Penguins @ Leafs - Feb. 2nd, 7:00pm - CBC, Fan 590

[OldTimeHockey]

I really felt Kadri didn't have a particularly good game last night. His zone entries on the powerplay were terrible and almost always lead to giveaways. His passing is too soft and deliberate.

In other news, I really like what being on Matthews line has done to Marleau. His speed(his only real remaining weapon) seems to be rejuvenated playing with the speedster Kapanen and Matthews.

 

[Highlander]

Agreed, there is a lot more to Kadri's game than we have been seeing (except for his 3 goal breakout),  I think he is best when he is hitting people and being like sandpaper, he seems to have lost that grit and mojo.

I also think Muzzin will have a good effect on his team-mates, the way he rubs people into the boards cleanly, hope the rest of the guys see it is an effective way to take guys out of play. I seem to remember someone else last night trying to emulate him.

 

[herman]

Gardiner erased Bjugstad beautifully. Immediately turned it into an attack.

https://twitter.com/nickdesouza_/status/1092095634293821440

 

[OldTimeHockey]

Come on man, we can't too excited about that play. He's simply angling off a forward.

 

[herman]

Come on man, we can't too excited about that play. He's simply angling off a forward.

Wait, this isn't a platinum unicorn level display of defense by noted turnover specialist who is too weak to handle big forwards and constantly costs the Leafs the game every time he touches the puck?

Are you telling me that this is something that he does routinely every game so effortlessly that no one ever remembers or makes note because they're busy watching the puck go back on the attack?

 

[OldTimeHockey]

Come on man, we can't get too excited about that play. He's simply angling off a forward.

Are you telling me that this is something that he does routinely every game so effortlessly that no one ever remembers or makes note because they're busy watching the puck go back on the attack?

I'm telling you that it's something that a peewee defensemen should have little problem performing the same task.

The fact that Jake Gardiner is in the NHL means that he should perform this task with relative ease. No we should not notice it. Just as we shouldn't notice every time a goalie makes a simple glove save, or a forward is able to complete a breakout.

Throwing that play out there to somehow quantify Gardiner as a fantastic NHL defensemen is a stretch.