Winnipeg Sun
Thursday, January 31, 2002
By Ken Wiebe -- Winnipeg Sun

Brad Leeb finds himself where many players have gone before him.

It's a place where most goal scorers find themselves at one point during the course of a demanding hockey season.

And it's a spot where most prospects can't wait to get out of.

Slumpville.

The talented right-winger for the Manitoba Moose hasn't registered a point in his last seven games, not a lengthy slump but enough of one to take notice when you consider the frequency he was scoring at prior to the dry spell.

"During the year, every team and every individual goes through a slump of some sort, be it two games, seven games or 15 games," said Leeb, who has 16 goals and 31 points in 49 outings and is fourth on the Moose in scoring. "You just have to learn how to work through it, realize that it's going to happen and deal with it."

"As bad as it sounds not getting a point in seven games, I'm actually feeling good and not worrying about it much."

Another person who isn't overly concerned is head coach Stan Smyl, who believes Leeb hasn't let the decrease in production affect his game negatively.

"That's an important part of it, playing strong when (offence) doesn't happen for you as a player," said Smyl. "That frustration can build and affect other parts of the game that it shouldn't, like the defensive zone coverage. We rely on him in those situations, like in the last minute or last part of the game. He's come a long way with his play defensively."

As for the drought itself, Leeb doesn't expect it to last much longer.

"There's definitely more to the game than points," said Leeb. "It's going to turn around sooner or later, it's just a matter of when."



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