Niedermayer is closer to return
Scott Niedermayer, who sat out the last two games because of a stress fracture in his right foot, will be back on skates Saturday and could return to the lineup as early as Tuesday when the Ducks play at San Jose.
Niedermayer, 33, hasn’t been on skates since Jan. 19, when he scored two goals in a 3-2 loss to Calgary. He skipped the All-Star game to rest his foot.
Niedermayer, who consulted with team physician Ronald Glousman, said he was given the OK to return to the ice after X-rays proved negative.
“We’ll start to skate and test out the foot,” said Niedermayer, whose 44 points tie him with Detroit’s Nicklas Lidstrom for the NHL lead among defensemen.
Niedermayer will travel with the team to Nashville but said he doesn’t plan to play in Saturday’s game against the Predators, even if he doesn’t have any problems with his foot during the morning skate.
Niedermayer played coy when asked if the fracture had totally healed. But he admitted there was some concern over playing on consecutive nights next week against the Sharks.
“You want to ... try and be smart about it,” he said. “You want to make sure you’re there for the long haul.”
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Jean-Sebastien Giguere doesn’t appear to have any rust despite not playing in any games over a monthlong span. In two wins coming out of the break, he has given up one goal in each game while stopping 54 of 56 shots. He has won nine of his last 11 starts and has a 1.74 goals-against average in that span.
Coach Randy Carlyle said saves such as the one Giguere made Wednesday against Owen Nolan in a 2-1 victory over Phoenix are particularly important.
“When we were down, 1-0, he had to make a save to keep us at 1-0,” Carlyle said. “That’s all part of giving your team a chance. That’s what we’re asking. Give us a chance to get going.”
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Goaltender Sebastien Caron was assigned to minor league Portland, Maine. Caron, who played one period since being acquired Dec. 28, sat out the last two weeks because of a broken middle finger.
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