It was love at first fight. In front of an Air Canada Centre crowd desperately in need of something to cheer, the biggest name in the Maple Leafs’ latest makeover punched in for work Tuesday and was a hit. Or several hits if you ask Colin White’s face.

In truth, Dion Phaneuf had them at the introduction. Then, building on that thank-heavens-you’re-here welcoming ovation, the former Flame began forging anew his reputation for cast-iron leadership, whether it be with his shoulder, his right fist or his relentless chirping.

Three minutes in, he laid his first big hit on Travis Zajac. Seven minutes in, he dropped the gloves when White took exception to his hit on Zach Parise. Finally, a bit of truculence that meant something.

“I made the hit and (White) came over. He’s sticking up for his teammate. I wasn’t going to say no,” said Phaneuf, with the kind of logic that Leafs fans, always enamoured of their tough guys, appreciate.

In the midst of a 3-0 Toronto victory over the high-flying New Jersey Devils, a local hero was born.

“I want to be known as a guy who leads on the ice, whether that’s practice or games. I want to work as hard as I can to help this team by playing my game and that’s hard every shift,” said the 24-year-old, making it clear the affection was mutual.

“It was a great honour to put this jersey on tonight and be a part of this organization. The fans were unbelievable. To be on this side, playing in front of them, it meant a lot to me. It was a very special game in my career.”

The Leafs won. But, more important, they showed all is not lost.

With this season a washout and the Leafs in the long-standing business of selling hope instead of playoff tickets, they actually provided some.

The new blood came as advertised with the three players who arrived in weekend trades contributing to the victory.

Phaneuf was tough in his own end, showed good wheels, fired rockets from the blue line - “in the general direction of the net,” coach Ron Wilson chided - and seemed to instantly make defensive partner Francois Beauchemin more at ease.

Goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere wasn’t overly challenged by a Devils team that pumped five shots past Toronto netminders on Friday in an overtime win, but a shutout is a shutout and he, undoubtedly, stopped a couple that would have slipped past predecessor Vesa Toskala. He was only the second Leafs goaltender to record a shutout in his debut, following in the footsteps of Ed Belfour.

Fredrik Sjostrom, the add-on winger when the Leafs cleaned house on Sunday, indeed looks very fast, helped on the penalty kill - a unit that desperately needed help - and picked up as assist.

Perhaps most heartening was the trickle-down effect from the presence of both Phaneuf and Giguere.

With Beauchemin as exhibit A, the Toronto defence simply looked more controlled and patient. Luke Schenn, with some attention deflected, continued his recent calm, steady play and now has a role model in Phaneuf for his style of game. And Carl Gunnarsson - we’re back to that hope thing again - also made some clever plays with puck while teamed with Schenn. A blueline corps that looked like a disaster some nights - such as the last time it faced the Devils - didn’t Tuesday night.

Phaneuf’s leadership extended beyond the on-ice belligerence. He talked incessantly on the bench and in the dressing room between periods, helping to keep his teammates pumped.

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“He’s gung-ho. He seems to love hockey. It rubs off,” said Wilson. “You could hear him talking between periods in our coaches’ office which is almost two rooms and three doorways away. You could hear him the whole time. Which I don’t think anybody in the Leafs’ room, especially the younger guys, has experienced.”

“I’ll pay him by the word. He’s full of energy.”

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