PREVIEW: Gauthier Returns as Ducks Look to Bounce Back Against Bruins

The Ducks (4-2-0) battle the Bruins (5-2-0) at Honda Center before taking to the road for a four-game trip.

Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. PT and will be broadcast Prime Video and FOXLA+.

Anaheim lost its second game of the season falling to the Flames, 4-2, on Tuesday. The team had a good start to the game with goals courtesy of Beckett Sennecke and Leo Carlsson but unfortunately couldn’t sustain the lead.

With that being said, head coach Joel Quenneville shared what he’s liked from his team thus far and how they can get back on track against Boston tonight.

“We just need to play faster, harder, have the puck more, and [play] simpler,” Quenneville said. “I thought we didn't have quite the support or the puck possession game last game. Tonight we got a great test. This team's playing well. They got a lot going for themselves. So we're gonna need everybody tonight, and we're gonna need a little bit more.”

One plus for the Ducks is the return of Cutter Gauthier to the lineup after exiting the contest against the Jets and missing the game vs the Flames.

Gauthier will move to the middle for tonight’s matchup, a position he has great familiarity with prior to his time in the pros.

“I've been a center pretty much my whole life, up until the NHL,” Gauthier said. “So it's definitely a position I'm comfortable with and something I've been speaking a lot with the coaches, coaching staff to want to play that center role and I'm excited for the opportunity tonight.”

“He's dangerous wherever he is around the ice,” Quenneville said of Gauthier. “He's got such a deceptive shot, and he's a quick release, and he's an opportunist, be it off the rush or in zone. I just think his speed's very important, too, for presence through the middle of the ice. So I'm curious to see how he handles it, but I think he'll be fine.”

Mikael Granlund, who is day-to-day with an upper-body injury will miss tonight’s game, but is expected to join the Ducks on their upcoming road trip.

The Bruins, who are in the middle of a road trip of their own, are on a three-game winning streak, their most recent victory coming against the Sharks on Tuesday.

The team’s offense has been hot, averaging over five goals per game on this winning streak. Additionally, the defense has been firing on all cylinders, holding opponents to an average of

under two goals per game on this winning stretch while scoring five times in the seven games the team has played.

Now in his 13th season, team captain David Pastrnak leads the Bruins in assists (six) and points (eight) while Fraser Minten paces the club with four goals.

Lukas Dostal will start tonight, per Quenneville.