Ducks in Winnipeg: Injuries may force move to center for Fleischmann

Published Apr. 20, 2015 3:04 p.m. ET

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It's been four years since left winger Tomas Fleischmann has played center but Monday night, he may have no choice but to move over to the middle.

Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau has been forced to change his successful lineup as Chris Wagner is ruled out for Game 3 of the first-round series against the Winnipeg Jets. Anaheim has been without fourth-line center Nate Thompson (upper-body) the first two games, instead utilizing rookie right wing Wagner as a centerman on a line with Emerson Etem and Tim Jackman. But after Wagner was suffered an upper-body injury in the first period of Game 2, Rickard Rakell was forced to play in the middle of both the third and fourth lines, leaving the Ducks thin up the middle.

"I don't think Nate's going to play tonight, it's his first real practice with the team," Boudreau said. "But it certainly means he's getting closer. Maybe Wednesday's a better option."

The Ducks take the ice at the MTS Centre tonight starting at 5:30 p.m. on Prime Ticket. 

Boudreau previously coached Fleischmann at center during the first three months of his tenure as the head coach of the Washington Capitals and is confident that Fleischmann can fill that role, but a decision on the lineup still had not been made following the morning skate. 

Nate Thompson did participate in the morning skate with the team but Boudreau said he is still not available. Andrew Cogliano also has experience at center but Fleischmann was the only other skater to take line rushes in the middle, Monday morning.

"He was good, he played three months for me in the middle in Washington and he anchored the second line, which was (Alex) Semin and Brooks Laich at the time and he did very well," Boudreau said. "That's an option, so we've got a couple options there."

Fleischmann has been a healthy scratch for the first two games of the postseason. He said his faceoff skills were a little rusty, but having grown up playing center, he should be able to step in just fine.

"That's not my decision. It's Bruce, or whatever coach's decisions," he said. "The main difference is probably play more often down low than the winger. You play defensive zone to help the D and make sure they can score with guys along the walls. You can't leave the zone, you've got to support everyone."

Without any contact drills in a morning skate, it's difficult to determine exactly how far along Thompson is, but he was optimistic about a return soon and said he is progressing. 

Until then, he will continue to watch from the pressbox, anxiously pacing back and forth. 

"It's always tough watching your team, it's always tough watching playoff games," Thompson said. "It was exciting at the same time. I think I'm more of a nervous wreck when I'm not playing. I didn't sit down the last two games, I stood the whole time. It was fun to watch, but painful at the same time. But the boys did a great job and played well."

The Ducks also recalled Stefan Noesen, another right winger, from AHL Norfolk. Noesen is currently with the team in Winnipeg and took extra time on the ice with the other scratches, Monday morning. Frederik Andersen was the first goaltender off the ice.

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