Jake Gardiner appreciation thread

[The Jerk Store]

It was about this time last year that Dougie Hamilton turned his season around after a rough start. Maybe Jake is starting to do the same.

 

[Tryamw]

The reason Hamilton-Svech-Turbo are clicking is because they're moving the puck quickly and crisply. Aho, Gards and a few others are over-handling it, IMO.

Along with over passing one of the 'Canes biggest issues

 

[tarheelhockey]

I have it from a good inside source that Jake Gardiner thinks hockey is stupid, is getting lazy doesn't feel like practicing any more, doesn't like Raleigh or specifically the people who live in the area, and plans to demand a trade in the next 48 hours.

On the other hand he scored last night so... we good

 

[SvechneJerk]

The only reason Gardiner isn't being paired with Pesce is because Eddy and Pesce is statistically one of the better pairings in the NHL, and at least with a small sample size, Eddy does not pair well with TVR. I don't think he's ever been paired with Fleury. As Sean Tierney pointed out, our current arrangement gives us two great pairings and a fun pair in Gardiner-Fleury. Winnipeg or Nashville could probably use TVR right about now, though Winnipeg is probably still waiting to see what Buff does.

I could’ve sworn they were paired up 2 or 3 weeks ago(?) with Fleury on his off side & thinking that wasn’t a bad pairing.

Am I misremembering here?

 

[Negan4Coach]

Should we challenge him to fights behind Bojangles after a bad game? Discuss.

Does anybody know in what thread the whole Bojangles debacle occurred? That was before my time apparently. Would love to read it.

 

[HisIceness]

Does anybody know in what thread the whole Bojangles debacle occurred? That was before my time apparently. Would love to read it.

I don't know what thread, but it goes back to 2013-ish. It might still be around unless the old thread purge from 3-4 years ago got it.

Good luck trying to find it.

 

[My Special Purpose]

A plus-1 and solid all-around play and now a two-game "hasn't totally sucked" streak. I do not know if he won or lost his lightsaber duel.

 

[Kazparov]

What happened to Gards this year?

 

[Dishface]

How about Gardiner turning the corner a bit at the halfway point. Yes he has his flubs and is pretty slow, but he has been a bit more sound defensively while making decent passes. Hopefully he keeps it up!

 

[MrazeksVengeance]

How about Gardiner turning the corner a bit at the halfway point. Yes he has his flubs and is pretty slow, but he has been a bit more sound defensively while making decent passes. Hopefully he keeps it up!

Yeah, BUT THE CONTRACT IS WAY TOO LONG.

 

[Stickpucker]

What's weird is Gardnier seems to have the same stigma around him that Pitkanen did and they seem to have similar styles...smooth skating playmaking D who are physically soft and get hate for being slotted too high in the lineup.

With that said I loved Joni and thought I would like Gardnier but he hasn't been doing it for me....maybe because there was no one to outshine Joni during his time here but with Slavin and Hamlord I don't appreciate Gardniers strengths as much?

 

[The Faulker 27]

What's weird is Gardnier seems to have the same stigma around him that Pitkanen did and they seem to have similar styles...smooth skating playmaking D who are physically soft and get hate for being slotted too high in the lineup.

With that said I loved Joni and thought I would like Gardnier but he hasn't been doing it for me....maybe because there was no one to outshine Joni during his time here but with Slavin and Hamlord I don't appreciate Gardniers strengths as much?

Except Pitkanen was a world class skater. Gardiner not so much.

 

[geehaad]

What's weird is Gardnier seems to have the same stigma around him that Pitkanen did and they seem to have similar styles...smooth skating playmaking D who are physically soft and get hate for being slotted too high in the lineup.

With that said I loved Joni and thought I would like Gardnier but he hasn't been doing it for me....maybe because there was no one to outshine Joni during his time here but with Slavin and Hamlord I don't appreciate Gardniers strengths as much?

This is not an apt comparison. At all.

 

[MinJaBen]

This is not an apt comparison. At all.

Yep. Pre-2019 Dougie is a much better comparison to Joni than Jake.

 

[GIN ANTONIC]

Yep. Pre-2019 Dougie is a much better comparison to Joni than Jake.

The comparison is apt based on Gardiner's play for the bulk of his career in Toronto. He was a very good skating d-man who was good at breaking the puck out the zone or a stretch pass. Both were shy on the physical side of things but I would say Pitkanen was a better defensive d-man than Gardiner with regards to positioning and stick work. Although it has been a while so I could be off on that. Gardiner probably has/had better instincts for jumping into the play and creating offense off the rush or creating an odd man chance down the ice.

 

[geehaad]

The comparison is apt based on Gardiner's play for the bulk of his career in Toronto. He was a very good skating d-man who was good at breaking the puck out the zone or a stretch pass. Both were shy on the physical side of things but I would say Pitkanen was a better defensive d-man than Gardiner with regards to positioning and stick work. Although it has been a while so I could be off on that. Gardiner probably has/had better instincts for jumping into the play and creating offense off the rush or creating an odd man chance down the ice.

Wrong on both counts. Jake can’t hold Joni’s jock in either end of the ice. Pitkanen was a shark in the O zone and an asshole in his own.

Gardiner more aptly compares to Joe Corvo than Joni Pitkanen.

 

[GIN ANTONIC]

Wrong on both counts. Jake can’t hold Joni’s jock in either end of the ice. Pitkanen was a shark in the O zone and an ******* in his own.

Gardiner more aptly compares to Joe Corvo than Joni Pitkanen.

I wasn’t saying either was Lidstrom in the d zone but we were comparing them relative to each other. You’re underestimating Gardiner whole he was on the Leafs. He was a very good player

 

[RodTheBawd]

Gards and Joni were very similar... they both played hockey... and uhh... both played for the Hurricanes. Oh and defensemen.

 

[GIN ANTONIC]

Gards and Joni were very similar... they both played hockey... and uhh... both played for the Hurricanes. Oh and defensemen.

And excellent skating defenseman, who could break out of their zones with the puck and pinch in the offensive zone while neither being the strongest defensively...

Id agree that Joni was a better d man than Jake but if you’re discounting his time in Toronto or basing his whole career off of the first few months of this season then you’re just being ignorant and clueless

 

[MinJaBen]

Gards and Joni were very similar... they both played hockey... and uhh... both played for the Hurricanes. Oh and defensemen.

And both couldn’t skate after they were hurt...

 

[Navin R Slavin]

And excellent skating defenseman, who could break out of their zones with the puck and pinch in the offensive zone while neither being the strongest defensively...

Id agree that Joni was a better d man than Jake but if you’re discounting his time in Toronto or basing his whole career off of the first few months of this season then you’re just being ignorant and clueless

We are basing his Hurricanes career on what he's been able to do as a Hurricane. That's neither ignorant nor clueless. If he turns it around, fine. To date, he hasn't, particularly.

If there's any direct comparable here, so far it's Tomas Kaberle. Great Leaf, mediocre Hurricane.

 

[GIN ANTONIC]

And both couldn’t skate after they were hurt...

This is very true. Would like to think Gardiner is turning the corner a bit now and with the all star break coming up he should be fresh and ready to go for the second half push.
He’s been disappointing, no doubt, but not willing to write him off just yet.

 

[GIN ANTONIC]

We are basing his Hurricanes career on what he's been able to do as a Hurricane. That's neither ignorant nor clueless. If he turns it around, fine. To date, he hasn't, particularly.

If there's any direct comparable here, so far it's Tomas Kaberle. Great Leaf, mediocre Hurricane.

Ok fair enough, I was comparing them when they were both at their best in their careers which is clearly not right now for Jake. Stylistically when Gardiner was playing well on the Leafs he was similar to Pitkanen as a Cane. I think that’s a reasonable statement to make

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Joni was an elite skating top pairing D. He had his warts, but he was still top pairing and an elite skater.

Even with Toronto, Gardiner has never been an “elite” skater and never a top pairing D. He was a very good skater though,

I don’t think he’s anywhere near as bad as Kaberle though and like what I’ve seen the past few games.

 

[GIN ANTONIC]

Joni was an elite skating top pairing D. He had his warts, but he was still top pairing and an elite skater.

Even with Toronto, Gardiner has never been an “elite” skater and never a top pairing D. He was a very good skater though,

I don’t think he’s anywhere near as bad as Kaberle though and like what I’ve seen the past few games.

Agreed. Jake's skating wasn't on Joni's level. Few were, but it was very good and near the top of the league for D-men.