Fedoruk Leaves With Back Spasms

Mighty Duck enforcer Todd Fedoruk left Saturday’s 6-3 loss to the San Jose Sharks in the second period because of back spasms after awkwardly crashing into the boards following a check by Shark forward Ville Nieminen.

Fedoruk got up gingerly and went to the bench at the 2:21 mark of the second before leaving the ice during a stop in play. The left wing has been a valuable member of the Ducks this season with a career-high 23 points, and has given them a physical presence.

“Just went into the boards funny,” Fedoruk said. “My back went into spasms.”

Fedoruk says he thinks the spasms were triggered when Nieminen’s skate inadvertently hit him in the back as Nieminen tried to break free of the forward before hitting the wall.

It is uncertain if he will be ready for Monday’s regular-season finale against Calgary.

“It’s releasing though,” Fedoruk said. “I’ve had spasms before but in a different area. When you go into the boards flying like that at that speed, you get whiplash.”

*

With his star defenseman logging over 25 minutes of ice time a night and the team being down, 4-0, in the second period, Duck Coach Randy Carlyle opted to rest captain Scott Niedermayer as the defenseman played only two minutes in the second and none in the third.

“He had that knee operation [in February] so we said why would we worry and jeopardize [him],” Carlyle said. “He’s played so many large minutes for our group.”

Niedermayer says his surgically repaired right knee is fine. With the Ducks down, 5-1, he was told by assistant coach Dave Farrish that he wouldn’t play the third.

“The way the game was going and the score of the game, the decision was made to sit out, I guess,” said Niedermayer, who played a season-low 11:49 but was on the ice for four of the Sharks’ goals.

*

Teemu Selanne’s wish of playing against former teammate Paul Kariya and the Predators in the first round of the playoffs was dashed when the Sharks clinched the No. 5 spot in the Western Conference and drew Nashville.

The Ducks won’t find out their opponent until after Monday night.

“I’m disappointed, but I wasn’t really thinking about that too much,” Selanne said. “I’m more disappointed with how we finished this road trip. It wasn’t exactly what we wanted.”