Ducks hope things will begin looking up

For a few moments tonight, the Ducks are going to party like it’s 2007.

It was only four months ago that the Honda Center was rocking at peak volume as a bearded Scott Niedermayer accepted the Stanley Cup from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and hoisted it high before handing it to his brother Rob.

For a few moments tonight, the memory of that triumph will come rushing back when the Ducks hoist their championship banner to the rafters in front of their 35th consecutive sellout crowd before taking on the Boston Bruins.

As much as the 2007-08 edition wants to write its own story, Jean-Sebastien Giguere doesn’t mind opening the book once more before putting it back on the shelf.

“I think we really put hockey on the map here,” said Giguere, who is in his seventh season. “That banner is going to be here forever. It’s important for us to enjoy that moment. We worked extremely hard to get that.”

It is no secret that the Ducks are glad to be home after starting the season on the road and coming away with one win, one shootout loss and three regulation losses and showing how little about this team remains the same from that June night.

There have been pleasant reminders, of course -- owners Henry and Susan Samueli handed out rings to the coaches and players Monday before taking care of the rest of the organization Tuesday.

Tonight, there will be painful reminders too. Scheduled to be in attendance are Scott Niedermayer, the most valuable player in the finals, and fan favorite Teemu Selanne, the team’s top scorer with 48 goals and 94 points in that championship season. They will be in street clothes, presumably still pondering retirement.

This season’s Ducks are a work in progress, sifting through injuries and roster changes after a shortened preseason. And it shows. Their new No. 2 scoring line isn’t yet working right. And their vaunted checking hasn’t been together.

It’s a far cry from a year ago when they tore out of the gate with a 12-0-4 record, setting an NHL record with points in their first 16 games.

“It’s a fine line in this game between winning and losing,” Ducks captain Chris Pronger said. “Last year was last year. This year is this year and it’s a new team with a lot of new faces. We’ve got to learn how to win those one-goal games that we were very good at last year. There’s enough experience here to get the job done.”

The Ducks might not be panicking after only five games, but there are troubling signs.

No secondary scoring. Eight of their 11 goals have come from the top line of Chris Kunitz, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. Consequently, the Ducks have been held to two goals or fewer in three of the five games.

The absence of Selanne has had the most impact on Andy McDonald, who had 27 goals and 51 assists last season but now has new linemates. Todd Bertuzzi, who was brought in to help fill the scoring void, hasn’t meshed yet on one wing and the other has been a revolving door -- with Bobby Ryan, Drew Miller and Jason King all getting auditions.

Meanwhile, Dustin Penner and his 29 goals now reside in Edmonton. He, Perry and Getzlaf contributed 71 goals last season, mostly while playing on the No. 2 line.

McDonald, with just three assists, said finding the right chemistry isn’t always easy.

“Maybe with some other guys, it takes a little bit longer,” he said. “But it’s my responsibility as a hockey player to make adjustments. It’s not always going to be easy.”

Bertuzzi echoed his teammate. “It takes time,” he said, noting the seven years he spent in Vancouver alongside Markus Naslund and Brendan Morrison. “Obviously we’re very disappointed with where we’re at right now. But it’s not a point of panic.”

McDonald could have every reason to lament Selanne’s absence. Over the last two seasons, the two put up a combined 149 goals and 198 assists.

“That’s the business,” McDonald said. “Guys come and go. Guys get traded, guys retire. It’s a challenge. It’s something where I have to prove [myself] and hopefully find some chemistry with some other players.”

If that chemistry doesn’t arrive over the next few weeks, General Manager Brian Burke may be on the prowl for a scoring winger. That is, if he isn’t already.

Injuries. The Ducks didn’t escape their share last season, but they had already built up a sizable lead in the Pacific Division when the worst came.

This season, the bad news came early and hasn’t quit.

Giguere and center Samuel Pahlsson have yet to play because of off-season hernia surgeries, although they could be in the lineup tonight.

Defenseman Mathieu Schneider, signed to ostensibly fill Scott Niedermayer’s skates, is only recently off crutches after breaking his ankle in camp. Bertuzzi has a sore groin. Grinding winger Travis Moen has missed a game because of a head injury.

Moen, Pahlsson and Rob Niedermayer, one of the league’s top checking trios, didn’t miss a game last season.

“When the guys come back, maybe that changes the chemistry a little and brings us up a notch,” Kunitz said. “Take some pressure off other guys and the ball will start rolling in our favor.”

The Ducks were talking about the Stanley Cup at this time last year. All that’s being talked about now is righting themselves on this four-game home stand, beginning tonight.

“Things have been really kind of thrown on us the last two weeks,” Giguere said. “It’s like everything’s happening at once. . . . This team needs to get ourselves back to what we need to do to be a champion again.”

eric.stephens@latimes.com