Phaneuf closing in on 400th game as a Leaf
Coach praises captain’s effort as veteran defender has been a leader on and off the ice
Time flies. That’s how Dion Phaneuf sees his tenure with the Maple Leafs as he approaches his 400th game in blue and white.
“I look back and really, it does go fast,” said the veteran defenceman. “I remember Iggy (Jarome Iginla) in my first year in Calgary . . . he told me to just enjoy it, enjoy every minute of it because you’re eight,10 years in like that.
“It does go fast, you’ve got to enjoy it.”
By the end of January, Phaneuf will have played six full seasons with the Leafs — more than his time with the Calgary Flames, the team that drafted him ninth overall in 2003.
“He’s been great all year long, as a leader, as a person, the way he helps our young guys, the way he pushes people.” MIKE BABCOCK ON LEAFS CAPTAIN DION PHANEUF
The 30-year-old has been captain for five seasons, a role he seems far more comfortable with this season playing for a coach Mike Babcock who sings his praises.
“Mike (Babcock) is very detailed-oriented, you can see it every day,” said Phaneuf.
“He reinforces what we need to do to have success, and it starts with individuals. It’s about individuals buying into a team concept. When we do that, we have a chance.
“He’s done a really good job. I enjoy working for him. I enjoy playing for him. I think there’s lots of work yet, we’ve got lots of room to improve. I feel we’ve taken a lot of steps since the start of training camp.”
When Babcock took the reins in the summer, he made it clear he wanted to make it “safe” for players to play here, and pointed out how much he liked Phaneuf and promised the captain would play his best hockey.
At the trade deadline, it was widely speculated the Red Wings wanted Phaneuf to bolster their blue line, in part because Babcock, the former Detroit head coach, was urging the trade get done.
“I think he’s playing great,” Babcock said of Phaneuf. “He’s been great all year long, as a leader, as a person, the way he helps our young guys, the way he pushes people. He’s been great.”
Phaneuf has two goals and13 assists while playing some of his best hockey.
He is among the team leaders in scoring, with the points lead rotating among Leo Komarov, Morgan Rielly, James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak and Phaneuf. And the big defender is delivering heavy hits at a seemingly greater pace.
If there is one major change in Phaneuf’s game, it’s that he seems calmer on the ice. Not quite as scattered, doing less while achieving more. His minutes were limited early in the season, but they’re creeping up now, especially on nights when the Leafs have a lot of power plays, as he is the quarterback of the first unit.
And Phaneuf is getting points because he has managed to control his slap shot. In previous years, it was anybody’s guess where the puck would go after he wound up. Nowadays, the puck stays closer to the ice and on target.
“You don’t want to miss the net high,” said Phaneuf. “Any time you get an opportunity — our forwards work hard to get us the puck — it’s our job to get it on net. Whether it’s a conscious effort or not, it’s my job to try to hit the net. It gives our forwards a second opportunity and that’s one thing with the way we play. After every shot, we want to play an aggressive style to get the puck back. It allows us to play more time in the offensive zone. When you do that, you have success.”
Phaneuf has played for three GMs in Toronto — Brian Burke, Dave Nonis and Lou Lamoriello, and he’s played for four coaches — Ron Wilson, Randy Carlyle, Peter Horachek and Babcock.
The valleys during his time with the Leafs have been far deeper than the peaks have been high. But Phaneuf believes Babcock’s approach is the right one.
“When we play to our structure, or our system, it gives us a chance. We’re in every game,” he said. “If you look back on the whole year, the only game that sticks out as a real negative is the Winnipeg game. I feel we bounced back from that. It shows the character of our group.
“We’re growing. We have to learn how to win. We’re doing that together.”