shoot the puck more, more shots need to get to the net."
Jonathan Quick is expected to be back between the pipes for LA tonight. Quick was named the NHL's Third Star for the week ending Dec. 4 after just one goal on 75 shots in victories over San Jose and Florida.
The Kings played Saturday without leading goal-scorer Mike Richards, who is on injured reserve after taking a blow to the head on a check by Florida's Sean Bergenheim on Friday. Richards leads the Kings with 11 goals this year and is sidelined indefinitely.
Los Angeles defenseman Willie Mitchell also missed Saturday's tilt with a lower-body injury and is doubtful for tonight.
The Kings are 5-2-3 as the road team this year and will be back in LA for Thursday's game against Minnesota.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.