Up next for Ducks: Saturday vs. San Jose

VS. SAN JOSE

When: 7.

Where: Honda Center.

On the air: TV: Channel 56; Radio: 830

Records: Ducks 0-0-0, Sharks 0-1-0.

Record vs. Sharks (2008-09): 2-4-0.

Update: The Ducks open the season against the Sharks, who finished with more points than any other team in the NHL last season only to be upset by the Ducks in the first round of the playoffs. That history figures to “add a little spice,” said Ducks captain Scott Niedermayer. So should the Sharks’ season debut Thursday, a 5-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche in which Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabokov gave up five goals on 20 shots.”I expect they’ll be a nasty team,” said Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle. The Ducks made off-season changes too, bringing back Joffrey Lupul and signing Saku Koivu in a bid to add second-line scoring. Koivu, the longtime Montreal Canadiens captain, was named an alternate captain to Niedermayer on Friday, along with Ryan Getzlaf. The Ducks’ defense remains in question after the departures of Chris Pronger and Francois Beauchemin. So does the goaltending situation, with Jonas Hiller appearing to retain the lead over Jean-Sebastien Giguere, though Carlyle stuck to his routine by declining to announce a starter.

-- Robyn Norwood