Kings, Ducks ready for Boxing Day game

Happy day after Christmas, or Boxing Day to our Canadian friends.

The Kings and Ducks arrived at Staples Center on Sunday before workers were finished changing the surface after the Clippers’ victory over Phoenix, a game that started at noon. The Staples crew is accustomed to quick changeovers but this one was tight — and the quality of the ice, which stays beneath the court and can be iffy under the best of circumstances, is sure to be dubious.

The Kings will have a new/old look for their game against the Ducks. Jonathan Bernier got the start in goal, and Coach Terry Murray said the rookie would get at least one more start in the upcoming stretch of four games in five nights. He said he wasn’t sure which game Bernier will play, but he’s trying to make sure Jonathan Quick gets rest and that Bernier regains his confidence and can be a reliable backup.

Bernier won his last start, at Nashville on Dec. 18, one of only three wins in his eight starts. But Murray said he was encouraged by Bernier’s performance in that game.

“I saw a player who has more of an aggressive attitude, challenged shooters, looked very confident after being out of the lineup for an extended period of time but came back and showed the confidence to the team that he was ready. He was solid,” Murray said.

In addition, Marco Sturm will start the game on the top line, with Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown. Brad Richardson, who had been on the left side, moved to the fourth line with Trevor Lewis and Alexei Ponikarovsky.

Sturm played there late in the Kings’ 3-2 victory over Edmonton on Thursday after being eased back into the lineup on the fourth line.

“I think it’s time to just get him going. He’s got a couple of games under his belt now,” Murray said. “I spoke with him this morning before the practice about getting back into hockey and skating and feeling good again and he said he felt much better in the third period, more instinctive in his game.”

The timing isn’t there yet. “I’m going to push him a little bit on this,” Murray said. “I don’t want to say, ‘OK, take your time to get into it.’ You’ve got to demand a little bit more and he has to put some pressure on himself to get going.

Ducks GM Murray says Carlyle's job is safe. Does the same go for players' jobs?

Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle has been a popular pick in the first-coach-to-be-fired pool, but General Manager Bob Murray said Monday it's not Carlyle's fault the team is 14th in the West and near the bottom of the overall league standings.

"We're not letting the players off the hook ... ," Murray said.

"He’s a good coach. His record proves that. It’s more our people. I’m getting tired of watching them looking for excuses, feeling sorry for themselves. Yes, the schedule has been tough but so has everybody else’s in this bloody league, especially the Western Conference.

"I daresay he’s more upset the way they’re playing than they are themselves, which in itself is a huge question there. Why is that?"

The Ducks on Wednesday will begin a stretch in which they play three straight games and five of their next six at home -- and their opponents include East-leading Tampa Bay, always dangerous Pittsburgh and scrappy Nashville. Murray said the next few weeks will be critical for the team -- and for him in deciding if he's sure he has the right players.

"They got a little while longer to convince me if they want to stay here," he said. "I'm going to watch this homestand very carefully. This homestand last year is where the season got away from us. This exact homestand right now. And I expect to see some desperation."

More on Murray and the Ducks in my weekly NHL column, which will be posted at Latimes.com/sports.

Also, with several forwards plagued by nagging injuries, the Ducks recalled center Nick Bonino from Syracuse of the American Hockey League. He had two goals and nine points in eight games.

-- Helene Elliott

Photo: Randy Carlyle. Credit: Carlos Osorio / Associated Press

Notes after the Ducks' 4-3 victory over Vancouver

Some postgame notes and quotes, courtesy of the Ducks' media relations department:

The Ducks improved their all-time home opener record to 9-8-0.

The Ducks have gone 6-2-2 against the Canucks dating back to March 12, 2008.

The Ducks' three-game homestand continues Friday versus Atlanta (7:05 p.m.) and Sunday versus  Phoenix (5:05 p.m.).

With his first goal of the season (607 career), Teemu Selanne has moved to within one goal of a share of 16th in all-time goals (also Dino Ciccarelli, 608).

Ryan Getzlaf (1-3=4) recorded his fifth career four-plus point game tonight (four four-point games, one  five-point game). The last time he had four or more points was Feb. 14, 2010 at Edmonton (2-2=4).

With an assist tonight, rookie defenseman Cam Fowler recorded his second career NHL point (also one assist on Oct. 9 at Nashville).

Tonight’s attendance was 17,174, a sellout.

 

POSTGAME QUOTES

DUCKS

 

Ryan Getzlaf

It was nice to be able to calm things down and play hockey. It didn’t matter what the score was. Guys were playing with the puck all night long. That changes the outlook on the game. It allows us to keep that calm pace when things aren’t going that well.

We’re coming home where we’re comfortable. We love this building. The fans and everybody showed us what it’s going to be like all year. We’re excited about it.

On his line breaking out:

It was time for it. We have been working hard the last few games. We knew it was just those one or two bounces that we needed our way. We were lucky enough to get them tonight. When our line is effective, we slow that game down and are able to play with the puck more.

Bobby Ryan

When they scored, I thought to myself, "Something good has to happen here." Something had to break because in the past it hadn’t. It finally did. We had some good play through the neutral zone there. Guys made heads-up plays and it led to the puck going into the net. That is a huge win for us.

 

On the play of his line:

We were gripping our sticks a little tight. When you get one, good things happen. We got back to the style that we’re accustomed to. Getzy obviously carried the load tonight and did an incredible job for us.

Coach Randy Carlyle

Well, it wasn’t pretty. I don’t think we’re going to frame that one and say that is the way we want to play every night. But at least it’s a starting point for us. We won’t criticize a win. It’s been difficult for us over the first three games that we started on the road. We got our game going as this game went on. Our players are to be credited because they were frustrated. They started to get their game going halfway through the second period.

As always, your leaders have to be the guys with the letters, the big-point guys and the big contracts. It’s as simple as that. There is a lot of pressure on those guys. They were feeling it from our 0-3 start. By no means are we out of the woods yet. We just have to build on this and be ready when we come to work tomorrow.

VANCOUVER CANUCKS

Henrik Sedin

I still think we played well in the third. We had a lot of chances to score but they came back and scored twice on turnovers. Tough loss, but we have to look at the pros. I thought we played a good game. We’ve got to take the positive and move on and get rid of those turnovers. We should have been up more than one goal –- that is how we felt. But at the same time you’ve got look at the way we played. We played hard with all four lines going and we had a lot of chances to score. 

Roberto Luongo

On the Ducks' fourth goal:

It was unfortunate because I was able to get across but I couldn’t see the shot go off because our defenseman was trying to cut the pass off. So I wasn’t able to see the ice like I would’ve liked on that particular play. 

On the Ducks:

I knew, obviously, they hadn’t won a game yet and they weren’t particularly happy with their play. We knew coming in here that they would be a hungry team –- their first home game. We just wanted to make sure we came out and played a solid road game. Like I said before, I don’t think we played bad, but we gave them some opportunities and that kind of hurt us there.

Coach Alain Vigneault

I thought it was our best game of the year as far as limiting the other team's opportunities, except for the two five-on-threes –- where they had a couple of chances –- and obviously those two turnovers in the third that led to goals. We didn’t give them much. We generated quite a few chances unfortunately we couldn’t get the goal that might have really broken them down. When it was 3-2, we missed a couple of open nets and we turned it over in their end. They came back and made us pay for it –- that is hockey sometimes. 

 

-- Helene Elliott

Photo: The Ducks celebrate. Credit: Chris Carlson /Associated Press.