Ailing Savard is held out of lineup

ANAHEIM, Calif. - He moved fine during yesterday's morning skate at the Honda Center. He spoke with his coach on the ice for an extended period after practice.

But both player and coach determined that it was too risky for Marc Savard, who suffered a groin strain last Saturday against Phoenix, to play last night against the Anaheim Ducks. Also, Savard reported that the ice felt like quicksand, which would not have made for ideal skating conditions.

"The player is always keen on wanting to play," said coach Claude Julien before the 2-1 loss. "Wanting to is one thing, but at the same time, I think he realizes that there was a risk involved. I'm not willing to take that risk right now. It's too big a risk to lose a guy for a lengthy amount of time."

Savard did not practice Monday or Tuesday. After yesterday's morning skate, he rode a stationary bike while his teammates showered and left the arena.

"It's feeling better," Savard said. "Just being cautious. I haven't skated on it for two days. It's day to day, so I've just got to work through it. I know it's there. It's better, maybe, that it's a week in the beginning of the season than a month and a half. Just get in a good workout here before [tomorrow], and if not [tomorrow], then Saturday."

Glen Metropolit, who skated in Savard's spot against the Coyotes after the No. 1 center suffered his injury, practiced yesterday alongside Peter Schaefer and Chuck Kobasew. Brandon Bochenski suited up in Savard's place. Jeremy Reich was a healthy scratch for the third straight game. Last night was the first game Savard has missed since 2003-04. He played in 82 games each of the last two seasons.

"That's what stinks about it," said Savard. "Wanted to keep the iron-man streak going."

Pahlsson plays

Ex-Bruin Samuel Pahlsson made his season debut for the Ducks. Pahlsson had missed the first five games after undergoing offseason hernia surgery.

"I don't think you can expect the guy to go in and play 30 minutes," coach Randy Carlyle said yesterday morning after practice. "That's unrealistic. We're going to have to monitor and keep a close eye on his minutes and how tough those minutes are. If you're out there in a penalty-killing situation and you run a string of penalties and have a player who plays on the PK, he's going to be taxed. Those are the things you really have to monitor."

Pahlsson, who reunited with checking-line partners Travis Moen and Rob Niedermayer, was a critical component of last season's Stanley Cup-winning club. Carlyle employed the checking line against Ottawa's top duo of Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley, making the offensive stars nonfactors in the five-game series. Last night, Pahlsson's line skated mostly against the threesome of Marco Sturm, Patrice Bergeron, and Glen Murray.

Pahlsson, wheeled to the Bruins from Colorado in the Ray Bourque trade March 6, 2000, and shipped out of Boston to Anaheim Nov. 18, 2000, for Andrei Nazarov and Patrick Traverse, hinted that he probably wouldn't be instantly ready to return to the form he showed last season.

"It doesn't matter how much you skate on your own or in practice," Pahlsson said. "You still need to play in games to get into game shape."

Thomas again

Tim Thomas was between the pipes, earning his second start in a row. Thomas expected the aggressive Ducks, who often send in two forecheckers and encourage their defensemen to pinch, to make their presence known around the net. Thomas is familiar with forwards Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry (both 6 feet 3 inches) from the duo's days in Portland (AHL) two seasons ago while Thomas was stopping pucks in Providence. "I have to stop the pucks and put the rebounds somewhere where they can't get them," Thomas said . . . With goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere (hernia surgery) not ready to play, Ilya Bryzgalov drew the start for the Ducks . . . Bobby Allen was the healthy scratch on defense for the Bruins . . . Ex-Bruin Mark Mowers, a healthy scratch for the Ducks, spent some time in the press box chatting with Savard, Allen, and Reich.

Fluto Shinzawa can be reached at fshinzawa@globe.com.