Jennifer
03-23-2005, 05:59 PM
...
Rome, 21, a defensive defenseman, has shown remarkable composure considering the pressure of being entrusted as the last line of defense, where one errant pass results in a breakaway or an odd-man break on his own goalie.
His play is even more remarkable considering he was not in as defensive a role in juniors last season.
"I think in junior I was more of an offensive (player) than a defensive guy, but here I've been more of a penalty-kill guy (expected to) play good defense," Rome said.
Rome is one of just three Ducks to have played all 67 games thus far.
Ducks coach Brad Shaw is most impressed by Rome's hands and his ability to find the open lane to clear the puck on the penalty kill.
"For a young guy, it's a real tough job to have the poise and the confidence to make sure (the puck) gets down (the ice) and then find the lane to get it down the 200 feet," Shaw said.
In hockey, defense is one of the last skills to develop in players, which is what makes Rome's ability at age 21 so remarkable. And though he is a center, fellow 21-year-old Brent's maturity defensively has also been his forte this season.
Brent, one of the Ducks top penalty-killing forwards, was forced into a defensive forward role in junior hockey, since the established players there already held the scoring jobs. So Brent was forced to learn the defensive aspect of being a forward.
"I started working on (defense) at a pretty young age," Brent said. "As my junior career progressed, I was looking more to score, but at the same time, after you learn how to play well defensively, I think it's something you always have."
Brent missed almost the entire first half of the season with a high ankle sprain, but in 35 games, he is tied for third on the team with a plus-6 rating.
Penner, 25, started his amateur career at tiny Minot State University-Battineau before transferring to Maine. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound checking line forward was the first player from MSU-Battineau ever to sign an NHL contract.
Penner has improved arguably more than any other Duck over the course of the season, learning to use his large body to punish opponents while also becoming an offensive threat.
With Maine as a junior in 2003-04, Penner scored the game-winning goal on ESPN in the Frozen Four semifinal game. He had just six points at Christmas, but scored 17 the second half of the season.
"Now, the same kind of thing is happening," Penner said. "The first half of the season (in Cincinnati), I really didn't know what my role was, and now I'm figuring it out."
Penner recorded two goals and four assists his first 32 games here. In 32 games since, he has seven goals and 11 assists. He now leads the team in goals by a rookie (9).
"At game 15 we didn't know what we had, and at game 50 we had a force on our hands," Shaw said. "He's still certainly on the ground floor -- he has so much room to improve -- that's the good news. He's already a pretty good player at this level, and he's going to play in the NHL some day, and he's going to be good there as well."
LINK (http://www.cincypost.com/2005/03/23/ducks03-23-2005.html)
Rome, 21, a defensive defenseman, has shown remarkable composure considering the pressure of being entrusted as the last line of defense, where one errant pass results in a breakaway or an odd-man break on his own goalie.
His play is even more remarkable considering he was not in as defensive a role in juniors last season.
"I think in junior I was more of an offensive (player) than a defensive guy, but here I've been more of a penalty-kill guy (expected to) play good defense," Rome said.
Rome is one of just three Ducks to have played all 67 games thus far.
Ducks coach Brad Shaw is most impressed by Rome's hands and his ability to find the open lane to clear the puck on the penalty kill.
"For a young guy, it's a real tough job to have the poise and the confidence to make sure (the puck) gets down (the ice) and then find the lane to get it down the 200 feet," Shaw said.
In hockey, defense is one of the last skills to develop in players, which is what makes Rome's ability at age 21 so remarkable. And though he is a center, fellow 21-year-old Brent's maturity defensively has also been his forte this season.
Brent, one of the Ducks top penalty-killing forwards, was forced into a defensive forward role in junior hockey, since the established players there already held the scoring jobs. So Brent was forced to learn the defensive aspect of being a forward.
"I started working on (defense) at a pretty young age," Brent said. "As my junior career progressed, I was looking more to score, but at the same time, after you learn how to play well defensively, I think it's something you always have."
Brent missed almost the entire first half of the season with a high ankle sprain, but in 35 games, he is tied for third on the team with a plus-6 rating.
Penner, 25, started his amateur career at tiny Minot State University-Battineau before transferring to Maine. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound checking line forward was the first player from MSU-Battineau ever to sign an NHL contract.
Penner has improved arguably more than any other Duck over the course of the season, learning to use his large body to punish opponents while also becoming an offensive threat.
With Maine as a junior in 2003-04, Penner scored the game-winning goal on ESPN in the Frozen Four semifinal game. He had just six points at Christmas, but scored 17 the second half of the season.
"Now, the same kind of thing is happening," Penner said. "The first half of the season (in Cincinnati), I really didn't know what my role was, and now I'm figuring it out."
Penner recorded two goals and four assists his first 32 games here. In 32 games since, he has seven goals and 11 assists. He now leads the team in goals by a rookie (9).
"At game 15 we didn't know what we had, and at game 50 we had a force on our hands," Shaw said. "He's still certainly on the ground floor -- he has so much room to improve -- that's the good news. He's already a pretty good player at this level, and he's going to play in the NHL some day, and he's going to be good there as well."
LINK (http://www.cincypost.com/2005/03/23/ducks03-23-2005.html)