Wilson Tees Off on Tkachuk--Sort Of

His verbal volleys continued Saturday, but this time Mighty Duck Coach Ron Wilson adopted a softer tone when he spoke of Phoenix Coyote left wing Keith Tkachuk.

“I love the guy,” said Wilson, who coached Tkachuk on the U.S team that won the World Cup last September. “I could say stuff about him and he knows I’m not serious. At least I hope he knows I’m not serious. We’ll laugh it off after the series is over.”

Before Game 5, Wilson said he targeted Tkachuk and center Jeremy Roenick for retaliation after watching the Coyotes’ rough stuff against Duck wingers Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne.

“He’s a coach’s dream,” Wilson said of Tkachuk after Saturday’s practice. “He’s somebody who’s ready to play every night, but not so intense that you can’t talk to him. He’s really into the moment. I’ll say something to him and he’ll look at me with that little smirk he’s got. I know exactly what’s going on and so does he.”

Wilson then fired one last salvo at Tkachuk.

“He could beat me up physically on the ice, but he can’t handle the puck and he can’t beat me in golf. No way,” Wilson said, smiling.

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Wilson is considering returning defenseman Darren Van Impe to the lineup to replace Dan Trebil. Van Impe has been scratched the last two games in favor of the more physical Jason Marshall.

Trebil earned his first playoff assist in Game 5, but it was his giveaway that lead to Bob Corkum’s game-clinching goal in the third period Thursday.

Wilson also might replace center Sean Pronger with either Mike Leclerc or Igor Nikulin. Leclerc has yet to play in the playoffs, but scored the winning goal in the Ducks’ 4-3 victory March 28 over Chicago. Nikulin, who scored 27 goals for Baltimore of the American Hockey League, was recalled Friday. Pronger does not have a point in the series.

“I’ll probably decide when I wake up in the morning,” Wilson said.

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Center J.F. Jomphe, sidelined by an abdominal injury since March 9, will be examined Tuesday by Dr. William Garrett of Duke University. Garrett also saw enforcer Shawn Antoski, who later underwent hernia surgery and has not played since Jan. 8.