Pronger returns to the lineup

Ducks defenseman Chris Pronger stepped on the ice for Friday’s game, as he expected to all day. His broken toe was mended enough to give it a try.

What he got was a 63-minute stress test during a 3-2 victory over the Dallas Stars.

Pronger returned to the lineup after missing seven games, playing 24 minutes 16 seconds in a high-paced game that had few whistles after the first period. He looked a bit gassed but happy afterward.

“There was a lot of back and forth out there,” Pronger said. “We put in an hour-and-a-half skate, and I didn’t feel any adverse effects when I woke up this morning.”

By then, the decision had already been made, following the Ducks’ dismal performance against the Phoenix Coyotes, though Pronger was coy about the exact timing.

“It’s just good to have him back on the ice,” defenseman Scott Niedermayer said. “He does everything out there.”

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The Ducks recalled goaltender Sebastien Caron from their minor league affiliate in Portland, Maine, as insurance.

Kristen Giguere, the wife of goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere, is expecting the couple’s first child. The original due date was April 8, but the birth could be any day now. Giguere will remain on alert on the upcoming four-game trip and will fly home if his wife goes into labor.

Caron probably will remain with the team the remainder of the season.

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