It's in the Footwork

VANCOUVER, Canada -- It starts at the bottom, the ability that elevates Brian Leetch above his peers and tempts comparisons with great defensemen of the past. He has sharp reflexes, quick hands and a growing awareness of when and where to launch himself into a play. But the source of this New York Ranger's artistry is his footwork. The man is Gene Kelly on skates, powerful, athletic and yet remarkably graceful. If he jumped into the air and clicked his blades in the course of a power play, it would not surprise his teammates."I've never seen a defenseman move on his feet like Brian Leetch," said Glenn Anderson, a Ranger since March.Leetch "can change direction like Bure and Kovalev," the former Oiler standout said after his teammate scored his second and third goals of the Stanley Cup finals in the Rangers' 5-1 victory over the Canucks in Game 3 Saturday night. "He can turn on a dime and go in the other direction just as fast."With a goal and three assists in Tuesday's 4-2 victory over the Canucks, Leetch strengthened his candidacy for the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in postseason competition, a tribute never awarded to an American-born athlete."He has taken his overall game to another level," said Mark Messier, the center who received the award 10 years ago for leading the Oilers to their first of five titles. "He is at a level now where he can control a game like the greats of the past -- the Coffeys, the Orrs, the Potvins."Such praise is not given lightly. Paul Coffey was a teammate of Messier's and Denis Potvin was the captain of the Islanders, the team from which the Oilers wrested control of the National Hockey League in the mid-1980s. As for Bobby Orr, who set the standard for rushing defensemen two decades ago, Leetch's cheeks flushed in embarrassment at the mention of his name.