Carlyle: Enough About Fedorov

It is not clear when Sergei Fedorov will return to the lineup, but it’s clear Mighty Duck Coach Randy Carlyle is tired of talking about the 35-year-old center’s groin injury, which will keep him out for the fourth consecutive game tonight when the Ducks play the Detroit Red Wings.

“Instead of focusing on him, we should be focusing on our team,” Carlyle said Thursday. “When you have injured players, you have a tendency to think you’ll do so much better when they get back.

“We’re not in a situation like that right now. We have to go forward without Sergei Fedorov and we have to treat him like he’s not part of our team right now because he’s injured.”

The team is taking a different approach -- Fedorov this time did not skate at all Thursday, though he’s still doing exercises to strengthen the groin.

While scoring is up across the league, the Ducks are averaging only 2.7 goals a game. “You see them and you want to try to rush back,” he said. “I want to come back, but unfortunately it’s not working right now.”

Carlyle said the Ducks can’t get caught up in waiting for Fedorov to improve.

“He’s not available to us and we’ve been guilty on focusing too much on that,” Carlyle said. “As players get hurt, other players get an opportunity. I’m sick and tired of talking about it personally. We have to put him on the side until he’s ready.”

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Goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere didn’t practice after suffering a groin pull in the second period of Thursday night’s loss at St. Louis. Carlyle said Giguere is doubtful, but the goalie is holding out hope that it will improve overnight.

“To me, it’s a day-to-day thing,” Giguere said.

The Ducks recalled goalie Michael Wall from their minor-league affiliate at Portland, Maine. Defenseman Jason Marshall will return to the lineup after missing two games because of a broken nose.

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TONIGHT

at Detroit, 4:30 PDT, FSNW2

Site -- Joe Louis Arena.

Radio -- 1090.

Records -- Ducks 2-3-0-1; Red Wings 6-1-0-0.

Record vs. Red Wings (2003-04) -- 1-2-1-0.

Update -- The Ducks sent defenseman Bruno St. Jacques back to the minors. Todd Fedoruk’s father-in-law died Tuesday after a long battle with cancer and the winger will leave the team after tonight’s game to attend the funeral in New Jersey.