Ryan called up to fill in for Perry

Bobby Ryan thought he was being punished.

Ryan was banished to the fourth line during practice with the Portland Pirates on Friday, the Ducks’ American Hockey League team in Maine. Pirates Coach Kevin Dineen even had the 20-year-old winger stay on the ice for more work afterward.

“After the bag skate, I kind of wondered what was going on,” Ryan said. “Coach gave me the good news shortly after.”

All Dineen did was yank the youngster’s chain. Ryan learned he was recalled to Anaheim for his latest shot to stick with the parent club in light of the injury to Corey Perry that knocked the Ducks’ leading goal scorer out for the rest of the regular season.

Perry has a partially severed tendon in his right quadriceps that resulted from being cut by the skate of Colorado goaltender Jose Theodore on Thursday.

It is Ryan’s third time up this season. During a nine-game stint from Dec. 16 to Jan. 4, the former second overall pick in 2005 showed flashes of the skill he possesses as he worked well with center Doug Weight. Now Ryan is being asked to help offset the absence of Perry, who leads the Ducks with 29 goals.

“I think anybody that comes here in my position as a new guy, there’s enough pressure as it is,” said Ryan, who has three goals and two assists in 13 NHL games. “For me to come in and fill Corey’s role, that’s another thing.”

Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle said it was unrealistic to think that Ryan would shoulder the load alone.

“Players get injured and other players get more of an opportunity,” Carlyle said. “It’s not like he’s a raw rookie anymore. He’s got almost a full year under his belt in the American Hockey League. He’s played in situations with our hockey team earlier in the year. All those things should bode well.”

In 48 games at Portland, Ryan had 21 goals and 28 assists.

Perry returned to Anaheim on Saturday and was expected to be on crutches.

“Corey’s misfortune is my opportunity,” Ryan said. “You’ve got to feel bad for what happened there. But you’ve got to continue to play.”

Montreal paid its last visit to Anaheim four years ago and came out with a 5-2 win. In this meeting, the Canadiens bring in a well-balanced team that has matured into a unit that’s in contention for the top seeding in the Eastern Conference.

Veteran winger Alex Kovalev has taken on a leadership role and has scored 29 goals and 72 points.

But it’s the play of young forwards such as Tomas Plekanec (27 goals, 63 points), Chris Higgins (21 goals, 43 points) and Andrei Kostitsyn (21 goals, 44 points) that has Montreal in position to win the Northeast Division.

The offense is keyed by the power play, which is still the NHL’s best despite losing hard-shooting defenseman Sheldon Souray to Edmonton.

“They’ve established the point shot and they got people that are going to go into areas that are difficult,” Carlyle said.

TODAY

vs. Montreal, 5 p.m., Ch. 56

Site -- Honda Center.

Radio -- 830.

Records -- Ducks 38-25-7, Canadiens 38-22-9.

Record vs. Canadiens (2006-07) -- Did not play.

Update -- The Ducks are 7-2-0 against Eastern Conference teams this season and they are trying for a five-game sweep of their home games against the Northeast Division.

Tickets -- (877) 945-3946.

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eric.stephens@latimes.com