Ducks’ Brandon Montour quickly earns kudos from teammates

Often it’s the skating ability of Brandon Montour that gets their attention. Other times it’s the instinct to know when to join the rush and when to back off.

Cam Fowler and Hampus Lindholm don’t seem old enough to reminisce, but they know a rising young defenseman when they see one, and Montour takes them back.

“He’s got all the skills, all the talent,” Fowler said. “I see a little bit of me in him when I first came into the league.”

Said Lindholm, “He’s going to be a great player. Like I told him, I see a little bit of myself [in him].”

Montour has made that impression just 20 games into his NHL career. His strong skating and ability to move the puck out of dangerous situations have served him well in what seems like a blur with the Ducks.

“It’s funny, I tell everybody, time flies by,” Montour said. “It’s been 20 games already. I’ve been happy with the play. My defense, I thought, has been really solid and that’s what I’ve been focusing on. As we keep going now the offense will keep creeping in there, but right now, this year, I really want to focus on getting everybody’s trust.”

Going into this season, Shea Theodore was regarded as the Ducks’ defenseman of the future. He still is, but Montour, who turns 23 next month, has jumped ahead of him for now. He’s had a plus-or-even rating in 18 games and looks at home at this level.

It helps to have Fowler, 25, and Lindholm, 23, as mentors. Both became NHL regulars at a young age and know what the transition is like.

“They’ve been in my situation,” Montour said. “They’ve been really good to me. Off the ice, I get along with them really well. If I make a mistake or they see something I can improve on, they’ll definitely point it out. I’m happy to listen.”

Montour has one goal but his offensive flair is evident. He scored on his first NHL shootout attempt, on a slap shot against the Buffalo Sabres.

“He jumps over the boards and he goes for it,” Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle said. “He’s not being reserved. He’s attacking versus sitting back and waiting for things to happen. That’s the kind of personality he has.”

Carlyle counted one game, against the Chicago Blackhawks, as less-than-stellar for Montour. He’s been in and out of the lineup recently as Carlyle sometimes opts for the bigger Korbinian Holzer, but Montour already has earned high marks from his peers.

“As a young player, the one thing you look at is, does he try to make plays?” Fowler said. “Is he afraid of the moment? Is he confident? And he displays all those characteristics.

“He’s maybe even a little bit ahead of me when I was that age. I would tend to force things. There’s a huge learning curve with defensemen coming into the league, but I see he progresses every game.”

Etc.

Lindholm said he came out fine after he took a shot to the foot late in Friday’s game … Kevin Bieksa skated Saturday but his face appeared still swollen from a high stick Wednesday and his availability isn’t known.

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Update: Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist is expected to return from a hip injury that has kept him out since March 7. Lundqvist made 43 saves in a 4-1 win against the Ducks on Feb.7 at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers also have defenseman Dan Girardi back from an ankle injury.

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