Honestly can you ever add anything remotely of value?
- honesthockey

*Signs with the Leafs

Ekland - Leafs find a diamond in the rough! Expect to see this guy in the line-up 2 years time in a top 6 role when his conditioning and mentality are ready. (E5)

Nope, but better to have a guy skating fast and losing the batles than every other (frank)er who skate like they're in mud and still lose puck battles...
- lumlums

I can agree with that. Common theme? Losing battles.

actually yes it is.. he is a gifted puck carrier but he's dumb as a stump.. holds onto the puck WAY too long, and doesnt make decisions fast enough

what that does is freezes the forwards at the blue line.. gardiner is terrible at sending his forwards in on a free flowing rush.. he's too busy trying to be the hero himself.

he breaks up the transition .. great skills.. smart like brick
- Dozzer

forward are breaking out too early, or are too low, therefore nobody is open.

he buys times, looks for outlet, there is none, he has to turn back or pass to his other D man.

chipping it up the boards didnt work all season, and randy didnt change where the forwards sit along the boards/cut to the middle.

i put very little blame on gardiner for the teams meltdown.

He has to hold onto the puck longer because the minute one of our D gets the puck in the zone, every forward turns and skates off as fast as they can leaving a 100 ft gap between themselves and buddy with the puck...
- lumlums

then he needs to recognize that and dump it in deep so they can retrieve it

this isnt true at all.

towards the end of the season gardiner got more and more ice time

its not a coincidence that the forwards production lessened at the exact same time

the more ice time gardiner got the worst the leafs as a team played

its just the truth.
- Dozzer

so correlation proves causation?

edit: nm someome beat me to it

forward are breaking out too early, or are too low, therefore nobody is open.

he buys times, looks for outlet, there is none, he has to turn back or pass to his other D man.

chipping it up the boards didnt work all season, and randy didnt change where the forwards sit along the boards/cut to the middle.

i put very little blame on gardiner for the teams meltdown.
- big_dion

then you dump it in off the boards and let the forwards go get it.

What did you add? That Gardiner played well but we lost. It's everyone else except him
- honesthockey

i didnt add that, that is a given.

i added that you are always wrong and that is what i added.

so correlation proves causation?
- senstroll

i'm not explaining it again

i've done so too many times.

you guys have a hard on for the kid.. it will die with time.. dont worry

C'mon dude ....the stats (traditional or advanced) might show that the Leafs are a better team with Gardiner on the ice (relative to the rest of the D) but you need to factor in that they're extra-bad when he's on the bench. Clearly he's (frank)ing poop up from the bench and causing the Leafs to lose.
- The Law

Did you listen to RC's post season interview... He said he was surprised with a young defenceman's assessment of his year... saying he felt RC limited his ability to rush up the ice at the end of the season (which RC was surprised about) and tha the player compared himself to another rover defenseman in the league.

First - RC needs to shut up and Second if Jake has an attitude like that he's gotta go - especially if he think he's Erik Karlsson.

this isnt true at all.

towards the end of the season gardiner got more and more ice time

its not a coincidence that the forwards production lessened at the exact same time

the more ice time gardiner got the worst the leafs as a team played

its just the truth.
- Dozzer

Come on Bruce, you can't seriously believe that we shat the bed because Gardiner played more?

The guys thought they they were already in the playoffs, and so went into night fishing mode...

its just an example to show how players currently on the team and ones that went to other teams fared. its the same for everyone .. declined with Carlyle.

not a this guy sucks that guy doesnt.
But having Mac on the 2nd line all season instead of Clarkson would have been a huge improvement
- senstroll

Meh

Hindsite - it's easy for you to sit and say that now

then you dump it in off the boards and let the forwards go get it.
- Dozzer

when you are not being forechecked and have the time/room to skate, sure, or bring it in and try to make a scoring play.

realistically there was little to no scoring outside of line 1 after the olympic break

then he needs to recognize that and dump it in deep so they can retrieve it
- Dozzer

But thats not what RC has them doing. Everytime the puck is dumped in, the forwards peel off for a change. Not to mention, which one of our stellar power forwards is going to get in deep and win the battle?

He has to hold onto the puck longer because the minute one of our D gets the puck in the zone, every forward turns and skates off as fast as they can leaving a 100 ft gap between themselves and buddy with the puck. Gardiner's just one of the few who can actually carry the puck long enough to get it out of the zone.
- lumlums

Simple solution. Move the puck while your forwards are moving. That's one of his biggest flaws. Takes way to long to make a decision. By the time he does the play is over. It's what makes Rielly already a better all round player.

forward are breaking out too early, or are too low, therefore nobody is open.

he buys times, looks for outlet, there is none, he has to turn back or pass to his other D man.

chipping it up the boards didnt work all season, and randy didnt change where the forwards sit along the boards/cut to the middle.

i put very little blame on gardiner for the teams meltdown.
- big_dion

I saw the same thing.

Come on Bruce, you can't seriously believe that we shat the bed because Gardiner played more?

The guys thought they they were already in the playoffs, and so went into night fishing mode...
- lumlums

actually i think gardiner is a big part of the problem on the leafs D

him and franson need to go.. been saying it for awhile.

Come on Bruce, you can't seriously believe that we shat the bed because Gardiner played more?

The guys thought they they were already in the playoffs, and so went into night fishing mode...
- lumlums

there are 5 guys and a goalie on the ice.

when the scoring goes flat and the goaltending goes to poop, i wouldnt blame it on the PMD...id blame it on everyone on the team.

I saw the same thing.
- HipHopisDead

the forwards are (frank)ing up.. thats what i mean about decision making.. hanging onto the puck and trying to make something happen on your own just amplifies the problem, it does not solve it.

you dump it in and let the forwards go get it

its not pretty.. but its the best option.

then you dump it in off the boards and let the forwards go get it.
- Dozzer

Controlled zone entry >>>>>> dump and chase

Where did you discredit anything?
- honesthockey

The assertion that a game is won or lost because of one player out of 19 who played just over 1/3 of the game at most.

To be fair, I really didn't do much there, that one discredits itself.

there are 5 guys and a goalie on the ice.

when the scoring goes flat and the goaltending goes to poop, i wouldnt blame it on the PMD...id blame it on everyone on the team.
- big_dion

So you look at when and why the scoring went flat. Trade deadline. Long leashes. Wrong players with the puck.

there are 5 guys and a goalie on the ice.

when the scoring goes flat and the goaltending goes to poop, i wouldnt blame it on the PMD...id blame it on everyone on the team.
- big_dion

you blame the guy who isnt playing within the system

thats what (frank)s everyone up.. RCs system is a dump and chase.. if everyone is on the dump n chase system and the D man decides that he's going to carry it and attack with possession.. the team going flat is on that D for not playing within the system everyone else is.

i have broken it down 1000 bloody times on this site.

getting damn tired of doing it

its just like the franson love a couple years ago.. i said he sucked and everyone hated me for it

he sucks.. leaf fans are slow sometimes.. they see offensive skill and see point production and they get all mystified. sorta of like babies with shiny objects
- Dozzer

I liked Franson

the forwards are (frank)ing up.. thats what i mean about decision making.. hanging onto the puck and trying to make something happen on your own just amplifies the problem, it does not solve it.

you dump it in and let the forwards go get it

its not pretty.. but its the best option.
- Dozzer

Thought we are talking about getting out of the zone not dump ins?

I saw the same thing.
- HipHopisDead

thats because thats what happend.

its better to turn around and try to set up the breakout than it is to ice it or just give it away (esp. if players are tired).