Game On!

Wooden Shaft: Hey Stan, in your article "Home (in the Playoffs) at Last," you give thanks to certain players, but did not mention Marc Staal. I think we need to thank him BIG TIME! He sacrificed his body right in front of Hank to deflect a tying goal. We need to acknowledge that as well as his consistent seasonal play. He is our future Brian Leetch ...

The Maven Responds: Dear Wooden Shaft: One reason I didn't mention Staal was the fear of redundancy. If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times; Staal has Norris Trophy potential in no more than two years. He's an ace and will only get better as he toughens his game a bit. As it happens, a lot of THANKS are to be distributed, but there is such a thing as space limitations. So this space is reserved EXCLUSIVELY for Staal. Thanks, Marc. Never mind "our future Leetch." Staal is his own man.

Paul: Speaking of Staal ... I wouldn't trade that kid for anyone. He's so hard to compare to Brian Leetch because I think Leetch was more of a gifted offensive defenseman who kept getting better throughout his career in his own end. I think of Staal as the opposite. Solid as a rock and a tenacious (but smart) stay-at-home defenseman who will cover the other team's best players. But unlike Leetch, it will take more time, experience and practice for Staal to build enough confidence to become an asset offensively.

What Leetch and Staal do have in common is that both are fiery and very competitive, but sometimes it's hard to tell because they are quiet. This is my opinion and if I had to pick one of Leetch or Staal to be on my team, I would be forced to flip a coin.

The Maven Responds: Dear Paul: You make a very cogent point. If you want an excellent comparison between Leetch and Staal, it would be The Gold Dust Twins of the Toronto Maple Leafs, from 1946-47 through 1950-51. They comprised Jim Thomson and Gus Mortson. Together they played on four Stanley Cup-winners in five years.

In that span, Mortson was very much like Leetch (albeit tougher). He skated well, liked to go on offense and was a quiet leader. Thomson played the game exactly the way Staal does now. Like Staal, Thomas came to the Leafs as a young, inexperienced D-man and learned fast. No need to pick between Leetch and Staal; each is superior in his own right.

Sincerely,
The Maven

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