"It's going to be fun," Beleskey said. "Definitely one I had circled on the calendar. But this is a big two points for us heading into the [All-Star] break and we'll be ready to get those."
The Bruins have won five of their past six games (5-1-0), including a 3-2 win at the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday. Beleskey has eight goals in 46 games for the Bruins, but his contribution is measured in more than points.
"You know we've got some skill players but we also need some players that are going to get their noses dirty and be physical," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "And when he's at his best that's exactly what he is. He's not afraid to go to the net, he's not afraid to finish his checks. He's gritty, gets his nose dirty and it's been a good blend for our hockey club."
The Ducks (21-18-7) have won four of their past five games (4-1-0). They will welcome back defenseman Simon Despres to the lineup after he missed 42 games because of concussion symptoms. Before he was injured Despres averaged 17:06 of ice time in four games.
"First of all, to have him back, when he's at his best, he was very solid for us," Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said. "A big (6-foot-4, 218-pounds), strong-bodied guy, can play lots of minutes. What I'm expecting from him today is just a simple game and get his feet wet and do the right things and not try to overdo things on his first night. And if we get that we'll be very happy."
Here are the projected lineups:
DUCKS
Pat Maroon - Ryan Getzlaf - Chris Stewart
David Perron - Rickard Rakell - Corey Perry
Andrew Cogliano - Ryan Kesler - Jakob Silfverberg
Ryan Garbutt - Nate Thompson - Mike Santorelli
Hampus Lindholm - Josh Manson
Sami Vatanen - Simon Despres
Shea Theodore - Kevin Bieksa
Frederik Anderson
John Gibson
Injured: Cam Fowler (sprained knee), Clayton Stoner (hip flexor)
Scratched: Shawn Horcoff, Adam Clendening, Korbinian Holzer
BRUINS
Brad Marchand - Patrice Bergeron - Brett Connolly
Ryan Spooner - David Krejci - Loui Eriksson
Matt Beleskey - Joonas Kemppainen - David Pastrnak
Zac Rinaldo - Max Talbot - Jimmy Hayes
Zdeno Chara - Zach Trotman
Dennis Seidenberg - Colin Miller
Torey Krug - Kevan Miller
Jonas Gustavsson
Tuukka Rask
Injured: Chris Kelly (broken femur), Adam McQuaid (upper body)
Scratched: Joe Morrow, Landon Ferraro, Tyler Randell
Status report: Fowler, who has missed the past 12 games, has been practicing but won't return until after the All-Star break. ... Julien said McQuaid, who has been out 10 games, has not resumed skating.
Who's hot: Perry has five goals and one assist in his past seven games. ... Marchand is on an NHL career-best five-game goal streak. He also has points in six straight games; he has five goals and one assist in that span.
