Gardenier has all the talent in the world. He needs to improve in the defensive zone. He knows better. He needs to stay calm and stop being nervous with the puck. He seems to think too much with the puck.
As a whole, the Leafs have to improve there defensive play in their own zone. Way too many turnovers. The forwards are too busy going up and not giving the defence a target for the puck. Six or seven turnovers a game is just inexcusable. No matter how much offence you have, you cannot overcome the turnover machine in your zone.
There is another eyesore in the lineup, and his name is Nylander. He is struggling. He seems to be a step behind in his play. HIs offence has struggled, along with his defence. It is just a matter of confidence.
Bad turns to worse. The offence has dried up. The sticks have gone cold. When teams are struggling defensively, they overwork themselves in the offence game, knowing they will have score four to five goals a game. They are pressuring themselves, gripping the stick and sometimes trying to make something out of nothing. Maybe the better part of valour is to throw the puck into the zone instead of trying to make that impossible pass. Simple mistakes can become mental blocks, missing the open net, fanning on the show. This is often because the players are pressing too hard. My favourite saying is that if you take care of the defence, the offence will take care of itself. Simply put, find magical dmen who will help in the defensive end.
The Maple Leafs may very well turn to the Panthers for solutions. They are shopping Bogdan Kiselevich. He would be a good fit for the defence. Or Sabres Nathan Beaulieu. The problem in both cases is that they are within the same division. Brandon Montour from the Ducks would cost an awful lot. The Kings are rumoured to be shopping Jake Muzzin; he might be the best fit of all
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