Boucher makes season debut in Devils home opener
Ducks team scope
Anaheim hasn't played with a lead yet this season, having allowed the first goal in each of its three games, so naturally the Ducks will be looking for more offense early Tuesday. They've scored two goals in each of their first three games despite averaging 32.3 shots per game. The Ducks have liked their chances on the power play, but coach Randy Carlyle said they have struggled to get a good net-front presence, a reason why their power play is 1-for-12, the lone goal coming during a 5-on-3 advantage. "I don't think we've played well enough to win," captain Ryan Getzlaf said. "We've had too many lapses throughout the games. When you're talking about this league you're playing high-end talent and some good hockey teams so you've got to be able to play for 60 minutes if you expect to win." Forward Emerson Etem will make his season debut after being claimed off of waivers last Thursday. Etem, 24, was placed on waivers by the Vancouver Canucks. He returns to his original team; the Ducks selected him with the 29th pick in the 2010 NHL Draft. Etem had 15 goals and 31 points in 112 games with Anaheim before getting traded to the New York Rangers on June 27, 2015. "We're at a point right now where we need a spark and it's just exciting for me to be back with the boys," Etem said. "To see a lot of familiar faces, it just makes it so much easier, especially the transition on the ice."
Devils team scope
Coach John Hynes is switching up his forward lines for the third straight game in an attempt to get the first win of the season, the home opener for New Jersey. Left wing Reid Boucher will make his season debut after being scratched for the first two games. Jacob Josefson is also back in the lineup after being scratched in the 3-2 loss against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. Josefson will be at right wing. He and Boucher replace Miles Wood and Blake Speers on the fourth line. The top three lines and defense pairs will remain the same from Saturday. "Fortunately for us right now we have 14 healthy forwards so it's important for us at this stage to keep everyone involved," Hynes said. "As long as guys earn the right to play you have to find ways to get them in because we're going to need everybody as the season goes along." Goalie Cory Schneider will start for the third straight game. He allowed five goals on 63 shots in the first two games (.926 save percentage, 2.48 goals-against average). Schneider said communication with the defensemen, including three who weren't with the team last season (Ben Lovejoy, Yohann Auvitu and Kyle Quincey) has been improving. "We're getting there," Schneider said. "For the most part they've done a great job of talking to me and letting me know what they see and what to do with the puck, and I'm trying to help them in terms of systematically, if I need them to hold the front of the net or go."
Ducks projected lineup
Nick Ritchie -- Ryan Getzlaf -- Jakob Silfverberg
Andrew Cogliano -- Antoine Vermette -- Corey Perry
Ryan Garbutt -- Ryan Kesler -- Nick Sorensen
Emerson Etem -- Chris Wagner -- Jared Boll
Cam Fowler -- Josh Manson
Jacob Larsson -- Sami Vatanen
Clayton Stoner -- Kevin Bieksa
John Gibson
Jonathan Bernier
Scratched: Korbinian Holzer, Mason Raymond
Injured: Simon Despres (upper body), Nate Thompson (Achilles)
Devils projected lineup
Taylor Hall -- Travis Zajac -- PA Parenteau
Michael Cammalleri -- Adam Henrique -- Kyle Palmieri
Beau Bennett -- Pavel Zacha -- Devante Smith-Pelly
Reid Boucher -- Vernon Fiddler -- Jacob Josefson
Andy Greene -- Damon Severson
John Moore -- Ben Lovejoy
Yohann Auvitu -- Kyle Quincey
Cory Schneider
Keith Kinkaid
Scratched: Miles Wood, Blake Speers, Steven Santini
Injured: Jon Merrill (finger), Sergey Kalinin (illness), Luke Gazdic (foot)
Status report
Raymond was with the team during the morning skate, but is expected to be a healthy scratch. ... Anaheim is playing its fourth game of a season-opening five-game road trip. The Ducks don't play their home opener until Sunday against the Vancouver Canucks.
Who's hot
Parenteau has a goal and an assist in his first two games with the Devils. He was in training camp with the New York Islanders before he was waived on Oct. 10 and claimed by the Devils on Oct. 11. … Fowler has goals in back to back games and three points. ... Getzlaf has four points in the past two games (one goal, three assists).
