"The Ducks found out just how much they are going to miss defenseman Scott Niedermayer. Goaltender Jonas Hiller was peppered in the Ducks' season opener Friday against Detroit, facing 43 shots in the Red Wings' 4-0 victory. Longtime Dallas Stars standout Mike Modano scored on his first shot early in the first period to give the Red Wings a two-goal lead, then Pavel Datsyuk and Dan Cleary scored in the second to turn the game. Some of those shots might not have gotten to Hiller if Nidermayer didn't choose to retire last summer. The Ducks are now forced to count on 18-year-old Cam Fowler, the 12th overall pick in the 2010 NHL draft, to contribute right away. "He's a special athlete, I'm telling you," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. Detroit coach Mike Babcock, who relied on Nidermayer's sound play and steady leadership to help Canada win Olympic gold this year and coached him in Anaheim, said the 18-year-veteran's retirement created an "unbelievable" void for the Ducks. "You're not going to replace that," Babcock said. "Fowler is going to be a good player, but he's just a kid." " Read more: http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_16294518
