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   Mon, March 22, 2010


NHL PLAYOFFS
WORLD CHAMP.


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Leafs Report
By LANCE HORNBY, QMI Agency
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TOP LINE TOPS

Lack of size remains a long-term concern on the Leafs' first line, but coach Ron Wilson won't quibble at the moment as Phil Kessel, Tyler Bozak and Nikolai Kulemin fill the net in regulation, shootouts and overtime.

"We don't have an (abundance) of scorers right now and, when Phil scores, it's huge," Wilson said. "You start with Phil and then you want a guy (Kulemin) who is good defensively, who can get pucks in the corner, out-race people and win battles.

"And Bozak has a tremendous amount of hockey sense you're starting to see shine through. He plays better in the NHL than the AHL, with better players. You know what (NHL) defencemen are doing, there are no surprises. He's the real deal, he makes a lot of beautiful plays and he's very poised and patient

LOOSE LEAFS

Mike Komisarek is the new Leafs NHLPA rep, assisted by Kessel. They replace the traded Matt Stajan and Ian White. Komisarek will be in the mix for team captain if the Leafs name one for next season. But with his season-ending shoulder injury and Dion Phaneuf's take-charge role since he arrived in February, the latter becomes a strong candidate ... The Leafs are now 71-50-16 since the lockout in games played after Feb. 1.










The Vancouver Canucks should replace ex-coach Alain Vigneault with...
  Guy Boucher.
  Lindy Ruff.
  Andy Murray.
  Jacques Martin.
  Brent Sutter.
  Don Hay.
  Other.


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