Bruins vs Ducks projected lineup November 19 2025: late-night clash in Anaheim

Bruins vs Ducks projected lineup November 19 2025 – forward combinations

Boston Bruins

1. Morgan Geekie – Marat Khusnutdinov – David Pastrnak
2. Alex Steeves – Pavel Zacha – Matej Blumel
3. Tanner Jeannot – Fraser Minten – Mark Kastelic
4. Jeffrey Viel – Sean Kuraly – Michael Eyssimont

Head coach Marco Sturm is keeping the league’s sixth-ranked power play (25.4 %) intact on the top unit, where Geekie’s net-front touch (team-best 12 goals) allows Pastrnak to roam the half wall. Khusnutdinov, the 21-year-old Russian rookie, has earned the trust at 1C in the absence of Elias Lindholm (lower body) and Casey Mittelstadt (lower body). The third line, affectionately dubbed the “energy factory” by NESN analyst Andrew Raycroft, averages 11.3 hits per game and will be asked to tilt the ice after every icing call.

Anaheim Ducks

1. Chris Kreider – Leo Carlsson – Troy Terry
2. Cutter Gauthier – Mason McTavish – Beckett Sennecke
3. Frank Vatrano – Ryan Strome – Alex Killorn
4. Ross Johnston – Jansen Harkins – Nikita Nesterenko

Coach Joel Quenneville is riding the same 12 forwards that beat Utah 3-2 in OT on Monday. Carlsson sits second in the NHL in scoring among U-23 players (9-17-26), while Gauthier’s 22 points are already only three shy of last year’s 25-game total. The Ducks average 3.63 goals per night—fourth best in the league—yet they’ve scored only five times in their last three outings. Quenneville wants a “north-south, straight-line” start to rekindle that early-season pop.

Bruins vs Ducks projected lineup November 19 2025 – defensive pairings

Boston Bruins

• Nikita Zadorov – Jonathan Aspirot
• Hampus Lindholm – Henri Jokiharju
• Mason Lohrei – Andrew Peeke

Charlie McAvoy underwent facial surgery Saturday in Montreal and did not travel, so the Bruins will lean on Zadorov’s physicality (team-high 48 hits) and Lohrei’s transition passing. Aspirot, claimed off waivers from Chicago last month, has stepped into a top-four role and logged a career-high 22:49 vs. Carolina on Monday.

Anaheim Ducks

• Jackson LaCombe – Drew Helleson
• Olen Zellweger – Jacob Trouba
• Ian Moore – Radko Gudas

The Ducks’ blue line has produced the most 5-on-5 points (28) of any defensive corps in the Pacific Division. Zellweger, the 19-year-old Calder candidate, leads all rookie blueliners with 14 assists. Trouba’s right-handed bomb has triggered a team-high 63.5 % of the shot attempts when he’s on the ice, giving Anaheim a legitimate dual-threat from the point on the second power-play unit.

Bruins vs Ducks projected lineup November 19 2025 – goaltending matchup

• Boston: Joonas Korpisalo (confirmed) gets his fourth start in five games after Jeremy Swayman allowed three on 29 shots Monday in Raleigh. Korpisalo owns a .913 save percentage since Halloween and is 3-1-0 on the second night of back-to-back situations this season.
• Anaheim: Lukas Dostal (confirmed) is riding the hot hand after a 34-save masterpiece vs. Utah. The 24-year-old Czech is 6-0-1 at Honda Center this year, the lone blemish a shootout loss to Seattle on October 30.

Key injuries & lineup notes

Bruins

• Out: Charlie McAvoy (upper body), Elias Lindholm (lower body), Casey Mittelstadt (lower body), Viktor Arvidsson (lower body), Jordan Harris (ankle surgery)
• Scratched: Michael Callahan, Riley Tufte (Viel draws in)

Ducks

• Day-to-day: Mikael Granlund (lower body), Ryan Poehling (upper body)
• Scratched: Pavel Mintyukov

Granlund’s five-point eruption in the 7-5 win at TD Garden on October 23 remains the single-game high for any Duck this season. His absence forces Strome up to the third line and slides Nesterenko into a fourth-line role where he still managed two points Monday.

Tactical trends to watch

1. Special-teams shoot-out
   Boston’s power play clicks at 25.4 %; Anaheim’s penalty kill sits 25th at 75.9 %. The Ducks surrendered two PPGs in three of their last four home games. Discipline will be critical—Terry (6 PIM) and Killorn (8 PIM) have been whistled more than any other Anaheim forwards.

2. Dump-and-chase vs. stretch counters
   The Bruins rank third in controlled entries (58.2 %), but Anaheim’s forwards are instructed to “flip and go,” generating the third-most stretch-pass breakaways (17). Watch how often Zadorov steps up at the red line to disrupt Carlsson’s diagonal dishes.

3. Face-off battle
   Without Lindholm, Boston wins only 47.8 % of draws. Carlsson (54.1 %) and McTavish (52.7 %) give the Ducks a possession head-start; Geekie must hold his own to keep Pastrnak on the attack.

Betting angle & fantasy focus

• Moneyline: Anaheim opened -135, steamed to -150 by Tuesday night.
• Player prop: Pastrnak 3.5 shots on goal has cashed in eight of his last 10 vs. Pacific opponents.
• Fantasy sleeper: Ducks rookie Beckett Sennecke averages 1.8 high-danger chances per 60 at even strength—elite for a middle-six winger priced near the minimum on DraftKings.

What the coaches said

• Marco Sturm (Bruins): “We’re not the same team that gave up seven here three weeks ago. Our structure is tighter, Korpisalo is dialed in, and if we manage the puck behind their goal line we’ll create second chances.”
• Joel Quenneville (Ducks): “We can’t wait for the crowd to get us going. We’ve got to initiate, win the first three shifts, and make their D go back for pucks all night.”

Final thoughts on the Bruins vs Ducks projected lineup November 19 2025

Anaheim’s speed and offensive depth make the Ducks a tough out at Honda Center, but Boston’s stingy third-period defense (fifth-fewest goals allowed after 40 minutes) keeps every road game close. If Korpisalo can match Dostal’s early fireworks, the Bruins have enough skill on the Geekie-Khusnutdinov-Pastrnak unit to steal the finale of their four-game swing. Expect a tighter, 3-2 type of contest rather than the 7-5 fire drill we saw in October—exactly the kind of playoff-style hockey both clubs crave with Thanksgiving and the playoff push just around the corner.