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Dexter Fowler singled with one out in the ninth, Jason Castro drew a walk and Dominguez hit a long fly ball off Nick Martinez (0-1).NEW YORK – Hes almost used to the cult-like atmosphere of hockey in Toronto. John-Michael Liles is now two months into his Leaf tenure, his first experience in a NHL city not named Denver. Joined at the hip of the Colorado Avalanche for seven seasons, Liles has gradually found his place in a hockey hotbed. "Theres been a few moments where you kind of laugh," he said in conversation with the Leaf Report, "just because youll be walking down the street and somebody pulls up next to you in a car and says Great game last night! or something. Its kind of funny sometimes." "Its such a huge hockey market in Toronto and everybody seems to know exactly whats going on. The city breathes hockey and goes through the ups and downs with you. I think thats been the biggest adjustment." Adjustment aside, the quiet summer trade which sent a second-round pick (2012) to Colorado in exchange for the veteran defenceman has proven to be an early winner for the Leafs thus far. Liles has established himself as an upgrade over the since-departed Tomas Kaberle, offering a jump-start to the Leaf offence, a boost to the powerplay and an aura of veteran experience on the NHLs youngest team. The Indiana native is on pace for a career year offensively with 16 points in the first 26 games. "John-Michael Liles, its a name youve heard for a long time," Luke Schenn said. "Its not like he came out of the woodworks and all of a sudden is having an unbelievable season. Hes always been steady [and] hes always been a top offensive-skating defenceman in the league. Im sure a lot of teams would love to have their hands on him. Were really lucky to have him. Hes been a great addition to our defence." Looking for a veteran puck-moving defenceman to replace Kaberle in the offseason – who was sent to Boston at last seasons trade deadline – the Leafs were pleased to land Liles, who has finished among the top-30 in scoring among defencemen in five of the last seven seasons. "Hes an experienced defenceman," Ron Wilson said. "We dont have a lot of experience back there, but hes played a lot of hockey at high levels and hes always been a successful offensive defenceman." Of the seven defencemen healthy and presently on the roster, only one is older than 25 and thats the captain Dion Phaneuf, hardly a graybeard at 26 (injured defenceman Mike Komisarek is 29). Wilson has made careful note of how Liles – with his self-assured puck poise - can "calm down a hectic situation", adding that "I think thats where guys like Jake Gardiner watch him and learn about patience with the puck and then the right timing to move it north [up the ice]. John-Michael does a great job of that." Its odd that Liles at 31 is the oldest player to lace up the skates in Toronto this year, but the abundance of youth has had a pleasant effect on the resident elder statesman. "The youth that we have on this team I think brings a lot of energy to the room," Liles said, "especially for an old guy like myself." "We have a lot of enthusiasm," Wilson added, "and I think it helps an old-timer like John-Michael to feel young at 31. Hes ancient." The Leafs sit third in the NHL in total offence (23rd last season), no doubt guided by the stellar performance of Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul, but the high-paced, frantic, speed attack the Leafs play is all but ineffectual without a solid puck-moving presence on the back-end. "You can have the best offensive team in the world," Schenn said, "but if you cant get your puck out of your own end and make plays into the forwards hands in the neutral zone then youre not going to generate any offence." Liles is the leader in that respect, also greatly aiding – along with assistant coach Scott Gordon – the leagues second-best powerplay (22nd last season). "Hes a lot similar to Kaberle," Schenn said of his former defensive partner. "Great skater, great puck-mover and hes that guy who carries the puck up ice on the powerplay, quarterbacks things back there and makes all the right plays. Hes a real skilled guy offensively, hes got an underrated shot and also makes those good passes; a solid veteran prresence on the blueline. Jimmy Wilson Jersey. " Where Liles seems to differ from Kaberle is in his general demeanor on the ice and in the dressing room. Formerly of Michigan State University, Liles – like Kaberle – isnt a rock in the defensive zone, but competes hard consistently. And whereas Kaberle was more laid-back in his leadership style, Liles is not unwilling to speak up; after losses, there is no more sour personality. "I just dont like to lose," he said, after a bitter loss to Ottawa last month. Ultimately he concluded, "Im coming here hopefully being a puzzle piece to helping the team achieve success and hopefully make the playoffs." Five Points 1. Much like Tim Connolly, Leafs brass were confident that a change of scenery would benefit Liles after a lengthy stay in Colorado. "I think theres a certain comfort level when youve been in a place for a certain amount of time," Liles said. "And not to say its a bad thing, [but] you know where everything is, you know what youre doing, you know your daily routines, you know the people youre going to interact with and coming here its almost an eyes wide-open kind of thing where theres so much new stuff and youre trying to soak it all in and you cant do it all in one day. I think you cant help but be energized by everything that surrounds this team." 2. Its plainly evident that the Leafs turned the corner on Kaberle at the appropriate time. After a so-so playoffs and Stanley Cup with the Bruins, Kaberle moved onto Carolina where he signed for three years at $12.75 million. The 33-year-old has just five assists and a minus-14 rating in 33 games with the Hurricanes, also a healthy scratch on one occasion. 3. With a whole host of fathers on hand for the annual father-son trip, the Leafs opted for practice under the sunny skies of Central Park on Sunday afternoon. "Its a special day," Dion Phaneuf told the Leaf Report on the ice of Lasker Rink. "I think its one that well always remember. Such a historic park in the biggest city in the United States of America…you grow up starting to play the game on outdoor rinks as a kid and you come here and youre doing it as a professional – its pretty special. To have our dads here makes it extra special, we really enjoy it." "Being outside, just enjoying the game for what it is without all the different distractions, it was pretty cool," Keith Aulie added. The Leafs enjoyed unusually warm weather with nothing more than a light jacket needed to withstand the mild cold and shades in the case of Jonas Gustavsson glaring into the sun. "We had a perfect day here for it," Phaneuf agreed. "The grass is still green right there. Its pretty crazy that were practicing outdoors on such a beautiful day. Its the perfect setting." 4. Memories of childhood were instantly conjured up for the Leafs captain, who grew up in Edmonton, Alberta. "I was lucky enough [that] my dad had an outdoor rink since I was three years old," Phaneuf said of his father Paul. "And he put a lot of effort into doing that year after year, minus-30 out, hed be shoveling it and flooding it and making sure it was ready for me and my friends. I was very fortunate that he did that and very thankful. Its really special to have him here on this trip, especially [when] were practicing outdoors it brings back a lot of real nice memories of when youre a kid." "It takes me right back to small-town Rouleau," Aulie added of his hometown in Saskatchewan. "He (Aulies father Bill) was always standing across the rink with his buddies, always in the same spot. Kind of like today." 5. Gustavsson will get back in between the pipes at Madison Square Garden on Monday in the first half of a back-to-back set for the Leafs. Gustavsson had one of his stronger games this season against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden in late October, posting 28 saves in a 4-2 victory. His last start in New York prior to that was a 7-0 drubbing in January. "Hes had one bad start in New York," Wilson said, "but his other starts – especially playing against [Henrik] Lundqvist – have been pretty good. Thats a guy he really looks up to so its a nice challenge for him." cheap jerseys ' ' '
