Nobody in the NHL completed more stretch passes than Jake Gardiner. If you look at his giveaway totals and his passing totals, he's more accurate than most NFL quarterbacks.

Fact remains, it's really easy to see the negative part of his play but replacing the positive part of his game is going to be really, really hard. Rielly makes almost, if not more mistakes as Gardiner and fans give him a free pass.
- Unholy_Goalie

Dont care.
Any offensively talented dman could get those points on this team.
Dont care if we lose a couple of stretch passes.
His d game is horrible and hes dumb as fack.

At least Gardiner is eating it in his post game. Worst game he has ever played as a leaf obviously, still a good player.

Hey guys - do you think Tanev would have helped the Leafs D? He could have been had for a 2nd and maybe a C prospect.....
- Fisticus

A 2nd for Tanev?

You crazy?

Nobody in the NHL completed more stretch passes than Jake Gardiner. If you look at his giveaway totals and his passing totals, he's more accurate than most NFL quarterbacks.

Fact remains, it's really easy to see the negative part of his play but replacing the positive part of his game is going to be really, really hard. Rielly makes almost, if not more mistakes as Gardiner and fans give him a free pass.
- Unholy_Goalie

I agree with all of this as well

Funny cause it's true. We need guys that can play defense. Gardiner can't. At this point of his career, he is what he is.
- PatC80

I'm hoping he has a shoulder injury.

But let's remember, he went head to head with the best shutdown center in the league at 20 years old. That's not a battle you can expect a 20 year old to win.

I'm also hoping the negativity towards his lack of points is a source a motivation and not a source of "I want out of this market".

Matthews needs more help too. Bergeron has two elite wingers with him. Matthews has two third liners. Reality is, Hyman is not a 1st liner and Brown probably isn't either. They need to bring in at least one legit 1st line winger to play with Matthews. It's a must have. He can't do it by himself in the playoffs.
- Unholy_Goalie

Hyman has been great and perfect complement to Matthews.
Most on here think that Nylander is a legit 1st line winger.
In any case it might make more sense to play Marner with Matthews.

I'm hoping he has a shoulder injury.

But let's remember, he went head to head with the best shutdown center in the league at 20 years old. That's not a battle you can expect a 20 year old to win.

I'm also hoping the negativity towards his lack of points is a source a motivation and not a source of "I want out of this market".

Matthews needs more help too. Bergeron has two elite wingers with him. Matthews has two third liners. Reality is, Hyman is not a 1st liner and Brown probably isn't either. They need to bring in at least one legit 1st line winger to play with Matthews. It's a must have. He can't do it by himself in the playoffs.
- Unholy_Goalie

This is a guy who has led the league in 5v5 goal scoring since he entered the league.

He absolutely sh1t the bed this series.

Maybe he learns from this? Who knows. What I do know is, that if it is not an injury, the complete drop off in the playoffs is worthy of serious criticism and questions.

He didn't just struggle a little, he was nearly (frank)ing invisible.

You're the one always talking about playing the right way. Maybe do make 80 foot passes out of your zone when you're in the 3rd period of game 7.
- HealthyScratch6

Maybe somebody give him a moving target to create a chance on net.

And no, he doesn't always play the right way but there's a lot of factors at play. He wasn't alone on the ice tonight. The guys around him weren't playing perfectly either.

He's not the perfect player but replacing him won't be as easy as people think. He definitely does bring positive attributes to the team so if you ship him out, you need a legitimate replacement. The Leafs are short on top 4 D as it is.

you changed your stance on gardiner quite rapidly
- MaximusAurelius

Not at all.
All season ive been calling him dumb, no hockey sense and complete garbage on d.
I just stopped complaining about him

A 2nd for Tanev?

You crazy?
- Whiskey-Tango

Agreed.


Way too much

Cool. Just don’t let Chias call through to Lou please...
- Iggysbff

Lou being Lou... he probably has line dedicated for Chia, Benning and for whoever the new GM will be in Carolina.

(frank) your leftovers. He would have been as useless as Plekanec was for 95% of his tenure.
- Unholy_Goalie

Need to score more to win is the answer.
D is overrated. Its the PO’s after all.

Dont care.
Any offensively talented dman could get those points on this team.
Dont care if we lose a couple of stretch passes.
His d game is horrible and hes dumb as fack.
- Fakepartofme

False.

Best in the NHL at it. You should care because it creates a lot of offensive breaks and chances.

Hyman has been great and perfect complement to Matthews.
Most on here think that Nylander is a legit 1st line winger.
In any case it might make more sense to play Marner with Matthews.
- MaximusAurelius

Really impressed with the year Marner had, even in the playoffs. I did not expect he would be that good and he looks like he'll get even better.

Funny cause it's true. We need guys that can play defense. Gardiner can't. At this point of his career, he is what he is.
- PatC80

I was pretty quiet about it, I really hoped the pros would outweigh the cons, and a lot of people in here talked about how all he has to do is eliminate those bonehead mistakes and he'd be a great defenseman but he can't. I knew 4 years ago. You can teach a lot of things, but not to someone without a goddamn brain.

Need to score more to win is the answer.
D is overrated. Its the PO’s after all.
- Nighthawk

Definitely need improvements on D. Definitely don't need to pay for it to get it from Vancouver's scrap heap.

Maybe somebody give him a moving target to create a chance on net.

And no, he doesn't always play the right way but there's a lot of factors at play. He wasn't alone on the ice tonight. The guys around him weren't playing perfectly either.

He's not the perfect player but replacing him won't be as easy as people think. He definitely does bring positive attributes to the team so if you ship him out, you need a legitimate replacement. The Leafs are short on top 4 D as it is.
- Unholy_Goalie

Dermott can replace Gardiner. I think relatively easily .

This is a guy who has led the league in 5v5 goal scoring since he entered the league.

He absolutely sh1t the bed this series.

Maybe he learns from this? Who knows. What I do know is, that if it is not an injury, the complete drop off in the playoffs is worthy of serious criticism and questions.

He didn't just struggle a little, he was nearly (frank)ing invisible.
- Aetherial

That got Eberle traded for Strome...so Mathews for Strome??

This is a guy who has led the league in 5v5 goal scoring since he entered the league.

He absolutely sh1t the bed this series.

Maybe he learns from this? Who knows. What I do know is, that if it is not an injury, the complete drop off in the playoffs is worthy of serious criticism and questions.

He didn't just struggle a little, he was nearly (frank)ing invisible.
- Aetherial

100% agreement... it will be interesting to see how the LEafs media coverage handles this criticism... their usual "braindead" way... or whether they suck up to him.

Chris Johnston @reporterchris
2m
Replying to @reporterchris
Jake Gardiner had tears in his eyes as he spoke to reporters. Says he let a lot of people down.

Matthews????..Show me the money..

Hyman has been great and perfect complement to Matthews.
Most on here think that Nylander is a legit 1st line winger.
In any case it might make more sense to play Marner with Matthews.
- MaximusAurelius

I think that's silly. Got to spread out the talent, A LA Crobsy/Malkin, Kane/Toews.

I was pretty quiet about it, I really hoped the pros would outweigh the cons, and a lot of people in here talked about how all he has to do is eliminate those bonehead mistakes and he'd be a great defenseman but he can't. I knew 4 years ago. You can teach a lot of things, but not to someone without a goddamn brain.
- UsernameUnknown

Gotta take the good with the bad I guess but
I want him out.

Or he had bad playoffs. Why does everyone assume he’s hurt? He just wasn’t good.
- ClarksonDavid

He’s shown he rises to the occasion and plays great when needed. There is so many big games that you can pin point in 2 years and he has come up big.

He was injured 6 weeks before playoffs with a shoulder separation. He came back in 4. I’m assuming to get up to game speed for playoffs, but his shot and everything else hasn’t been there. I honestly expect that he’ll have shoulder surgery or they will release a statement that he wasn’t healthy in the playoffs.

Not at all.
All season ive been calling him dumb, no hockey sense and complete garbage on d.
I just stopped complaining about him
- Fakepartofme

before the season you still mentioned him as the 'unsung hero'

This is a guy who has led the league in 5v5 goal scoring since he entered the league.

He absolutely sh1t the bed this series.

Maybe he learns from this? Who knows. What I do know is, that if it is not an injury, the complete drop off in the playoffs is worthy of serious criticism and questions.

He didn't just struggle a little, he was nearly (frank)ing invisible.
- Aetherial

Again, best shutdown center in the league, who has two elite wingers with him vs. a 20 year old in his 2nd ever playoff series. He wasn't invisible because he sucked. He was invisible because they smothered him. He had no help on his wings in comparison to Bergeron. And on top of all that, his shoulder could be (frank)ed up.

If it turns out he's healthy and in 5 years from now he's still not producing in the playoffs, even against poopty opponents, then we can worry. But right now, the criticism can stay at home because it was a giant uphill battle to begin with.