Islanders @ Leafs - Mar. 9th, 7:00pm - SN, Fan 590

[GhostofPotvin29]

His effort level has been more or less fine from what I've seen, not that I feel like I can accurately assess that from a TV.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

What I took away from that game:

- Gardiner is good.

He's currently getting robbed in the MOTM thread for this game

 

[bustaheims]

6 points in 14 games.  I think we just might be able to deal him at the deadline next year.

Yeah, maybe. When the trade first went down, I figured he was a prime buyout candidate this summer, but, he's looked like a useful player that's worth hanging on to until the deadline.

 

[herman]

I wonder if anyone that watched a lot of Marlie games this year can add to this? Was there a consistent effort level from Nylander down there?

First off: Nylander is dazzingly good when he has the puck. For a smaller guy, he protects it well.

However, it's easy to say he's not trying that hard because, well, some things just come easier to him (skating) so he doesn't look like he's expending effort, he doesn't get super emotional, and the AHL was a bit slow relative to his processing speed. He'd just sidle up, poke the puck free and he'd be off the other way. Much of the time away from the puck was really just him circling, and anticipating the play.

Compared to Hyman and Soshnikov (and even Kapanen), who are all North-South players, Nylander can appear relatively aloof. Babcock's just pushing buttons to get him to go even harder than what was sufficient before. Nylander also has the harder position to learn in the NHL, with more thinking required.

Did you see him soar into the defensive zone from the offensive blueline in OT to backcheck a turnover, and then haul himself back down to the opposing goal-line, just missing Rielly's late leading pass? He was already gassed on the backcheck and still beat his man to the net going the other way.

 

[herman]

What I took away from that game:

- Gardiner is good.

He's currently getting robbed in the MOTM thread for this game

I usually have a hard time picking Gardiner because him playing well is basically his normal, so it's nothing particularly special anymore.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

I wonder if anyone that watched a lot of Marlie games this year can add to this? Was there a consistent effort level from Nylander down there?

First off: Nylander is dazzingly good when he has the puck. For a smaller guy, he protects it well.

However, it's easy to say he's not trying that hard because, well, some things just come easier to him (skating) so he doesn't look like he's expending effort, he doesn't get super emotional, and the AHL was a bit slow relative to his processing speed. He'd just sidle up, poke the puck free and he'd be off the other way. Much of the time away from the puck was really just him circling, and anticipating the play.

Compared to Hyman and Soshnikov (and even Kapanen), who are all North-South players, Nylander can appear relatively aloof. Babcock's just pushing buttons to get him to go even harder than what was sufficient before. Nylander also has the harder position to learn in the NHL, with more thinking required.

Did you see him soar into the defensive zone from the offensive blueline in OT to backcheck a turnover, and then haul himself back down to the opposing goal-line, just missing Rielly's late leading pass? He was already gassed on the backcheck and still beat his man to the net going the other way.

Yeah Hyman especially has to play the way he does in order to be effective - he's much more of a 'power forward' type player who sort of always has to be turned up to 11.  To keep it in the Babcock world, if you watch Zetterberg or Datsyuk they're not running around the ice like crazy all the time, they're more cerebral in their approaches but their skating ability lets them rarely be beat.

To be honest though I think it has just been Nylander being a bit tentative to start his NHL career, which isn't surprising for a teenager.

 

[herman]

To be honest though I think it has just been Nylander being a bit tentative to start his NHL career, which isn't surprising for a teenager.

Exactly. And he's at centre. Up against (but not directly, thanks to Babcock), Stamkos, Ovechkin, Bakstrom, Tavares on the playoff hunt.

It's an adjustment. He's making them in the right direction. Enjoy the show!

Edit: I forgot Eichel. Just like everyone else does.