STANLEY CUP FINALS : Tough Approach Brings Out Best in Leetch

The first couple of times New York Ranger Coach Mike Keenan told him to pay more attention to defense, Brian Leetch listened but didn’t change his style.

Keenan didn’t tell him again. He didn’t care that Leetch had won the Norris Trophy in 1992 and was the engine of the Rangers’ power play. The next time Leetch made a low-percentage play, Keenan benched him.

“At the beginning of the year, I was accustomed to being a big part of the team’s offense and having to create things quite a bit,” Leetch said. “Even though I was taking risks, I thought that was a big part of my responsibility, to do my best defensively and try to help out offensively.

“Mike continued to remind me he wanted me to play defense first and help out when the chances were there, and I realized that, but there are times during games you feel good and try to force things. He doesn’t give you many opportunities after he’s talked to you. He doesn’t keep telling you, he shows you. Once you’re able to do that on your own and keep the game simple, he gave me more ice time than any coach I’ve played for.”

Leetch didn’t appreciate Keenan’s method, but he acknowledges Keenan has made him a better player than he was two years ago, when he scored a career-high 102 points. Between Keenan’s goading and his own resolve to rebound from a broken ankle he suffered last March, Leetch has become dominant in the playoffs. His performance is a major reason the Rangers take a 2-1 lead into Game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals Tuesday at the Pacific Coliseum.

“I’ve never seen a defenseman move on his feet like Brian Leetch,” said teammate Glenn Anderson, who included onetime Edmonton teammate Paul Coffey in that statement. “Cof was more of a glider, a power strider. Brian can change directions like (forwards Pavel) Bure, (Sergei) Fedorov (and Alexei) Kovalev. He can turn on a dime and go in the other direction just as fast, and I’ve yet to see a defenseman do that.”

With two goals in the Rangers’ 5-1 victory Saturday, Leetch moved into a tie for the playoff scoring lead, with 28 points in 19 games. He has scored or assisted on 11 of the Rangers’ 17 power-play goals and leads all players with a plus-23 defensive rating.

“I never went in and talked to him (about being benched). I’ve always tried to go out and lead by example and let my play do the talking,” said Leetch, who was born in Corpus Christi, Tex., but grew up in Connecticut.

His first goal Saturday was a lucky flip shot, he said, but his second, which gave the Rangers a 3-1 lead, was a thoroughly intelligent play. Seeing Kirk McLean had left a long rebound on Esa Tikkanen’s shot, Leetch charged the net and drew McLean down before slicing a backhander over the helpless goalie.

“He’s entered the level of the Coffeys and the (Bobby) Orrs and the (Denis) Potvins,” teammate Mark Messier said.

Said his defense partner, Jeff Beukeboom: “He always had great offensive skills, but now, defensively, his skills are almost on par with his offensive skills.”

At 5-11 and 195 pounds, Leetch doesn’t pound people, but his ability to read plays allows him to anticipate passes and short-circuit opponents’ offensive drives. His speed makes the Rangers’ transition game fearsome.

“We were aware of his offensive skills because he kept showing it and his numbers prove it, but he’s clearly much better in reading the play and defending than I expected him to be,” Canuck Coach Pat Quinn said Sunday.

Said Keenan: “A coach doesn’t have to push an athlete of that ability in order to coach him. They have to decide themselves, through their intrinsic values, how much they want to achieve and the level of performance they want to play at. He wants to be one of the best defensemen in the league.”

He also wants to be better.

“I’m playing smarter, realizing when to go offensively and when not to,” he said. “Mike Keenan has a lot to do with that, obviously . . . I always tried to work hard defensively. Being in the league six years has helped in learning the position and staying focused for a longer period. For the future (his goal is) trying to continue that on a consistent basis more and more.”