Dein erstes Forum » OTTAWafter a sixth straight

OTTAWA – It was in the middle of one of Jake Gardiners finest games of the year, the kind of error in judgment that drove the since-dismissed Randy Carlyle crazy. Toronto had just scored to trim a 3-0 deficit when Gardiner took the puck and rushed it up solo into the neutral zone. He had it picked off. And before Carlyles replacement behind the bench knew it, the Senators had a chance that could well have sealed the Leafs fate right then and there. Hes capable of doing a lot of dynamic things, said Peter Horachek shortly after a sixth straight loss and 14th in 17 games. In the middle of that, he can get caught doing those things. Sometimes hes kind of a wild card at times. No Leaf played more than Gardiner in the nations capital on Wednesday night in a 4-3 loss and no Leaf may be more interesting to watch in a second half thats become less about the playoffs and more about the direction of a murky future. Brendan Shanahan and his front office team have the remaining 34 games to evaluate Gardiner under the direction of a different head coach and determine whether he fits into their long-term picture or not. Whether because of his own inexperience or simple disconnect between player and coach, Gardiner never showed sustained growth under Carlyles direction. It was more stops, starts and sputtering in two-plus seasons – this after a rookie year under Ron Wilson that had the club feeling super optimistic about the prospect they plucked from Anaheim in the Francois Beauchemin/Joffrey Lupul swap. Wilson encouraged Gardiner to roam freely. Carlyle pulled those reigns back. The results under the former were mostly positive, the latter almost entirely negative. Its apparent Gardiner rarely felt secure under Carlyles watch. If I made a mistake with Randy, said Gardiner, shortly after the firing was announced, it was a bigger deal than it was with Ron. How much of his sputtering then was due to Carlyle and how much of it was tied to the wobbles typical of most young NHL defenders? These remaining games will aid in that determination process. Carlyle often espoused the belief that 300 NHL games were needed before a defenceman came into his own. By that margin, Gardiner still has a ways to go. Hes played in more than 200 to this point and its still not entirely clear what the Leafs have in him. He can be dynamic certainly – no better example than the 2013 playoffs – but also inconsistent with troubling decision-making skills. In late December – with Carlyle still at the helm – the club opted to lighten Gardiners burden some, bumping him out of the top-four and onto an increasingly sheltered third pairing. The adjustment proved mostly positive in the weeks that followed, Gardiners possession numbers skyrocketing. And though he led the Leafs with a season-high of more than 25 minutes against Ottawa – this time paired with Morgan Rielly – Horachek and Torontos coaching staff did their best to keep Gardiner in situations where he might find success; he started more than 70 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone. Its nights like this that would probably cause the Leafs to think twice about ever parting with their young and often flummoxing defenceman. Active and engaged, Gardiner changed the game with his legs against the Senators, chipping in with two assists in what was a noticeable night for mostly the right reasons. Gardiner remains an unknown commodity at this stage in his fourth NHL season though and that creates questions about his future in Toronto. The Leafs swung for his upside last summer, signing the former first round pick to a five-year deal with an annual cap-hit of more than $4 million. It was a bet on potential, one that hasnt been rewarded through the first half this season. Not only had Gardiner dropped to the third pair recently amid obvious struggles with more responsibility, but hed amassed just nine points and a mere two goals in the 44 games before Wednesday (albeit with some unluckiness). The Leafs arent getting a lot in the way of value from their long-term contracts and right now Gardiner is square in that mix. In question for Leafs brass is whether that will change sometime soon or whether theyre best to move him elsewhere when he still reeks of potential, that potential on display again on this night. The situation is further complicated by the potential issues Toronto faces with the cap next season. At the moment – and trades are obviously a distinct possibility in the weeks and months ahead – the Leafs project to have limited cap space for the 2015-16 season with Jonathan Bernier, Nazem Kadri and Cody Franson all still to be signed. Clearing out some space will take either a big and difficult move – say Dion Phaneuf or Phil Kessel – or a couple less big moves, such as a Tyler Bozak, Joffrey Lupul and perhaps, Gardiner. Its easier to move Bozak and Lupul though, given that both are known commodities at this stage in their NHL careers. Gardiner, on the other hand, is like a stock that may well rise in time. Moving him at this point would be selling low on an asset, always a risky proposition in pro sports. The risk in that respect is obvious. Theres a chance the Leafs give up on Gardiner too soon and he goes on to success elsewhere; sort of how James van Riemsdyk thrived in different settings with the Leafs (also on a similar upside-betting contract), though that appeared more about opportunity in Toronto than anything else. Beyond just the question of Gardiner is what the Leafs want to do with their defence in general for next year and beyond. Five defenders are under contract next season, not including Franson, whos risen to a role on the top pair and will be up for a considerable raise as an impending unrestricted free agent. The club also has Stuart Percy, Viktor Loov, and Tom Nilsson among others, soon to be pushing for more opportunity. The blueprint for that defence needs to be ironed out not just next year, but two, three and four years down the road. Those questions go beyond just Gardiner and into Phaneuf and Franson specifically this summer. More nights like Wednesday, though, will quiet any questions about Gardiner – at least for the time being. Five Points 1. First Periods Horachek was concerned with the way his team was starting even before another dud of a first period on Wednesday night. He was more perturbed and frustrated afterward. Ottawa, who played the night before, scored three times in the first frame, including a marker in the final minute of the period. I scratch my head when I talk about that first period again, Horachek said afterward. That was totally done by ourselves, to ourselves by a team that played last night. Its a strange situation. Weve got to correct that for sure. Mike Hoffman beat James Reimer on the Senators first shot of the game; Erik Karlsson later capped a three-on-one rush; and Mika Zibanejad eluded a pair of Leafs with a delayed penalty looming for the third goal in 20 minutes. Toronto outshot (31-14) and outplayed Ottawa over the final 40 minutes, coming within a goal, but they could never get past another futile start. We get behind early and its really killing us, said Gardiner afterward. We competed hard the last two periods and tried to come back, but it wasnt enough. We need to show more of that urgency in the first period. The Leafs have been outscored 10-1 in their past six first periods and are tied with the Oilers for the most first period goals allowed this season (47). 2. First Periods II This was a real point of frustration for Horachek following his seventh loss in eight games behind the bench. He told his team as much afterward. We put it on ourselves. We did everything that we didnt want to do in the first period, said Horachek after the Leafs 16th road loss this season (7-13-3). I told them that the first periods are unacceptable. If we decide that were going to become a better team, we have to learn play 60-minute hockey, we have to learn to be mentally tougher and play a whole game. We cant play like this and expect that were going to be getting better and moving up the ladder. You have to look yourself in the mirror and decide if this is the way we want to be. If you want to be a better team, you have to start working from the beginning of the game til the end of the game and make it hard to play against. 3. Gardiner/Staios One thing thats helped Gardiner since the coaching change is video work with new Leafs assistant Steve Staios. The two watch clips of his performance after every other game. Its good just to get that reinforcement, Gardiner says. Among the targets for improvement is for Gardiner to use his teammates a little more. Sometimes Ill hold onto it a little too long in the neutral zone when Im bringing it up, Gardiner said. Weve been working on gaps a lot too, just seeing a good gap versus a poor gap. Thats been really helping. Added Horachek: The puck moves a lot faster than you can skate and youve got to be able to move the puck and then skate to areas and get it back. You have to play more of that kind of game rather trying to carry the puck up the ice. 4. Missed Opportunity Injuries to Joffrey Lupul, Peter Holland and Leo Komarov afforded opportunities recently to a handful of Leafs, Richard Panik among them. Paniks ice-time had nearly doubled in January coming into Wednesdays game, from less than eight minutes per game in December to nearly 14 this month. But that bump hasnt been followed by a spike in production. The 23-year-old doesnt have a point in the past 10 games, has fired just 16 shots on goal and was ultimately benched in the third period against Ottawa. He played just a single shift in the final 20 minutes. Lupul, Holland and Komarov are all due to return after the All-Star break meaning a return to fourth line duties could be on the horizon for the former second round pick. 5. New Style Once all too lucky, the Leafs have been bitten, conversely, by some bad luck since Horachek took charge in early January – scoring just nine goals in his first seven games behind the bench. In fact, theres a case to be made that the Leafs were the leagues unluckiest team in the two-week stretch that preceded Wednesday nights game. Their PDO of 92.4 since the first week of January was the lowest in the league and loads below the league-high mark of 108 they managed during that 10-1-1 mirage. Beyond just luck though, James van Riemsdyk also thought the scoring dip was tied to the adjustment of the newly sustainable brand Horachek was pushing. Obviously were playing a little bit different of a style now so you have to maybe account for that a little bit, he said. Horachek didnt think the challenge it presented was all that insurmountable. Its just work, said Horachek before the most recent loss. Its not reinventing the whole world. When youre asking your guys to work harder in their own end and youre asking your guys to work harder on the back pressure and to be putting teams in a position where you have five guys in every area so its harder to play against and youre not giving up chances where you shouldnt have; all that is is work. Its part of the game for the last 50 years. Its about work ethic. We have to work. Stats Pack 10-1 – Margin by which the Leafs have been outscored in their last six first periods. 13-28 – Scoring differential for the Leafs under Peter Horachek. 17 – Consecutive games without an even-strength goal for Phil Kessel. 25:18 – Ice-time for Jake Gardiner against the Senators. 14 games – Goal drought ended by David Clarkson Wednesday. Clarkson scored for the first time since Dec. 20. 7-13-3 – Leafs road record this season. 3-14-0 – Leafs record in the past 17 games. Special Teams Capsule PP: 1-3 Season: 19.6% (10th) PK: 2-2 Season: 83.1% (10th) Quote of the Night We have to be mentally stronger and we cant make any excuses for ourselves. - Peter Horachek on the state of his team after yet another loss. Up Next The Leafs return from the All-Star break next Wednesday in New Jersey. Marlon Mack Jersey . -- Canadian Erik Bedard pitched into the fifth inning in his bid to win a spot in Tampa Bays rotation, helping the Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-3 on Saturday. T.Y. Hilton Jersey .Before a raucous sellout crowd, the Hawks won for the 29th time in 31 games to extend their Eastern-best record to 36-8.As usual, pretty much everyone chipped in.Four starters were in double figures and backup point guard Dennis Schroder led a spurt at the start of the fourth quarter that helped the Hawks pull away. http://www.coltsfansshop.com/Colts-Kemok...y-Draft-Jersey/. -- The Toronto Maple Leafs are tightening the race for second place in the Atlantic Division. Pat McAfee Jersey . 5 Trade Deadline is drawing closer and teams will be deciding on whether to buy or sell while figuring out which players can make the biggest difference and hold the greatest value. Marvin Harrison Jersey . A player confirmed to TSN on the condition of anonymity that he received his ballot yesterday. Another confirms hes been told to expect his shortly. "The unions executive committee insists a strike vote does not mean were pushing away from the table," the player said. "But we want the league to know were serious about our position.Charlotte, NC (SportsNetwork.com) - Lance Stephenson banked in a 3-pointer as time expired in the second overtime, lifting the Charlotte Hornets over the Atlanta Hawks, 122-119, on Friday. The Hawks actually had the first chance to break the 119-119 tie, inbounding the ball with 2.7 seconds left. But Kyle Korver was called for an offensive foul. Following a timeout, Stephenson took a pass from Marvin Williams and hit the game-winning shot from the top of the arc. I was confident I could make a shot, said Stephenson. Hopefully that gives me confidence and I start hitting more shots. Stephenson ended with 17 points and 13 rebounds for the Hornets, who have won two in a row since a three-game skid. Al Jefferson added 34 points and nine boards. Al Horford had 24 points and 10 rebounds for the Hawks, who fell to 1-3 on the young season. Jeff Teague and Korver tallied 22 and 20 points, respectively, with Teague also dishing out 15 assists. Our team keeps showing fight, said Horford. Our guys just keep fighting until the last second. The Hornets first chance to win the game in double overtime came with 2.7 seconds remaining. Kemba Walkers shot was blocked by Teague and Charlotte was called for a 24-second shot clock violation. But Korvers offensive foul gave the Hornets another shot. Down 78-70, the Hornets started the fourth quarter on a 9-2 spurt to get within one. They kept it close and were able to tie things up in the final seconds. The Hawks took a 97-94 lead on HHorfords slam with 54 seconds remaining.dddddddddddd Cody Zeller responded with a tip-in at the other end and after Horford was called for traveling, Jefferson went 1-of-2 from the line with 9.9 seconds left. Paul Millsap missed a jumper at the buzzer. The Hornets jumped out to a 108-102 lead with 24.3 seconds left in the first overtime. But Teague made a layup and Korver knocked down a 3-pointer after Atlanta won a jump ball to cut the Charlotte lead to 108-107 with 12 seconds to go. Walker responded with two free throws to give Charlotte a three-point edge. Mike Scott got two chances to tie things up at the other end. Scott missed a 3-pointer with 5.9 ticks on the clock, but the ball went out of bounds off the Hornets. Scott redeemed himself by making a 3-pointer with 3.6 seconds left. Walker missed a 3-pointer to send the game to a second overtime. The Hawks started the game on a 16-6 run and led 29-22 after 12 minutes of action. But the Hornets scored the first nine points of the second quarter to take a 31-29 lead. The remainder of the period was a back-and-forth battle that ended with Atlanta taking a 50-47 edge into the locker room. The Hawks led 78-70 after outscoring Charlotte by a 28-23 margin in the third stanza. Game Notes The Hornets snapped a six-game losing streak to the Hawks in Charlotte ... 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