Stevens Goes from Force to Finesse : Capitals’ Veteran, a Noted Brawler, Now Offense-Minded

Scott Stevens, at the ripe old age of 22, already is the Washington Capitals all-time leader in career penalty minutes, but the fiery five-year veteran also is maturing into one of the league’s top all-around defensemen.

Stevens, the enforcer on a talented Capitals defense that relies more on finesse than force, has led Washington in penalty minutes three years running and has an early lead in that category again this season.

But Stevens’ game now is much more than a sharp hip check and occasional haymaker--he has developed into a dangerous two-way blueliner and an integral part of one of the best defenses in hockey.

“I think Scott has really improved,” said Capitals Coach Bryan Murray. “I think the maturity is really taking place there. I just think he’s going to continue to emerge certainly as a real top-notch defenseman.”

In his first three seasons in the NHL, opposing teams knew they could take Stevens off the ice by goading him into foolish brawls. Stevens still possesses a sharp temper, but says he is no longer going to be so easily enticed by that strategy.

“I now know what the people are trying to do now and I just laugh and forget it,” Stevens said. “If they’re trying to take me off the ice, I figure I’m doing something right on the ice so I think I’ll try to stay on the ice as much as possible and help the team.”

Murray said Stevens’ growing offensive abilities make him all the more important to the Capitals, who have recorded three straight 100-point seasons and are expected again to challenge for the Stanley Cup this season.

“That’s the key with him now,” said Murray. “It certainly adds a dimension to be able to create some things offensively. We hope he can create something that maybe we’re lacking in a couple forward positions--the opportunity for helping set up a play, capitalizing when given a chance.”

Stevens has averaged 18 goals and 41 assists over the past two seasons and admits putting a conscious effort into becoming more offense-oriented.

That is a change for Stevens, who during his first two seasons in the league (9 and 13 goals, respectively) was more concerned about playing the basics of defense than looking up rink.

“I didn’t want to look bad. I wanted to play solid defensive hockey and with the team we had here, that’s what I had to do. Now, every year I try to be a bit more offensive, too, being more of an all-around defenseman,” he said. “I think I’ve been working on that the last couple of years. While you want to be good offensively, you don’t want to hurt yourself defensively. You have to find a fine line there and play it the right way.”

But physical play is still Stevens’ forte.

“I would rather hit someone real good than score. It means more to me than scoring,” he said. “I think the fans like that style of hockey. I like the old style of hockey -- lots of hitting and bumping and grinding. But it pays to get up on the power plays, get in front and get the odd goals, not the regular defense all the time.”

Stevens, a native of Kitchener in Ontario, Canada, was named to the NHL’s all-rookie team in 1982 and was third in the balloting for the Calder Trophy, signifying the league’s top rookie. He was selected to play in the 1985 NHL All-Star game.

The 6-foot-1, 210-pound left-hander is the all-time leader in goals by a Washington defenseman with 58, while accumulating 782 penalty minutes, eclipsing Yvon Labre’s mark of 756.

Stevens has been blessed by playing for a defense-oriented franchise that boasts one of the league’s finest defenseman in Rod Langway, a two-time Norris Trophy recipient.

“I’ve learned a lot from Rod,” Stevens said. “If I have a problem, he can help me. There are lot of things on defense that are sort of iffy things, you can go one way or another way. I can talk to Rod (and) he has experience and he knows which way is right. Also, by watching Rod you learn a lot. There are always little shortcuts or tricks you learn that make the game easier.”

Stevens is cautious about Washington’s chances this season.

“We’ve got a lot to prove and hopefully we can win our division,” Stevens said. “That would be nice to start with, not looking at the playoffs yet. It’s a long season.”