Ryan-Kesler

The Anaheim Ducks figure to be harder to match up against and play against with Livonia native Ryan Kesler (17).

(The Associated Press)

DETROIT – In Ryan Kesler, the Anaheim Ducks acquired the kind of second-line center they have long been seeking.

The Livonia native will face the Detroit Red Wings for the first time with his new team Saturday at Joe Louis Arena (7 p.m., Fox Sports Detroit).

Red Wings coach Mike Babcock generally likes to match-up Henrik Zetterberg (who's skating with Johan Franzen and Justin Abdelkader) against the Ducks' top line (Ryan Getzlaf at center, with Corey Perry and Patrick Maroon).

Who'll draw the Kesler assignment, Riley Sheahan's line or Darren Helm's line?

"Kesler is a matchup center in the league, would free up the Sedins (Daniel and Henrik) in Vancouver to play more," Babcock said. "Maybe he's going to be able to do that for (Getzlaf).

"We're going to see what happens at the start of the game. I always have a plan and I always have a B plan. If the A plan works, you stay with it. If it doesn't you do something else. If that doesn't work you do something else. We'll figure it out tomorrow."

Kesler skated with Andrew Cogliano and Jakob Silfverberg in the Ducks' season-opening 6-4 loss at Pittsburgh on Thursday.

"Kesler's a real good player; he's from here, he likes to play well here," Babcock said. "Getzlaf, to me, is one of the best players in the world and Perry is playing with him. Makes them a very dangerous duo to say the least. Any way you look at it that (line) is going to draw your focus."

Defensive matchups are just as important. The Red Wings likely will use Niklas Kronwall and Jonathan Ericsson against the Getzlaf line while Danny DeKeyser and Brendan Smith play against the Kesler line.

"We can't worry about who we're going to match up against," Kesler said. "We don't have home-ice advantage so whoever we're against we're going to have to be solid defensively but take it to them; use our size and speed to really dominate."

Kesler gives the Ducks another player who is hard to play against.

"Kess adds another dynamic to our team, adds another element of competitiveness, a little attitude to our team," Cogliano said. "I think he just helps our overall emotional level in games."

The Red Wings on Friday skated with the same lines and defense pairs they used in Thursday's season-opening 2-1 victory over the Boston Bruins:

Justin Abdelkader-Henrik Zetterberg-Johan Franzen

Tomas Tatar-Riley Sheahan-Tomas Jurco

Gustav Nyquist-Darren Helm-Andrej Nestrasil

Joakim Andersson-Luke Glendening-Drew Miller

Stephen Weiss and Daniel Cleary, healthy scratches on Thursday, were rotating in. Pavel Datsyuk, who is on short-term injured reserve (separated shoulder), did not skate with the team.

On defense:

Niklas Kronwall-Jonathan Ericsson

Danny DeKeyser-Brendan Smith

Kyle Quincey-Jakub Kindl

Brian Lashoff

In goal:

Jimmy Howard

Jonas Gustavsson

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