Gauthier Starts Off Upbeat

“Ready to go? I’m ready to go,” Pierre Gauthier announced moments before his first game as the Ducks’ new president and general manager.

Asked if he had any predictions before the Ducks’ sixth NHL season began against the Washington Capitals on Saturday, Gauthier said, “No. That’s your job, not mine.”

But what are Gauthier’s feelings about his defense, which was heavily criticized during a 2-7 exhibition season in which the Ducks gave up a league high 40 goals?

“We gave up a lot of power-play goals, that’s the first thing to say,” Gauthier said. “The second thing is that our goaltenders weren’t as ready as we wanted them to be.”

Other than that, Gauthier said he was happy with the state of the Ducks going into the regular-season opener.

“I’m pleased that the system has been established pretty good and the forechecking has been strong,” he said of Coach Craig Hartsburg’s pressuring defensive game plan. “Overall, I’d say our play has been pretty good.”

Gauthier dismissed the notion that an exceptionally bad--or good--exhibition record was a sign of things to come.

“I was talking to [Angel General Manager] Bill Bavasi the other day and he told me that the year they had a great training camp [1996], they stunk in the regular season,” Gauthier said. “So . . . “

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Opening night line combinations to start the game: Paul Kariya-Steve Rucchin-Teemu Selanne, Johan Davidsson-Matt Cullen-Tomas Sandstrom, Mike Leclerc-Travis Green-Antti Aalto, Stu Grimson-Josef Marha-Jeff Nielsen.

Defense pairings: Kevin Haller-Jason Marshall, Fredrik Olausson-Pavel Trnka, Jamie Pushor-Pascal Trepanier.

Starting goaltender: Dominic Roussel.

Scratches: Forwards Ted Drury and Jim McKenzie (coach’s decision) and defenseman Ruslan Salei (serving the first game of a five-game suspension).

TODAY’S GAME

at Philadelphia

4 PDT, Channel 9

* Site--First Union Center.

* Radio--XTRA (690).

* Records--Ducks 0-1, Flyers 1-0.

* Record vs. Flyers (1997-98)--0-0-2.

* Update--The big, bad Flyers haven’t exactly dominated the Ducks over the years. They lead the overall series only 3-2-3. The teams played two of the dullest ties you can imagine last season. Then-coach Pierre Page enlivened the second one only when he disclosed later he considered pulling his goalie in favor of a sixth skater with the score tied late in the game. The Flyers defeated the Rangers, 1-0, in their opener Friday at New York. John Vanbiesbrouck, who was signed as a free agent during the off-season to bolster Philadelphia’s lackluster goaltending, stopped all 20 Ranger shots in his Flyer debut. It was his 30th career shutout.