Leafs watch

By DAVE FULLER -- Toronto Sun
PUCK HOG: Sergei Berezin continues to lead the NHL in shots (62) but has only four goals to show for it.

Maple Leafs general manager/coach Pat Quinn figures Berezin's shooting percentage wouldn't be a minuscule 6.5 if he passed the puck a bit more.

"I always believed when you don't share the puck you become easier to play -- both from the goaltender's standpoint and from the defenders," Quinn said.

"They know they don't have to concentrate so much on other people. They just have to take away your play and suddenly you find yourself turning the puck over, you find yourself shooting from bad angles, you find yourself forcing the play.

"He's not sharing the puck as well as he should, but that's part of his strength as well. He does some things other guys can't -- especially that inside move -- but the more he becomes predictable, the easier it is for other teams to take it away."

Toronto's top five shot-takers are Berezin, Jonas Hoglund (42 shots), Todd Warriner (26), Mike Johnson (25) and Yanic Perreault (24). Dmitri Khristich boasts the club's top shooting percentage (33.3%) followed by Mats Sundin (27.3%) and Tomas Kaberle (21.4%).

THE PLUS SIDE: The members of the Hurricanes' top line of Ron Francis, Sami Kapanen and Bates Battaglia rank among the NHL's top five in plus-minus.

The league leaders are Detroit's Chris Chelios (+12), Phoenix's Jyrki Lumme (+12), Francis (+11), Kapanen (+11) and Battaglia (+10). Defenceman Cory Cross (+6) leads the Leafs.

QUOTE/UNQUOTE: "I think Mats is very much ready to go. He's very positive. He wants to go out and contribute and when he's contributing it happens for everybody on the line." -- Steve Thomas, hoping his luck will change when Sundin returns from ankle injury tonight in Carolina.

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