| Leafs chart a new path to success Plodding style abandoned in favour of quick movement By Mark Zwolinski Toronto Star Sports Reporter |
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| There is a sense of renewal on Carlton and Church St., these days. That's because the Maple Leafs are simply a better team than they've been in the past two seasons and that always puts a spring in the step of Toronto hockey followers. In fact, the team is showing signs of developing into a squad worthy of comparison with the final four team from 1993. So, why has this team, which is essentially the same as it was a year ago, suddenly undergone a renaissance? The answer in part is puck movement. The Leafs are moving the puck in all segments of the ice instead of their previous dump-and-chase tactics. That was the principal criticism of their play under coach Mike Murphy. But it would be imprudent to adhere to that school of thought entirely. Murphy stressed his team could win by playing better defence. And what was Mats Sundin saying after the Leafs were humbled 5-1 by Dallas Wednesday night - something about having to play better defence, wasn't it? Still, puck movement is the catchphrase among teams trying to beat the trap and clutch-and-grab trends. Coach Pat Quinn has touched on the subject all season. It ties in to a host of other aspects, like team speed and quality scoring chances. The Leafs aren't the fastest team in the league by a long shot. But when they move the puck out of their zone and get their forwards going, they can make any team look slow. ``You look at the Stars, they're the best transition team we've seen,'' Quinn said. ``They move the puck out, it's not necessarily on a stick every time, but it's moving . . . and we've done similar things.'' Consequently, the Leafs are playing hockey that's actually fun to watch. Prior to last night's game at the Gardens against the Canadiens, they lead the league in goals scored with 106. They were ranked fifth over-all with a 19-12-2 record. The training camp question about a second line centre - and a second line to take the pressure off Sundin's top unit - has long since been forgotten (with Alyn McCauley, Mike Johnson, and Derek King filling in the gap). And the Leafs have gone with two rookies on defence - Tomas Kaberle and Daniil Markov - with relatively few headaches. |