DEFENSIVE POSTURE

Mighty Duck defenseman Keith Carney was in trouble, facing a difficult three-on-one rush. There was little time and a decision had to be made.

Carney, as usual, was in perfect position.

He scooped up one of his triplet sons, nabbed another as he headed toward the Duck weight room, then went off in search of the third after the Ducks’ regular-season finale.

After dealing with four kids under the age of 2 -- the triplets and an infant daughter -- playing 28 minutes of hockey, bumping and grinding with the likes of Brendan Shanahan and Sergei Fedorov is child’s play.

“I get my rest when I come to play hockey,” said Carney, flashing his customary smirk that highlights the scar on his left cheek. “There is nothing like raising those boys, and with the baby up every three hours feeding and trying to play with the boys, it’s nonstop work there. I get to the rink and all I do is play a little hockey.”

There is a case to be made that he continues parenting once he laces up the skates. His stability and father-like guidance have been key factors in a Ducks’ defense that has evolved into one of the best in the NHL.

That the Ducks are still playing, after sweeping the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings, can be, in large part, laid at Carney’s door. Certainly Duck fans saw that when Carney picked up a loose puck behind the net and centered to Steve Rucchin, who one-timed the shot that won Game 4.

Yet, Carney meant much more to the Ducks’ success, laboring each game with the type of rough and tumble work not pretty enough for air time on late-night sports reports.

“The things he does out there, most people would never notice,” goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere said. “On the penalty kill, he gets the puck out of the zone. He doesn’t panic, he takes his time. That’s thinking, that’s experience.”

That’s Carney.

He apprenticed in Chicago, after having been traded by Buffalo during the 1993-94 season. He was part of a veteran Blackhawk defense, kept his eye on Chris Chelios and learned the do’s and don’ts.

“I was still young, trying to figure out how to play the game,” Carney said. “Chris did a lot for me. He’s the ultimate competitor, a great defenseman. He does it all, offensively and defensively. You learn so much, just by watching.”

A little Chelios con Carney left more than a few opponents a little ill.

“He’s strong on the puck and is pretty elusive out there, as far as evading checks,” said Duck right wing Steve Thomas, a 19-season veteran. “But the main thing is, he has a great hockey head.”

Carney has put in 14 hard-knock seasons getting those lessons pounded into his brain. The Ducks got the finished product from Phoenix, acquiring him in a Coyote clearance sale in June 2001 for a second-round draft pick.

At the time, Amy Carney was pregnant and the couple knew that triplets were on the way. Doctors wanted her to remain in Phoenix.

“It was hard because my wife had to stay behind and I couldn’t be there,” said Carney, 33. “I knew they were going to cut payroll, so I knew I might be gone. I was happy that it was close to Phoenix, so I could still be close to my wife. It worked out great that I was still so close to Phoenix.”

Amy Carney gave birth to Kade, Aidan and Cole during training camp in 2001. Morgan Carney was born in March.

The Ducks, meanwhile, keep Carney close to rookie defenseman Kurt Sauer. In fact, it is no coincidence that the talented Sauer has the stall next to Carney in the Duck dressing room.

“I just sit and watch the way he handles himself and prepares for games,” Sauer said. “He taught me the right way to do things.”

There isn’t much to see at first glance.

Carney is not the fastest defenseman. He doesn’t hit with the weight of a wrecking ball. As a skater, well, Eric Heiden can sleep soundly. The list goes on. Shot ... average. Puck handling skills ... basic. Passing ability ... well, the puck manages to get from here to there.

Even his hockey bloodline is more mutt than purebred. He’s an American hockey player, after all, not the Canadian royalty or a sleek European import.

Yet, Carney punches the clock, puts the lunch pail away and goes to work every game. He played 262 consecutive games, a streak that ended last season when he broke a bone in his right hand.

“He’s always in the right position,” General Manager Bryan Murray said. “He brings stability and, when pressure is on, he settles everybody down.”

That made Carney vital in the Red Wing series. Rucchin was assigned the Fedorov duty, and kept the multi-talented center from being a factor in the series, but Carney had Rucchin’s back. He averaged 28 minutes 55 seconds in the series and played 44 minutes during the triple-overtime victory in Game 1.

Giguere attracted the spotlight in the upset of the Red Wings. Rucchin was back-story, scoring the game-winning goal and harassing Fedorov into being a non-factor. Giguere and Rucchin assess the situation differently.

Said Rucchin: “Carney is the best defenseman in the NHL.”

Said Giguere: “Carney is our MVP.”

There were snap shots from the Detroit series to support their opinions.

With the Ducks leading, 1-0, in Game 2, Giguere stopped a shot, the puck landing in the crease, and sat there for several seconds. Shanahan was perched there, but could do nothing, as Carney had his stick, arms and shoulders tied up, and may well have come away with Shanahan’s wallet and watch.

Giguere recovered and was able to knock the puck into the corner.

“That’s how Keith always is,” Giguere said. “He is never out of position.”

Even when he is.

That Carney chased Rucchin behind the net to assist on the series’ coup de grace resulted in some eyebrow lifting afterward.

“Imagine if he made the pass and it got by Rooch?” Murray said, smiling, the day after the game. “They’re going the other way and then we’re asking ‘What the [heck] are you doing behind the net?’ ”

Instead, Carney made a Wayne-like pass from Gretzky’s office and the series was over.

“I looked up and saw that was Carney and thought, ‘What the [heck] is he doing there?’ ” Giguere said. “But that’s Keith’s experience. He knows when he can take a chance.”

And that includes when he’s at home. During one playoff broadcast, announcers said that Amy Carney was a “real hero.” Carney is not about to debate that.

“Are you kidding?” Carney said, with that always-present smirk. “Of course, she does all the hard work.”