Toronto Maple Leafs best player is a Finn

[Mattlill2000]

From the Toronto Star today;

NEWARK—Gotta love the Finns.

Dallas rode a bunch of ‘em to a strong playoff a year ago, and for my money, Niklas Hagman has been the best Leaf this season.

Now he’s the shootout man.

You’ve got to love the guts to try something new on a shootout like Hagman, son of Matti, did Wednesday night at The Rock. He did it with the game on the line, and he did it against the world’s best goaltender.

No guts, no glory. And Hagman got the glory 'cause he showed some guts.

The Leafs haven’t generally had many Finns over the years, so maybe it’s the combination of Hagman and good-natured goalie Vesa Toskala that has the Leafs exuding a new dressing room atmosphere this season. It all just feels a lot more relaxed without a few of the old vets around, less tense by a mile.

The four-year, $12 million deal signed by Hagman as a free agent last summer, meanwhile, so far looks hands down to be the best move made by Leaf GM Cliff Fletcher since taking over from JFJ.

Hagman, only 28, had a career 27-goal year last summer, but arrived in town seemingly determined to prove that was no fluke.

Call him the anti-Jason Blake.

Hagman brings the energy every night. Could he become a candidate for team captain as the season wears on? Could a Finn follow a Swede wearing the “C” in Toronto.

The other particularly noticeable Leaf in the wild win Wednesday night was rookie centre John Mitchell, who set up Alex Steen for a goal, no easy task, had two shots, blocked two shots and delivered his best performance of the season. Not sure what he is yet – second liner or fourth liner – but he’s starting to move his feet consistently and get involved.

In general, as messy as the Leafs looked Tuesday in losing to Tampa at home, they looked aggressive and never-say-die last night at the Prudential Centre – an arena with the strongest police presence outside on the street you’ll ever see at an NHL rink, by the way. Five straight games with 37 shots or more on goal is pretty amazing for a team that doesn’t have a first line or marquee attackers. They’re creating that offence with hustle and desire more than skill, leaving Jersey coach Brent Sutter to lambast his team as “lifeless” after the loss.

The next challenge? The NHL’s stoutest defence, owned by the New York Rangers.