Dein erstes Forum » Aaron Ekblad may be the most mature 18-

Head coach Keiron Cunningham said St Helens are close to becoming a force again following their 25-22 win at Super League leaders Warrington Wolves. Saints withstood a late fightback to inflict a first home defeat of the season on the Wolves and consolidate sixth place in the table.Cunningham believes the win was the culmination of steady improvement in recent weeks, and with a swathe of injured players waiting to return, he is confident their form will keep getting better. Jack Owens gains territory for St Helens against Warrington He told Sky Sports: All credit to the players. Everyone was telling them all week that they cant win these games, but we have been very good for three weeks now and we are building into something.We have got a few people injured - we have got about eight or nine starting players [out] - so once we trickle them back in and we keep playing with momentum, we will be a force. A quick look back on a thrilling night in Super League as St Helens beat Warrington Everyone on the field was outstanding. There was a lot of pride in our shirt today. We had a lot of points to prove and I thought we did that really well.Saints injury crisis has forced Cunningham to field young players such as Jack Ashworth, Jake Spedding, Ricky Bailey and Morgan Knowles. Kevin Penny scores a superb try to give Warrington the lead against St Helens And his faith in youth was repaid at the Halliwell Jones Stadium when both Ashworth and Knowles scored tries.Cunningham added: Its fantastic. We said before the game about pulling in some juniors and playing some kids - there is no bigger occasion. Warrington scored two tries in the last six minutes but could not salvage victory We have a standard we set at this club and it runs throughout the junior system, and bringing those kids into the team just shows what weve got underneath us.They all deserve what they get and they all deserve the accolades. All credit to all those juniors. I thought they played their hearts out for the full 80 minutes.Warrington head coach Tony Smith said his players had not been at their best but paid tribute to Saints performance. Matty Dawson touches down for St Helens against Warrington He said: We didnt get on the front foot enough there tonight and I thought Saints tactically played very well.They came up with some plays that they executed well, and they played as well as Ive seen Saints play for a while.Its that get-up-against-Warrington sort of thing, and my boys didnt have that spark tonight that we needed. A few mistakes cost us tonight. 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Cheap Marlins Jerseys . -- DeMarcus Cousins had 25 points and 16 rebounds to help the Sacramento Kings snap a seven-game losing streak by defeating the Chicago Bulls 99-70 on Monday night.Aaron Ekblad may be the most mature 18-year-old hockey player on the planet. "Not only does he have a 30-year-olds physique under his equipment but he also thinks and acts like a 10-year NHL vet," said Dan Stewart, scouting director for the independent scouting service Future Considerations. Ekblad, a two-way, right-shooting defenceman, knows what he wants to be not only in this weeks NHL draft but as a professional. Hed love to go No. 1 and continue to mould himself in the images of Shea Weber, Alex Pietrangelo and Duncan Keith. More than anything, though, the Barrie Colts captain wants to be considered reliable on and off the ice. "I dont do too many things that are going to surprise anyone," Ekblad said at last months scouting combine. "Im going to be the kind of player that you know what youre going to get from me." Steady and dependable doesnt put butts in seats, but Ekblad isnt touting himself as a flashy kind of player. Instead, and more importantly, he has the potential to develop into a franchise cornerstone. Because of that, the Belle River, Ont., native is the front-runner to be the top pick Friday night in Philadelphia, whether the Florida Panthers choose to keep it or trade it. Buffalo Sabres general manager Tim Murray said last week he expected Ekblad to go No. 1 regardless. If that happens, Ekblad would be the first defenceman to be selected with the top pick since Erik Johnson in 2006, and the first Canadian-born blue-liner in that spot since Chris Phillips in 1996. Ekblad knows it has been a "long time" since a defenceman was drafted first. But it would come as no shock to NHL Central Scouting director Dan Marr. "Aaron Ekblad is a hard player to go past in the draft, I think, for any of the teams, and they know that," Marr said at the combine. "There doesnt seem to be a will to take a defenceman high because a lot of times you dont get the quick bang for your buck." Ekblad wants to provide that, just as 2013 No. 4 pick Seth Jones did for the Nashville Predators. "A hundred per cent" he wants to be in the NHL next season, and he told that to all 16 teams that interviewed him. "Thats the way I believe in myself," Ekblad said. "I wouldnt say Im cocky, but Im confident and I believe that if I work hard and I do all the little things and pay attention to details, I can be in that league next year." With that confidence in mind, Ekblad still watched games this past season and recognized the NHL is a hard league to crack and that getting drafted is just a foot in the door. "It means nothing until you prove that youre ready to do it," he said. Scouts believe Ekblad is prepared to prove it. In the six-foot-three, 213-pound prospect, Ross MacLean of ISS Hockey, another independent scouting service, sees someone with skills to insulate himself from making mistakes and the maturity to be able to adjust to the next level. "Hes a kid that I think probably couldve played in the NHL this year, let alone next year," MacLean said. "I think we saw that with Seth Jones, as well, last year. Theyve just been put into positions wheere theyve been able to acclimatize and get comfortable and confident and develop their skills at the appropriate pace, and theyre ready for the next step.dddddddddddd." Typically, theres a learning curve for even the best young defencemen before they can become NHL regulars, let alone stars. But a handful from the top 10 of the 2012 draft, including the Toronto Maple Leafs Morgan Rielly, Anaheim Ducks Hampus Lindholm and Columbus Blue Jackets Ryan Murray, played the full 2013-14 season and showed it may not be as steep as it once was. During the season, then-Predators and now Washington Capitals coach Barry Trotz theorized that its because junior hockey has more pro systems designed to help defencemen adapt quicker. Stewart thinks Ekblad can adjust on the fly because of his awareness. After being given the captaincy in Barrie, Ekblad "was trying to do everything," Stewart said, before recognizing his weaknesses and dialling back to what hes good at. "He has shown time and time again that he learns from mistakes," Stewart said. "Ekblad is always thinking and while he does make some mistakes from time to time, he also shows an ability to compensate for any situational deficiencies. Because of his slower feet, while defending speedy forwards attacking the zone, he gives himself a little larger gap than say if he were going up against someone he feels he can easily wedge off the puck. "Its his advanced thinking on the fly and understanding of his position that should benefit him quickly at the next level." Physically, Ekblad is undoubtedly NHL-ready. After earning exceptional status to play in the OHL at the age of 15, he has gone through three junior seasons in Barrie and held his own at the world junior championship. Stewart was impressed with how Ekblad handled pressure situations and defensive responsibilities while playing for Canada at the world juniors. In Barrie, Colts teammate, roommate and best friend Brendan Lemieux — a projected first- or second-round pick in his own right and the son of former NHL agitator Claude Lemieux — saw Ekblad show even more. "Ek really showed that he was willing to stand up and answer the bell, even with his gloves off. I watched him pound a few guys this year," Lemieux said at the combine. "He might not show that physical presence and how big he is and how tough he can be, but hes a tough guy, too. Hes not just a super-skilled big guy, hes a super-skilled big, tough guy." Ekblad is certainly better known for his 23 goals and 30 assists than his three fights, and it was that offence balanced with defensive acumen that earned him OHL defenceman of the year honours. Its hard to be upset about that kind of season, but Ekblad insisted hes not satisfied with what he showed scouts. "Thats kind of the way everyone here should be thinking: I believe I can always be better," he said. "You look back on some games, some shifts and (think), What if you did this instead of that? I wouldnt say I have any regrets, per se. I think I had a pretty good year. But theres always things you couldve done." --- Follow @SWhyno on Twitter ' ' '