"The Ducks will welcome the New Year without their captain at the helm.

Center Ryan Getzlaf was placed on injured reserve Thursday because of multiple nasal sinus fractures and will miss games Friday against Philadelphia and Sunday against Chicago.

The Ducks won't know the severity of his facial injury or a timetable for his possible return until he sees a specialist today, a team spokesman said. Getzlaf met with Dr. Craig Milhouse on Wednesday and underwent a CT scan, and he will undergo more tests as a result of being hit by the puck on a shot Tuesday by Phoenix's Shane Doan.

Getzlaf would be eligible to come off injured reserve Tuesday, but that seems unlikely and the team is preparing for a stretch without their second-leading scorer.

"There's not a tree in the backyard in our farm team that you go, 'Oh, we've got one of those,'" coach Randy Carlyle said. "You get other people that have to step to the forefront and give us more than what they've given us here in the last little while."

Carlyle pointed to the team's other top nine forwards as Bobby Ryan will take Getzlaf's place centering the top line and on the first power play unit with Corey Perry, Teemu Selanne on the wings.

Nick Bonino is playing left wing on the fourth line after playing almost exclusively as the third-line center.

Ryan, who was tried at center in the preseason and recently on the third line, said he is still not entirely comfortable there. Carlyle said Ryan needs to improve on being on the puck in both zones and on faceoffs."