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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Knightfall" data-source="post: 3066177" data-attributes="member: 2012">Leafs take to the ice at campCanadian Press9/15/2006 4:50:50 PMTORONTO (CP) - Hal Gill likes what he sees in a new NHL instruction video for defencemen.It shows Chris Pronger defending against Brendan Shanahan in front of a net, and it details what referees will and will not allow when the new NHL season begins Oct. 4.The way the new Maple Leafs blue-liner sees it, refs will not rush to punish defencemen just because an opponent falls. It's part of the crackdown on diving the league just announced.The six-foot-seven, 250-pound American had difficulties adjusting to the strictness on obstruction fouls last season with Boston and led the Bruins with a career-worst 124 penalty minutes."The game always needed open ice and speed and that's great, I'm all for that," Gill said after his new team's first on-ice workouts Friday. "The thing I love about hockey is battling."That's where I get passionate about the game, when someone is going to the net and you push him and shove him and the puck is sitting there and you're fighting it out. That's what I find enjoyable about hockey. I think to have that back a little more, within the limits, that'll be a little better for me. From the video, it looks like they're going to allow some battles."The stay-at-home defenceman was frustrated time and again last season, and he continues to adapt."My game is clearing out the front of the net but I can't just throw somebody into the corner," he said. "You've got to get into position and have an active stick and play the puck."You can't just ride somebody out. It's a different job now, but it's been a year and everybody has adjusted to it, and I have, too."The Leafs hope so after agreeing to pay him US$2.05 million in a free-agent deal. They're counting on Gill, Bryan McCabe, Tomas Kaberle and Pavel Kubina, another free-agent pickup, to be their top four D.Head coach Paul Maurice split players into three groups for 70-minute sessions, and most of them noticed a change from what they'd experienced at previous camps."It's a faster pace," said Gill. "If you're not quick, you're dead."There were attacking drills and stop-and-start skating towards the end, when players were huffing and puffing as Maurice watched."We're learning his whole mentality," said Gill. "That's our first look at what he's all about."From what I can see, we're going to play an up-tempo game. Everyone is going to be up the ice as fast as we can and coming back as hard as we can. That's the mentality we're going to have. It's an exciting time."The five previous Leafs camp in which Darcy Tucker participated were conducted with then-coach Pat Quinn in charge, and the veteran forward noticed a distinct tempo boost with Maurice."A lot of us have been in the same mind frame over the last few years with the first few days of camp being scrimmages," said Tucker. "It's not that mindset where you get down to work."This is a totally different atmosphere. I think that guys are on edge a little bit, on their toes, and that's a good thing sometimes."Tucker says last spring's disappointment is driving the veterans."There was a commitment from the time when we didn't make the playoffs last year to this point in time," he explained. "What happened last year was unacceptable and we're going to move forward to try to make that never happen again."The downer of the day was the early exit of defenceman Carlo Colaiacovo."He felt ill," said Maurice.Colaiacovo didn't play hockey after suffering a concussion last January."We don't know if this is related to his concussion," said Maurice. "There were a lot of guys not feeling well after those practices."Colaiacovo was to be examined by doctors."He'll be back on the ice when he gets the green light, which might very well by (Saturday)," added Maurice.Colaiacovo, Staffan Kronwall, Andy Wozniewski, Brendan Bell, Jay Harrison and Ian White are candidates for three defence jobs.</blockquote>

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