With GM Cliff Fletcher talking about a youth movement as the clock ticks on the Maple Leafs season, it seemed only right to roll out the kids when the much-feared shootout reared its ugly face last night.

After all, there isn't much on the line for Toronto these final games ' "glorified exhibition games" was the term Paul Maurice used.

So rookies Jiri Tlusty and Jeremy Williams were among the shooters trotted out in the six-round shootout.

"We want to see those guys in those situations, at least experience it so that when their time comes, when the pressure's really on, they can do it," said Maurice. "We certainly didn't put them out there thinking they would give us any less of a chance to win the game. We've seen just about everybody else on the bench put it in the pads at this point."

Perhaps determined to fit in as Maple Leafs, Tlusty and Williams both missed. Just like Pavel Kubina, Alex Steen and John Pohl. Only Tomas Kaberle ' who scored in the game as well ' found the twine.

The Sabres had rallied from 2-0 and 3-2 deficits to force the tiebreak despite stellar netminding from Andrew Raycroft. And they kept their slim playoff hopes alive on Maxim Afinogenov's fine deke for the 4-3 decision.

The Leafs' woes with the shootout ' one of the many areas they've struggled with as they've missed the playoffs for the third season in a row ' continued. They're 3-4 this season, 10-18 all-time in the tiebreak.

Changes are promised for next year. Fletcher last night unveiled the beginnings of a blueprint of how he imagines this lineup will be revamped.

Mats Sundin is part of the equation, and Fletcher said it will be the captain's choice whether he comes back. But there are other priorities.

"We're going to try to do two things in parallel," Fletcher said. "No. 1, make our team a lot more competitive but, No. 2, build up the reserve of young prospects."

To that end, the team won't go after aging free agents for "short-term" gain. Nor will Fletcher pursue Group 2 free agents ' players who are "restricted" and would require the Leafs to surrender draft picks as compensation.

He doesn't think the Leafs are that far away from contending.

"When you look at the league and how closely balanced the teams are, one or two players can make a lot of difference," said Fletcher. "We have a pretty darn good goaltender and we have three or four pretty good young players that are going to make sure this team is reasonably competitive.

Raycroft ' one of those believed to be on the way out ' may have raised a few eyebrows with his show-stopping performance. He was the best Leaf on the ice, facing 41 shots.

"It couldn't at all have been easy to come in, in the circumstances that he did with the shooters that they have," said Maurice. "I thought he made some good saves on difficult plays. He battled real hard."

The Leafs were without Sundin, Nik Antropov and Kyle Wellwood. The Air Canada Centre crowd booed Raycroft when he was announced as the starter. But he won them over as he stood up to an onslaught of Sabres shots.

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