MIGHTY DUCK NOTEBOOK / ROBYN NORWOOD : Kilger Gets Comfortable at Home

Chad Kilger dropped his dad off at work on his way to practice Friday morning--making a quick dash into Canada’s stately and ornate House of Commons on Parliament Hill.

“I was in and out, just to see his new office,” said Kilger, whose father, Bob, is Deputy Speaker of the House. “He’s working today, busy with meetings and things for Remembrance Day [Canada’s Veterans Day, observed today].”

It’s not your average 18-year old who is recognized in the halls of government, but of course average 18-year olds aren’t playing in the NHL either.

Kilger will have a small army of friends and family on hand when the Mighty Ducks play the Ottawa Senators today as he makes his only “hometown” appearance as a rookie.

Home is actually about an hour away, in Cornwall, Ontario.

Kilger went back for a visit and a home-cooked meal Thursday night, and he wasn’t stingy handing out tickets--45 of them.

“Chad, I just want you to know that’s a new team record,” radio play-by-play announcer Matt McConnell told Kilger after taking his nearly $2,000 ticket order.

“I’m excited,” Kilger said. “It’s my only chance this year to play in front of my family and friends.”

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Adjusting to the NHL: Kilger’s white-hot preseason hasn’t translated to the regular season.

After being the second-leading scorer on the team behind Paul Kariya during the exhibition season with 10 points in eight games, Kilger has two goals and six points 14 games into the season.

Early on he seemed uncertain, even timid, but he’s rediscovered the physical game and has shown considerable signs of progress over the last week or so.

“It’s just been a gradual process. Things are starting to go a little better,” Kilger said.

“I had fairly high expectations after the preseason but I wasn’t exactly sure how the regular season would go. I didn’t realize there was such a big difference between the preseason and the regular season.”

Coach Ron Wilson moved Kilger off the first line, where he was centering Kariya, putting him on the third line, mostly with Mike Sillinger and either Peter Douris or Todd Krygier.

“We wanted to see what Chad could do, see his ability and evaluate him at this level. He gave us a great glimpse,” Wilson said.

“If Chad was still playing the way he played in the preseason, he’d probably still be on that line. But his production went down and I think he was feeling a little pressure.

“You’ve got to remember he’s 18 years old. He responds well, he’s coachable. He’s going to be a star in this league, not right now, but later.”

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All-around turnaround: The Ducks have gone from 2-8 after a loss to St. Louis on Oct. 27 to 7-9 today.

Credit the resurgence of goalie Guy Hebert, the improved play of the veteran forwards, the emergence of center Mike Sillinger, and the continuing brilliance of Kariya. All that, and pure momentum.

“When you get going like this, confidence grows,” Wilson said. “You’re able to do things you didn’t seem able to do before. When things aren’t going well, you get tight, it’s like you’re wearing blinders. It sure seems like guys are seeing plays now they weren’t seeing three weeks ago.”

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Pond ice takes heat: Reports from the NHL general managers’ meetings in New York this week say that bad ice was a topic of discussion and the surface in Anaheim is still being sharply criticized, even though the club has gone to some lengths to try to improve it.

“When you compare Anaheim with a few other places, the ice is comparatively . . . different,” said Mighty Duck captain Randy Ladouceur, who is noted for his diplomacy.

“Maybe you’ll get disagreement, but I think it’s gotten better since the first of the year. The first few games, it wasn’t up to snuff.”