Boychuk nervous, excited

LOS ANGELES -- Eight hours to game time and Zach Boychuk was feeling it. Anxious, excited, ready.

The Canes' first-round draft pick will make his NHL debut tonight against the Los Angeles Kings. Coach Peter Laviolette said the 19-year-old forward probably would start on the line with Rod Brind'Amour and Sergei Samsonov, although there could be changes as the game goes on.

"I think I'm definitely a little bit nervous," Boychuk said today. "This is a completely different level and I haven't experienced it to the extent some of the other guys have, obviously.

"I've played with these guys in practice. All you hear from the guys is that the game is at a completely different level and the speed picks up that much more and the hitting and all that stuff. I'm looking forward to seeing how I do and will just go out there and compete as hard as I can."

Boychuk has not played in game since the Western Hockey League playoffs last season. He injured his left wrist during the playoffs, had surgery on the wrist in July and then needed further surgery to remove a pin in the wrist. He was not cleared for contact until Monday.

"It's been a while since I've played," the 5-foot-10, 180-pound forward said. "I've tried to make practice the best game-like situation that I have and skated as hard as I can, just like I would in a game."

Laviolette said Boychuk would play against the Kings and then Anaheim on Sunday. Winger Tuomo Ruutu is out tonight with an injury and will not play this weekend.

Laviolette said Matt Cullen would play on Eric Staal's line. Early in Thursday's practice, before Ruutu was unable to continue, Boychuk was on Cullen's line with Patrick Eaves.

"We're down players. It's a great opportunity for him," Laviolette said of Boychuk. "He's going to get a chance to get in there and get his first game under his belt. We'll see how it goes.

"I'm sure he's excited. We're excited to get a look at him. He's been great in practice and he's battled through the surgery and his injury."

Boychuck said he didn't toss and turn Thursday night, that he "slept really well" after the long flight from Raleigh and then a team practice. But it's not as if he doesn't know how important these two games could be.

Boychuk could earn a spot on the team for the season. He could be sent back to the Lethbridge Hurricanes for another year of junior hockey in the WHL.

"It's a chance to prove I can play with this team,"  Boychuk said. "It's going to be one of the biggest weekends I've had in my career.

"Obviously they want to see if I can match up to these guys in the NHL. I'm going to go out there and prove to them and prove to myself I can play in this league and I can play in this league for the full year. That's my plan."