Jake Gardiner 2.0 - More beast than man now, I am afraid...

[cloak]

2 of the 4 games Gardiner has been woeful.

 

[TheMadHatTrick]

Gardiner the head fake master is a pathetic disaster.
Remember though our best d man!!
Lilly and Dermott cant replace him soon enough

Oh look here comes sticky111 from out under his bridge for the first time this season. What exactly was your idol Rielly doing behind the net on that 3rd goal again? Oh yeah, another terrible read again leaving a man wide open in front of the net.

 

[Duke Silver]

Oh look here comes sticky111 from out under his bridge for the first time this season. What exactly was your idol Rielly doing behind the net on that 3rd goal again? Oh yeah, another terrible read again leaving a man wide open in front of the net.

That was Borgman’s man.

Stop deflecting.

Gardiner has been below-average these last two games, and that’s being nice. Gives up the blue line way too easy, can’t keep a puck in the zone (and I’m not talking about the 3-on-5 goal), soft with the puck and passes are off. He’s allowed to be off for a few games but hoping this doesn’t continue.

Consistency remains his biggest flaw.

 

[TheMadHatTrick]

2 of the 4 games Gardiner has been woeful.

I think that's a little hyperbolic. He was definitely bad last game, but other than this one play he's been more or less average this game as have a lot of our players.

 

[Atrusai]

While it's easy to pick out single players, and some justifiably so on certain plays, the whole team has been shaky on D. Leafs have been getting by on scoring, but they need a good kick in the jack to tighten up their game.

Let's see how they respond in the third, as I'm sure Babcock is giving them an earful.

 

[TheMadHatTrick]

That was Borgman’s man.

How the heck was that Borgman's man? Rielly was right beside him and left him. At least if you tried to argue that Marner should have rotated I could sort of buy that, but Bratt was Borgman's man on that play. Stop with the contrived excuses.

I don't see anyone here (especially myself) making up excuses for Gardiner s puck watching and failure to hold the line on that play, though one could stretch it to blame Nylander if they really squinted. The double standards are real.

 

[Barilko14]

I think that's a little hyperbolic. He was definitely bad last game, but other than this one play he's been more or less average this game as have a lot of our players.

I don't really like picking on players too often, but I've counted six terrible plays/decisions by Gardiner in the first 2 periods. That Bratt kid has walked him every time they are out together.
Talking about Rielly missing "his" man on the PK, why didn't Gardiner pick up Gibbons on the shorty?
Rielly was too agressive in pursuing the man behind the net and leaving Zacha unattended, Gardiner is just puck watching.

 

[MR4]

Yeah, definitely wasn't only the 5on3 mistake made by Gardiner tonight, been trash

 

[Blazini]

I have come to a conclusion that Gardiner is talented, however his inconsistency makes him more of a liability than an asset.

 

[TheMadHatTrick]

I don't really like picking on players too often, but I've counted six terrible plays/decisions by Gardiner in the first 2 periods. That Bratt kid has walked him every time they are out together.
Talking about Rielly missing "his" man on the PK, why didn't Gardiner pick up Gibbons on the shorty?
Rielly was too agressive in pursuing the man behind the net and leaving Zacha unattended, Gardiner is just puck watching.

Fair enough. Gardiner was puck watching as I said. Play already had fallen apart but he seemed to give up on it and lose focus.

My point was more about sticky111 coming out of the woodwork after every Gardiner mistake but being mum anytime his favorite player makes one.

 

[StevenB]

That was Borgman’s man.

Stop deflecting.

Gardiner has been below-average these last two games, and that’s being nice. Gives up the blue line way too easy, can’t keep a puck in the zone (and I’m not talking about the 3-on-5 goal), soft with the puck and passes are off. He’s allowed to be off for a few games but hoping this doesn’t continue.

Consistency remains his biggest flaw.

If he’s consistently non consistent does that make him consistent?

 

[pcruz]

I'm not as down on Gardiner as some are, but I can't stand watching the horrific gaffes.
Jake's biggest mistakes normally come out of the most basic errors that hockey players are taught not to make.
It's honestly as frustrating as watching the Jays' inability to field and/or bunt.
It's the essential basics of hockey defensemen, not to mention NHL caliber defensemen that he seems to lack at times.

What makes it most frustrating is that the guy has so much talent and is an incredibly gifted skater with and without the puck.

Tonight's game against the Devils has been particularly bad. The fact that Rogers put up a highlight reel of the Devils' young players and it was all about them walking through or around Gardiner says it all.

Rosen looks like a poor man's Jake Gardiner.....that's really not promising.

 

[Barilko14]

He's our most talented dman by far, and that's a plus with how talented our forwards are. The talking heads are right for the most part 95% of his decisions are good or great, but those 5% bad decisions are usually very bad decisions/plays.
Tonight was a very off night for him, hopefully he re-groups as he's one of our most important players currently.

 

[Apotheosis]

When he's good, he's very good. When he's bad, he's very bad. That is Jake Gardiner. I think right now he's irreplaceable, but I don't see it as a guarantee to resign him once his contract is up, because you have to think Dermott is establishing himself at that point, and Dermott to me looks like a guaranteed top 4 D and plays a lot safer.

 

[MJ65]

He was awful tonight - pretty ordinary

 

[Nithoniniel]

Well if there's any positive here, it's that Gardiner is always at his worst at the start of the season and always at his best towards the end and into the playoffs.

 

[thewave]

Bad game, everyone has them. Team game lacked structure as well.

 

[Barilko14]

When he's good, he's very good. When he's bad, he's very bad. That is Jake Gardiner. I think right now he's irreplaceable, but I don't see it as a guarantee to resign him once his contract is up, because you have to think Dermott is establishing himself at that point, and Dermott to me looks like a guaranteed top 4 D and plays a lot safer.

Also, even though Liljegren is a RHD, I have a hard time picturing the Leafs with him and Gardiner in the same lineup long term.

 

[Cotton]

I think that's a little hyperbolic. He was definitely bad last game, but other than this one play he's been more or less average this game as have a lot of our players.

What? Are you seriously trying to pass his play this game off as average?

This was his average, be he didn't play average, he played like garbage and after years of this hot & cold from him I'm absolutely shocked he still has fanboys who misread his plays into some positive.

Jesus Christ, let this be the year he's finally f***ing traded. 7 years already, this is who he is, he's got tool but no toolbox and picks up a lot of secondary assists on the PP.

Give me another Ron Hainsey and a pick and I'd trade him tonight.

 

[TheMadHatTrick]

What? Are you seriously trying to pass his play this game off as average?

This was his average, be he didn't play average, he played like garbage and after years of this hot & cold from him I'm absolutely shocked he still has fanboys who misread his plays into some positive.

Jesus Christ, let this be the year he's finally ****ing traded. 7 years already, this is who he is, he's got tool but no toolbox and picks up a lot of secondary assists on the PP.

Give me another Ron Hainsey and a pick and I'd trade him tonight.

Read the time stamp. This was posted less than midway through the 2nd period. Context matters.

 

[Cotton]

Read the time stamp. This was posted less than midway through the 2nd period. Context matters.

I missed that, im just pissed off from that game.

 

[Apotheosis]

Also, even though Liljegren is a RHD, I have a hard time picturing the Leafs with him and Gardiner in the same lineup long term.

Yeah, completely agreed. Liljegren's tools are far superior at the same age. Better shot, similar edges, higher top end speed and he runs a PP much better as well. If we can replace Gardiner with Dermott and have Liljegren walk in to this team in at least a bottom pairing role, we are good going forward. That's two D contributing on ELC's as well and you can assume Kapanen and another winger of choice (Korshkov/Grundstrom/Leivo etc) also make the team, giving us more flexibility.

 

[TheMadHatTrick]

I missed that, im just pissed off from that game.

No worries. Gards was pretty trash after that point.

 

[TheMadHatTrick]

Yeah, completely agreed. Liljegren's tools are far superior at the same age. Better shot, similar edges, higher top end speed and he runs a PP much better as well. If we can replace Gardiner with Dermott and have Liljegren walk in to this team in at least a bottom pairing role, we are good going forward. That's two D contributing on ELC's as well and you can assume Kapanen and another winger of choice (Korshkov/Grundstrom/Leivo etc) also make the team, giving us more flexibility.

A future 2nd pairing of Dermott - Lil would be awesome especially on entry level contracts. Someone has to step up and be a #1 though. The hope is that's Rielly but he's not there yet. I'm comfortable letting Gards go cause I think Dermott is really good and that money has to go towards other players eventually.

 

[TMLeafs18]

I have never liked Gardiner on the power play. He doesn't make good reads. He's awkward when moving the puck and often turns it over with poor decisions that kills a ton of time on the PP. He also decides to shoot when he doesn't have much of a chance to score. No traffic where it's an easy save or too much traffic to get it through. I have seen him with the Matthews unit a lot and he just kills their time in the opponents zone. Hopefully he can figure things out here.