-HEADLINE-
Red Wings follow the leader in Yzerman
-DESCRIPTION-
    DETROIT (AP) _ There is a quiet reserve about Steve Yzerman that makes him seem almost shy.

    Then he steps on the ice.
-SUBGRAFS-
    Yzerman and his understated leadership give the Red Wings reason to believe they can become the first team since 1992 to win a second straight Stanley Cup championship.

    The Red Wings open a best-of-7 second-round series with the St. Louis Blues on Friday night at Joe Louis Arena.

    Of all the things the Red Wings did well in dispatching Phoenix in six games during the first round, perhaps none was as important than composure.

    The Coyotes took 12 penalties to Detroit's seven in Game 6, including five of the game's final six. Yzerman urged the Red Wings not to retaliate, and they listened.

    ``We knew we had to be careful because when you get really fired up, you start running around looking for the big hit,'' Yzerman says. ``But actually, if you get the puck first, you've got to take the hit. Little things like that win games.''

    Afterward, the Coyotes couldn't help but notice what a difference leadership meant to Detroit.

    ``Leadership is a big part of what we have to work on,'' Phoenix forward Rick Tocchet says. ``People say leadership is very overrated in this league. I say it is underrated.''

    Yzerman, who turns 33 on Saturday, used to be Detroit's main scoring threat. But that all changed five years ago when Scotty Bowman became coach. Bowman has thrived by getting inside a player's head. Yzerman was his first target in Detroit.

    Bowman criticized the superstar center, made him emphasize defense, even flirted with the idea of trading him. Yzerman's numbers dropped dramatically. He had 58 goals and 137 points in 1993. This season, Yzerman had just 24 goals and 69 points.

    Yet those 69 points led the club. And the Red Wings are a better team.

    ``Stevie does so many little things that may go unnoticed by some people, but not by his teammates,'' forward Brendan Shanahan says. ``We all know it, and it's contagious.''

    Yzerman is a tireless worker, spending long hours on the exercise bike, doing whatever he can to win games. The rest of the Red Wings follow his example, from big stars like Shanahan and Sergei Fedorov, to the grinders on the fourth line.

    That has been one of the keys for Detroit. The grinders see the stars dirtying their hands and understand they have an important role to play, too.

    ``On our team, the big-name guys are also laying down blocking shots, hustling back to pick up an icing,'' Shanahan says. ``On our team, when you get in the dressing room, everybody's the same.''

    So the playmaking Yzerman _ who can still score when he needs to _ blocks shots. The high-scoring Fedorov will deliver a hit. Shanahan goes into the corners and takes hits. And the Red Wings keep winning.

    ``Steve is the unquestioned leader on this team,'' forward Kris Draper says. ``He's the guy to take the bull by the horns.''

    His most lasting image may be the photo of him, gap-toothed and jubilant, holding the Stanley Cup after last year's sweep of the Philadelphia Flyers. It was the culmination of a long, frustrating wait as the seasons piled up.

    Yet, if anything, Yzerman has actually worked harder this season. And now Detroit fans can almost hear the noise of another victory parade in June.
-CITY-
DETROIT
-ARRIVALDATE-
05/05/1998
-ARRIVALTIME-
21:05:26
-CATEGORY-
Sports
-SLUG-
HKN--Red Wings Leadership
-SOURCE-
AP