Nice article on Ennis from NHL.comQuote:
During what he called a transition period that nearly every first-year pro will experience coming out of juniors, Ennis went scoreless in his first four games for the Pirates, something that hadn't occurred at any point in his final two seasons with Medicine Hat.
"I was getting kind of stressed out, worried, just thinking about the what-ifs" of what would happen if it continued, Ennis said of his slow start to the campaign, adding that he also felt an added pressure to perform as a professional.
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ALL AHL REPORT STORIES ›But fifth-year Pirates head coach Kevin Dineen – who played more than 1,100 NHL games during a 17-year career – took Ennis aside at that point and assured him that four games does not a season make.
"He just talked to me and basically said, ‘Don't worry about everything. It's going to happen. It's a long season, and it's only been four games,'" Ennis recalled.
The conversation with Dineen allowed Ennis to feel more relaxed the next time he hit the ice, and he responded on Oct. 16 vs. Hartford by not only scoring his first professional goal, but his second and third as well. The hat trick – plus an assist for a four-point night – led the Pirates to a 6-3 win.
"It's the point where my season took off," he said. "I got my first goal and my first hat trick the same night, (but) the biggest thing was just getting my confidence back."
Ennis went on to score single goals in three of his next four games and has continued to pile up the points ever since, currently tied for the AHL's scoring lead among rookies with 35 points (12 goals, 23 assists) in 37 games, including a team-leading four game-winning goals. He enters the new week with 12 points (3g, 9a) in his last six contests for the Pirates.
"There's no doubt that there was an adjustment period," Ennis said of his experience in the AHL this season. "Guys are bigger, they're stronger, and you have much less time and space to work with the puck. I have to make faster decisions and move it to my linemates quicker."
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Ham