Ducks can enjoy the party

Pomp and circumstance were in full supply Wednesday night for the final celebration of the Ducks’ Stanley Cup title.

There were video highlights that brought back memories of a momentous season and the introductions of all the players who made Anaheim the center of the hockey universe.

And there was the Cup itself being lowered from beneath the scoreboard and the raising of three banners, the most important one, of course, being the cherished championship flag, to a thunderous ovation from the sellout crowd of 17,285 at Honda Center.

There was still a game to be played, and the significantly altered Ducks shook off some early jitters to win their home opener, 2-1, over the Boston Bruins.

The victory was a tonic for a team that hadn’t yet played like defending NHL champions, worn out from a five-game trip that started across the Atlantic Ocean and passed through eight time zones on the way back to Southern California.

“It helps,” Ducks center Todd Marchant said. “It’s the right start at home.”

Francois Beauchemin broke a tie with 6 minutes, 25 seconds remaining when his shot from the point deflected off the stick of Bruins center David Krejci.

Ryan Getzlaf got the tying goal and also assisted on the winner.

Ilya Bryzgalov, getting his fourth start in net while Jean-Sebastien Giguere remains sidelined, made the lead stand up, including a key stop on an open Marco Strum with 3:28 left.

The Ducks put together a solid game while Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne, the popular stars of last season, looked on in street clothes as they continue to mull retirement.

After the pregame festivities, it took all of 65 seconds for the Bruins to attempt to spoil the party.

Chuck Kobasew jumped on a turnover in the Ducks’ zone, one of several in the opening seconds, and undressed new captain Chris Pronger before he put a wrist shot between Bryzgalov’s pads.

The Ducks (2-3-1) stumbled about for the first few minutes before they started to display the kind of tight, tenacious forechecking that carried them to the top of the NHL.

“When you have a half-hour ceremony, it’s not normal to your regular preparation,” Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle said.

“I thought we showed a tremendous amount of resiliency when the first shot went in. We didn’t panic.”

Midway through the second period, the 22-year-old Getzlaf showed why he may be ready to take the baton from Selanne as the face of the franchise.

A big guy himself at 6 feet 4 and 221 pounds, Getzlaf still gave away five inches and 34 pounds to hulking Boston defenseman Zdeno Chara. It didn’t stop the young center from delivering two hard forechecks on Chara twice in the offensive zone in a pivotal sequence.

Chara tried to get the puck to Marco Strum but Ducks forward Chris Kunitz leveled another forecheck that forced a turnover. Kent Huskins picked the puck up and fired it toward Bruins goalie Tim Thomas, who made the initial stop, but Getzlaf followed the play and banged in the rebound.

“Look at the goal,” Marchant said. “You go after a Norris Trophy [finalist], knock him down and hit him again. And then you go to the net and get a goal. There’s not many individuals that can pull that off.

“He’s one of a kind. We’re just fortunate enough to have him on our team.”

eric.stephens@latimes.com