Ducks At Blues Game Preview: Last Chance For Boudreau?

Fun fact: the Blues have averaged 2.78 goals a game so far this season, which isn't half bad.

Funner fact: the Ducks have averaged just one goal a game so far this season, which is pretty God-awful terrible.

A lot has been made of the Ducks' "puck luck" so far this season being a main cause of their problems. As any hockey fan can tell you, sometimes the bounces go your way and sometimes they don't. It's happened to the Blues in the playoffs in the past, and the best you can do is suck it up and move on. Shit happens. The Ducks, however, seem to have let it get to their heads. They've been doing things right - their penalty kill is the second best in the league and Frederik Anderson has personally had a stellar start to the season. He has a 2.05 GAA and a .931 save percentage. He also is 0-4-2.

While coach Bruce Boudreau still tries to figure out what happened Tuesday night in Dallas, where the Ducks blew a three goal lead to the Stars, the Ducks must soldier on against yet another Central Division opponent.

Anaheim has owned some success against the Blues recently, winning five of their last six meetings. The Ducks weren't the shell-shocked team they are to begin this season, though, when they dominated the Blues. This year, well, a Blues win could get coach Bruce Boudreau fired.

Ryan Getzlaf will miss another game tonight after his appendectomy, and unfortunately Kevin Shattenkirk will miss tonight as well. Shattenkirk, whose absence is being felt on special teams (the Blues' power play has been hampered significantly by his loss, along with the loss of Paul Stastny and Jaden Schwartz), is celebrating a bobblehead night tonight, so even if fans don't get a chance to see him play, at least 10,000 will get their own personal little Shatty to wrap in bubble wrap.

Facing off against Anderson tonight is Jake Allen. His solid 2-0 shutout of the Tampa Bay Lightning Tuesday night has earned him a second straight start.

Scottie Upshall, who was banged up Tuesday night, will not play. This will give Ty Rattie a chance to get back into the line-up on a third line with Dmitrij Jaskin and Scott Gomez. Here are tonight's lines from Jeremy Rutherford:

TONIGHT'S PROJECTED LINEUP

Forwards

Alexander Steen-Jori Lehtera-Vladimir Tarasenko

Dmitrij Jaskin-David Backes-Troy Brouwer

Robby Fabbri-Scott Gomez-Ty Rattie

Steve Ott-Kyle Brodziak-Ryan Reaves

Defensemen

Jay Bouwmeester-Alex Pietrangelo

Carl Gunnarsson-Colton Parayko

Joel Edmundson-Robert Bortuzzo

Goalie

Jake Allen

***

DUCKS' PROJECTED LINEUP

Forwards

Carl Hagelin-Ryan Kesler-Cory Perry

Jiri Sekac-Mike Santorelli-Jakob Silfverberg

Andrew Cogliano-Rickard Rakell-Chris Stewart

Patrick Maroon-Shawn Horcoff-Chris Wagner

Defensemen

Hampus Lindholm-Kevin Bieksa

Cam Fowler-Korbinian Holzer

Clayton Stoner-Sam Vatanen

Goalie

Frederik Andersen