Concussion symptoms sideline Rob Niedermayer again

DALLAS – Ducks forward Rob Niedermayer prepared himself for a return in the Western Conference quarterfinal series against Dallas, but a recurrence of symptoms related to a concussion in Game 2 kept him out of the lineup.

Niedermayer traveled with the team on Saturday when the symptoms dissipated, but they returned after he rode an exercise bike Sunday morning.

“He was feeling pretty good and worked out last night with the team when we landed,” Coach Randy Carlyle said. “He felt fine. Worked out this morning and didn’t feel so fine.”

Niedermayer has been out of action since he was involved in a collision with Ducks linemate Travis Moen and Stars captain Brenden Morrow during the third period of their 5-2 loss in Game 2.

“I came here just hoping that I’d feel good and I could go and skate this morning and try to see how I felt from there,” Niedermayer said. “It just didn’t feel good enough to go out there today.”

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Mike Ribeiro still can’t take his eyes off the Montreal Canadiens, the hometown team that traded him to Dallas in 2006.

The Stars’ center will be in front of the television for Game 7 of the Montreal-Boston quarterfinal series.

“I still watch the games,” Ribeiro said. “Hopefully they can win. But I’m really focusing here on what I have to do here to win.”

A junior star in Canada, Ribeiro, 28, has flourished in Dallas since leaving the Canadiens, with whom he never reached his potential. Ribeiro led the Stars in scoring with 83 points, which included a career-high 27 goals.

Stars Coach Dave Tippett said Ribeiro is a more mature and complete player that isn’t so focused on scoring points.

“He used a lot of energy probably off the ice as much as he did on the ice,” Tippett said. “Here I think it’s out of his hometown, away from the situation of Montreal. He just concentrates on hockey. His sole focus is on the ice.

“He’s been an excellent player for us.”

Ribeiro acknowledged that leaving Montreal was the best thing for his career and credited Montreal General Manager Bob Gainey for finding the right place for him. Gainey was the Stars’ GM from 1992 to 2002.

“The pressure to win is just different outside the rink,” Ribeiro said of Montreal. “When you have friends, family growing up there, it’s a little bit different. Outside the rink, it’s easier to come here and really not hear anything about you. Nothing negative like back home. It’s really come here and enjoy myself.”

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A broken nose suffered in Game 5 didn’t change the appearance of Dallas defenseman Stephane Robidas much. Before he was accidentally hit on a clearing attempt by the Ducks’ Todd Marchant, Robidas’ nose already looked as if it had been permanently displaced.

Robidas said he has broken his nose four or five times, the first coming when he was 17. He said he’s considering leaving it the way it is, rather than having corrective surgery when he retires.

“It’s just who I am,” he said. “It’s funny because this morning I went to pick up coffee and the guy told me you look like you play hockey. Here, I never get that. I get boxer or something like that.”

Robidas, who wore a cage for Game 6, said Marchant apologized to him after Friday’s game.

“He was really nice,” the defenseman said. “I said, ‘That’s not your fault.’ He didn’t mean to do it. It’s just the puck was rolling as he tried to clear it. It was a freak accident.”

Tippett said it’s an example of the sacrifices that players often make in the playoffs.

“It’s a good hockey player’s nose,” he said. “It’s not the first time it’s been broken and it’s not going to be the last. It’s just a matter of how much flatter it’ll get.”

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Few youngsters would get a chance to make an impact on a veteran Ducks team, but rookie Ryan Carter is the one who made the biggest impression this season.

Carter went from starting the season in the American Hockey League to playing a prominent role in the playoffs.

“There’s more responsibility,” he said. “With that comes pressure. There’s more pressure to play well. That’s a challenge I’d gladly accept.”

Carter did have playoff experience before this postseason. He played the first four games of his NHL career in last season’s playoffs.

In that situation, Carter played limited minutes on the fourth line. Now he is logging key minutes as a checking center in between the second and third lines.

“It’s been a different learning curve,” Carter said. “I played a bit of a different role last year than I am this year. But it’s been exciting being a part of these games and trying to win a series.”

eric.stephens@latimes.com