Ducks put Ryan Getzlaf on injured reserve

The captain is back on the sideline.

Ryan Getzlaf was struck in the face with a puck during the Ducks’ shootout win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday, and he’s now out for at least the next three contests.

The Ducks placed the top-line center on injured reserve Tuesday, and Getzlaf will be re-evaluated Monday. He’s unable to play until the swelling around his left eye subsides.

Getzlaf, 32, already has missed five games after sustaining a lower-body injury during the preseason. He returned for two games after missing opening night, then missed three more after aggravating the injury.

He started to heat up during the Ducks’ four-game road trip, with three assists in the victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. He also recorded a goal and an assist in the win over the Philadelphia Flyers, and the all-star pivot now owns seven points in six games.

“You can only coach the players who are available to you,� coach Randy Carlyle said Tuesday after practice. “When they get injured and what not, you really have no control over that.

�... There’s no feeling sorry for yourself. There’s nobody in the league who is going to feel sorry for you. Everybody has to deal with injuries at their own time.�

The Ducks recalled rookie Kalle Kossila, who has two points in two games, to fill Getzlaf’s absence.

They welcomed back Hampus Lindholm, Sami Vatanen and Ryan Miller last week, but said goodbye to defenseman Cam Fowler, who injured his right knee. Ryan Kesler still is recovering from offseason hip surgery, and Patrick Eaves is out for the foreseeable future while he battles what is believed to be Guillain-Barre syndrome.

The team did receive some good news following Kevin Bieksa’s exam Monday. The veteran defenseman injured his left hand against the Flyers, but he’s now deemed day to day.