Bruins, Ducks prepare for battle of division leaders

The Boston Bruins are headed west.

With the top spot in the Atlantic Division in hand, Boston will make a cross-country flight to begin a three-game California swing with Wednesday night's game against the Pacific Division-leading Anaheim Ducks.

The game will be challenging for Boston, which has won eight of its past 10 contests but is coming off a 3-1 home loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday night. Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy remains out after being hit by a puck in the face on Saturday, while forwards Elias Lindholm and Viktor Arvidsson (both with lower-body injuries) and Casey Mittelstadt (upper body) also have been absent of late.

"It's a good test. Every team goes through it like this," Boston coach Marco Sturm said. "It's not easy, but I think it's a good chance to show what this team is really all about. ... Some guys, they now get opportunities that they were waiting for a long time."

Lindholm will make the road trip and is considered day-to-day. McAvoy will not travel, with an update on his status expected within the next day.

"He's still going to be out. We'll get an update later on his health condition," Sturm said of McAvoy.

Without key lineup regulars for the Bruins, a two-goal second period from Carolina sent the team to the Monday loss. Only Riley Tufte's goal in the final 10 seconds kept them from being shut out for the first time this season.

Tufte and Matej Blumel both were called up from AHL affiliate Providence for Monday's game. It was the season debut for both.

"We're confident going into this road trip knowing everyone wearing the black and gold is going to give us a chance to win every night," said Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman, who won five straight starts before Monday.

The Ducks, meanwhile, snapped their first three-game losing streak of the season Monday, coming from behind to beat the visiting Utah Mammoth 3-2 in overtime. Troy Terry scored the game-tying goal with 4.1 seconds left in regulation, setting the stage for Olen Zellweger's winner at 1:50 of the extra session.

"No matter where we are in the game, it never feels like we don't have a chance to win it," Terry said after Monday's game, the opener of a six-game homestand for Anaheim. "It took longer and it was a little closer than usual, but it's not surprising (that we won)."

Anaheim scored just four goals across its three-game skid -- road defeats to the Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings and Minnesota Wild -- which was preceded by a seven-game winning streak.

During that stretch, Ryan Strome returned to the lineup for the first time this season after nursing an upper-body injury. He has two assists through three games.

"You're just trying to get your legs back when you've been off for a long time," Strome said.

Anaheim's Mikael Granlund remains day-to-day with a lower-body ailment that kept him out against Utah.

--Field Level Media

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