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

[Arizonan God]

He had a crappy game. It happens.

Still our best d-man.

 

[ponder]

Unbelievably bad game by Gards. He was really, REALLY terrible. Just "meh" in the 3rd, but a non-stop parade of brutal mistakes in the first 2 periods. Don't ever want to see him play like that again.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Absolutely. And Gardiner is rightfully roasted for his performance against the Hawks.

And against the devils.
Montreal ?

 

[Pi]

Unbelievably bad game by Gards. He was really, REALLY terrible. Just "meh" in the 3rd, but a non-stop parade of brutal mistakes in the first 2 periods. Don't ever want to see him play like that again.

What is worse is that a lot of his errors are unforced. He just left Zaitsev hanging on one play, another play he’s casually playing the puck to no one, and he was awful on the PP.

 

[ShaneFalco]

Not Jake's best game and that 5 on 3 goal - yikes.

 

[Bluelines]

I've never been a big fan of his game but crap happens, good players have bad games. Sometimes in stretches.

Maybe play Hainsey with him for a few games, for whatever reason the chemistry Zaitsev and Gards had at the end of the season is not there so far this year.

I've been saying for the last 3 games, now four, this team has a lot of work to do if they want to be contenders. The detail in their game is no where near where they need it to be to be considered one of the better teams in the league.

Biggest issue right now is how do we allow Andersen see the puck, far too many screen and tip goals this year.

 

[RLF]

I've never been a big fan of his game but crap happens, good players have bad games. Sometimes in stretches.

Maybe play Hainsey with him for a few games, for whatever reason the chemistry Zaitsev and Gards had at the end of the season is not there so far this year.

I've been saying for the last 3 games, now four, this team has a lot of work to do if they want to be contenders. The detail in their game is no where near where they need it to be to be considered one of the better teams in the league.

Biggest issue right now is how do we allow Andersen see the puck, far too many screen and tip goals this year.

It's early though, most teams aren't really firing on all cylinders yet a game like last night, Babcock will be able to get their attention now about detail.

Bolded-That to me is that many of our wingers are late to the point and not getting into the shooting lanes. Waaaay too easy for opposing D to get pucks through right now.

 

[thewave]

It's early though, most teams aren't really firing on all cylinders yet a game like last night, Babcock will be able to get their attention now about detail.

Bolded-That to me is that many of our wingers are late to the point and not getting into the shooting lanes. Waaaay too easy for opposing D to get pucks through right now.

We are rambunctious, sloppy kids trying to out skate all our problems and prove to world we are faster and better and can just bury teams on that alone. The reality is the vets are just starting to stir, stretching and waking up. When they are awake they will bury us on our sloppy unhinged play. Order, structure, discipline must be now pounded in their heads.

Coaches message... Well I am glad to see your limbs are awake, now let's go to work on your heads before you start blowing your bodies out. Fire wheel is fun though ain't it.

 

[RLF]

We are rambunctious, sloppy kids trying to out skate all our problems and prove to world we are faster and better and can just bury teams on that alone. The reality is the vets are just starting to stir, stretching and waking up. When they are awake they will bury us on our sloppy unhinged play. Order, structure, discipline must be now pounded in their heads.

Coaches message... Well I am glad to see your limbs are awake, now let's go to work on your heads before you start blowing your bodies out. Fire wheel is fun though ain't it.

LOL, as you know, hard for a coach to get their attention when they win, a little easier after a loss. Young team, sometimes we will need to lose to get better.

 

[diceman934]

Unbelievably bad game by Gards. He was really, REALLY terrible. Just "meh" in the 3rd, but a non-stop parade of brutal mistakes in the first 2 periods. Don't ever want to see him play like that again.

That is two in a row.. he had been just ok in the other two.

He is my defence of him. His partner is easily the most overrated and over used D man we have with poor decision after poor decision causing a lot of the reasons why it appears that Gardiner is at fault...hence the appearance of indecision and looking like he is unwilling to engage. Zietsev misses so many reads and this casues indecision on his partners.

Look at the playoffs last year we had two pairings who played well. One more observation look at Rielly's game and watch just how much it has progressed in a short time this year and it will continue as he has a partner he can rely on to make basic reads and understand puck support.

 

[thewave]

LOL, as you know, hard for a coach to get their attention when they win, a little easier after a loss. Young team, sometimes we will need to lose to get better.

Yes, I was glad they got spanked. Its fine we have one of the best teams but they need refinement. Not an ounce of worry over here.

 

[ACC1224]

Looks like The Scarecrow is back, man he's been awful.

 

[Duke Silver]

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.

The play happened very quickly.

Devils had two forwards beneath the goal line: Johansson to Andersen's right (where Rielly is) and Bratt to Andersen's left (where Borgman is).

How it played out:
- Bratt holds the line and skates into the corner, feeds the puck to Johansson behind the net. Zacha is positioned in front.
- Rielly applies pressure on Johansson, Johansson feeds it back to Bratt. Rielly's now at the goal line.
- Borgman reacts to pass behind the net, moves towards Bratt, abandoning Zacha in front of the goal.
- Bratt one-times a pass past Borgman (through his skates, perhaps?) to Zacha, who pots the goal.

It was really a masterful passing play, it's hard to attribute fault to something like that. Two passes and a shot on goal in less than a second. But if you had to choose one person, I'm not sure it would be Rielly.

 

[Nithoniniel]

But if you had to choose one person, I'm not sure it would be Rielly.

Ideally, Rielly would not pressure his guy down low there in that situation. Just cut off the passing option. If not, you wish Borgman had played that situation more carefully, allowing them time behind the net to not open up lanes in front. If not, you'd want our forwards to collapse down.

As with most goals, it was the result of nice passing play from the scoring team, and a string of mistakes on the defensive side. Fans tend to want to focus their frustrations on one target though, even if it isn't exactly fair.

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

LOL @ blaming Zaitsev for the awful pinches, reads and decision making from Gardiner last night.

I love Jake but dear god, if anything Zaitev bailed him out multiple times this year.

 

[bunjay]

The play happened very quickly.

Devils had two forwards beneath the goal line: Johansson to Andersen's right (where Rielly is) and Bratt to Andersen's left (where Borgman is).

How it played out:
- Bratt holds the line and skates into the corner, feeds the puck to Johansson behind the net. Zacha is positioned in front.
- Rielly applies pressure on Johansson, Johansson feeds it back to Bratt. Rielly's now at the goal line.
- Borgman reacts to pass behind the net, moves towards Bratt, abandoning Zacha in front of the goal.
- Bratt one-times a pass past Borgman (through his skates, perhaps?) to Zacha, who pots the goal.

It was really a masterful passing play, it's hard to attribute fault to something like that. Two passes and a shot on goal in less than a second. But if you had to choose one person, I'm not sure it would be Rielly.

It only looked like a masterful passing play because half the PK unit was below the icing line chasing pucks they couldn't get. Rielly getting lured into that is inexplicable.

 

[DarkKnight]

Wow, one bad game and here we go....Gardiner always had warts and always will, did people actually think he was a different player now? You have to take Jake in totality, and it's a net positive from where I sit. Nothing has changed.

 

[thewave]

It only looked like a masterful passing play because half the PK unit was below the icing line chasing pucks they couldn't get. Rielly getting lured into that is inexplicable.

Jake Thread but if Rielly covered the man closest to Mitch the guy down low had free reign to just come out from behind and do whatever. Someone had to take that man and only Marner was in position. Marner decided to try and cover the guy at the point for some reason.

I absolve Rielly of all wrong doing.

 

[DarkKnight]

Jake Thread but if Rielly covered the man closest to Mitch the guy down low had free reign to just come out from behind and do whatever. Someone had to take that man and only Marner was in position. Marner decided to try and cover the guy at the point for some reason.

I absolve Rielly of all wrong doing.

Please, that wasn't Marner's responsibility at all. Either you are biased against Mitch or you know jack squat, take your pick. Jeez. BOTH D abandoned the front of the net, that NEVER should happen, they mixed up their coverage, PERIOD. Man this place...

 

[Icejoker]

Zaitsev has -22 last year so far this year + 7.

 

[thewave]

Please, that wasn't Marner's responsibility at all. Either you are biased against Mitch or you know jack squat, take your pick. Jeez. BOTH D abandoned the front of the net, that NEVER should happen, they mixed up their coverage, PERIOD. Man this place...

So why was Mitch not behind the net then, who blew the coverage? I cant see all the play from the video and memory. What was the guy on the point going to do? Take a 1000ft shot? Mitch obviously didn't read what was going on properly. You could even see the hesitation and reverse in direction when he saw the mistake.

 

[bunjay]

Wow, one bad game and here we go....Gardiner always had warts and always will, did people actually think he was a different player now? You have to take Jake in totality, and it's a net positive from where I sit. Nothing has changed.

Couldn't agree more. People talk about Gardiner eliminating mistakes from his game as if that's something any defenseman can just do if they try harder. Yeah, I'd love for him to become a combination of Lidstrom and Orr, too, but it's not happening. The good outweighs the bad and he's been trending in the right direction for a while now.

 

[Nithoniniel]

BOTH D abandoned the front of the net, that NEVER should happen

That is true, but if it does happen, forwards need to collapse. Not just hold their position and allow a free space in front of the net while covering the points.

 

[jrgtml67]

Really we need to make a deal for a better RHD--we cannot keep playing the rookies together, and I am really liking Rielly, Hainsey pairing. Jake had one of those nights to forget, but prior to last night I think he has been one of our better D. In any case we either need Carrick back or trade for a better RHD, send Rosen down. He honestly has made way too many mistakes, he is trying to be a rielly-gardiner type but needs to learn the NA style. I prefer Borgman by a land slide. He is big, beast mode, he hit 2 posts last night, kid is good. He needs to be paired with a RHD that can skate, and or is more a stay at home type. Carrick can skate, but he is a turnover machine, so I guess we shall see what happens. But I think part of our D issue is the fact that is 2 games with 2 rookies paired together. I have watched a lot of hockey lately, and CHI doesnt forecheck hard, they are a rush team, that passes it around. NJ is pure pressure, and speed, when it is that kind of game Rosen cant handle it, he rushes, and does something dumb, whereas Borgman takes that extra time and usually makes the right play.

 

[bunjay]

So why was Mitch not behind the net then, who blew the coverage? I cant see all the play from the video and memory. What was the guy on the point going to do? Take a 1000ft shot? Mitch obviously didn't read what was going on properly. You could even see the hesitation and reverse in direction when he saw the mistake.

The reverse in direction is when he sees RIELLY'S mistake, not his own. Marner was going to cut off the pass back up the boards, as he should. He can't assume that Rielly is going to chase out of position for a puck he has no chance at. Rielly was in position to both block a pass and prevent the player from walking to the front of the net. Then he kept going and was no longer covering anybody.