Darcy Tucker has been watching.

Toronto's checking forward learned how to make his small size create big havoc by watching Toronto's old-time favorite Leaf, Wendel Clark. Tucker's crushing early-game check on New Jersey's Scott Stevens in Game 1 of the Eastern semis came right out of Clark's repertoire. "He taught me to look for it," the 5'11" Tucker said right after his team's surprising and solid 2-0 win. "Any time the puck is along the boards, Wendel would come low around the net. The guy doesn't look for it -- he's looking for the puck."

So Tucker saw the chance to hit the mammoth Stevens as soon as he entered the New Jersey zone. He circled in low and lunged into the Devils captain -- almost leaving his skates. Stevens, who has to be as alert as a mob boss in debt these days, was wide open. Tucker's hit didn't change the game, but then again neither did Stevens.

After New Jersey eliminated his team last year, Tucker sat in front of the tube and watched every single one of the Devils' games. He watched how their plays developed, and he learned what angles to take on which Jersey forwards in the neutral zone. Tonight, the Devils' top line of Elias, Sykora and Arnott was all but invisible. That's five straight boring wins over exciting offensive teams for the Leafs. "We're finishing our checks," he said. "Last year we didn't."

Tucker learned the importance of his role -- he's a fourth-liner -- by watching the Edmonton Oilers. He grew up in Alberta. "I remember Gretzky and Lowe talking about walking by the Islanders locker room after they lost the Cup," Tucker said tonight. "They noticed the Islanders all banged up with ice packs, even though they won. And the Oilers had no damage, even though they lost." Then Tucker mentioned a lesser-known Oiler, Dave Lumley, a checking forward who scored 230 points in eight seasons but went on a 12-game goal scoring streak after injuries put him on Gretzky's line in the '81-'82 season. "You need guys like that," Tucker said last night, "to win Cups."

Thursday night's win gives Toronto home-ice advantage. The team will return to the Air Canada Centre next week, with notables like actor Mike Myers in attendance. During the Ottawa series, Myers whipped the home crowd around him into a frenzy, wearing Toronto jersey No. 16 -- Tucker's jersey.

Tucker has stayed in the league without size or scoring touch by paying attention. Now people are watching him.

Eric Adelson covers hockey for ESPN The Magazine. E-mail him at eric.adelson@espnmag.com.