DETROIT – Perhaps this is what Brendan Shanahan had in mind.
Tedy Bruschi Jersey . It was early this season that the Maple Leafs president expressed to Nazem Kadri his desire that the 24-year-old evolve into something more than just a “one-dimensional” offensive player, something more complete than that. And of late, Kadri is offering hints of doing just that. The Leafs have recently begun testing him with top line opponents, a challenge that mostly featured Henrik Zetterberg on Wednesday evening (Detroit had last change and used Pavel Datsyuk opposite Phil Kessel) and the dangerous Sedin twins a few nights earlier. Kadri has responded with some of the most inspired hockey of his season (career?), not only helping to slow some of those top-tier talents but breaking out with some offence himself after a quiet start to the season production-wise. “With Nazzie it’s giving him more responsibility and trusting [him],” said Leafs coach, Randy Carlyle, prior to a 2-1 shootout win, the seventh in the past nine games for Toronto. “You’ve got to be able to put a player in some certain situations that you can trust him [in].” Bitten by some bad luck and hit-or-miss play early, Kadri was slow to get going offensively, but he’s come on some of late, totaling eight points in the past seven games while remaining one of the team’s top possession players. “And we always say the best offence is a good defence,” said Kadri, “…especially against those top lines [because] they’d rather be playing offence than defence. We want to force them out of their comfort zone and try to generate some chances.” He led the Leafs with 61 per cent possession in a win over the Flames on Tuesday, also notching a pair of assists. A night later he was one of the few in a white and blue sweater to hold the puck in what was a truly dominant Red Wings effort, one the visitors stole on the shoulders of James Reimer. But rather than the offence it’s the increased engagement in his own zone that has the Leafs encouraged. In one such instance against Detroit, Kadri pounced on a rebound attempt in front of Reimer moments before Zetterberg could tap it in – the Leafs tied the game a few minutes later. Not many could have envisioned this from a player of his flashy, shoot-for-the-moon skill-set nor would the prospect of employing him against top lines have seemed at all likely even six months earlier. Joffrey Lupul, for one, couldn’t have imagined it. The 31-year-old has been tagged to play with Kadri more often than any other player since the latter made it to the NHL. This kind of recent evolution, one Lupul says is more gradual than instantaneous, is not something he could have envisioned a younger Kadri doing or even embracing. “It’s wanting to win and doing what’s necessary to win,” said Lupul. “I’m sure he’d love to be Phil Kessel’s centreman…but he’s playing a role for us now that probably two years he wouldn’t have saw himself playing. He’s doing it and doing it very well and still creating a lot of offence.” “I probably couldn’t have done it as well,” Kadri said of filling similar duties last season, one in which he scored 20 goals and had 50 points. “I think it’s the development and the maturity of your game. Just kind of trying to take steps in the right direction and just watching the little things, whether it’s watching it on film or other games, and trying to pick the best players’ brains and (then) try to add it (all) to your arsenal.” The Leafs want him play with an edge and do so consistently. And they’ve challenged him as such. He didn’t have a power-play point through a quarter of the season and so they proceeded to take him off the power-play entirely to bang that drum. Kadri responded to that prodding positively – he’s now playing the point of the first power-play to mixed reviews – and now the coaching staff is testing him again, this time with more difficult ice and responsibility. It’s something they’ve done occasionally in the past – Zetterberg had four assists in one such occurrence in mid-October – but Kadri now appears ready to engage in the role more often and with more consistency. “I’m proud of the way he’s developed his game the whole way around,” Lupul said. This is the kind of development the Leafs need to see from Kadri, especially at a point in his career when they need to determine exactly what he is as a player and where exactly he may be going. Kadri is up for restricted free agency next summer and figures to ask and be in line for a big raise from the $2.9 million cap hit he earned this season. How much and how long that contract stands to be is what this season will help determine. Five Points 1. Reimer’s Return In his last appearance nearly one month ago James Reimer was pegged for six goals in the Leafs disastrous home showing against Nashville, hit for an additional six three nights earlier in Buffalo. But he was on point Wednesday night even if his teammates were not. “He was just okay,” said Carlyle, mocking the comments he made at Joe Louis Arena nearly nine months earlier. Reimer ended up with 41 saves, turning aside countless opportunities for Detroit. “Reims made big stops all night,” Carlyle added. “He was dynamite.” Reimer improved to 3-0-0 this season when facing 40 shots or more. “In games when you haven’t played in a while it’s all about trying to be mentally ahead of the game, one step ahead,” Reimer said. “That’s how I tried to play and [I] got a couple lucky bounces and ended up with a win.” 2. Long Wait How did Reimer manage to remain sharp in spite of the long layoff? “I think the best practical for me to stay sharp or any goalie is just really game-specific drills,” Reimer said recently. “Sometimes we do drills where we’re breaking out things and obviously they’re good, but maybe they’re a little bit slowed down or almost sometimes maybe a little too quick. So sometimes there’s those drills that are really game-like, just in the way they’re broken down and stuff. Those are the ones that as a goalie when you don’t play for a little while those are the ones where you feel the most ready when you have a couple drills like that in a practice.” The 26-year-old entered the night with an .898 save percentage, that number rising to .908 after the 41-save performance. 3. No Puck The Leafs improved to 7-1-1 since their infamous destruction at home against Nashville, though the past two nights were hardly in the manner their coach would like. Detroit dominated the puck from start to finish Wednesday, finishing the night with an astounding 76 per cent possession at even-strength. Only Reimer’s brilliance kept the action even close. “I think anytime you can get points on the back-to-back you’ve got to take them no matter how it happens,” Carlyle said. The Leafs have allowed 37 shots on average in their past six games. 4. Top Line Mostly non-existent for the better part of a few weeks – despite some power-play success – Toronto’s top line found some offence at a key time Wednesday. Digging a puck free in the neutral zone early in the final frame, James van Riemsdyk proceeded to fend off a Wings defender before dishing to Phil Kessel for the game-tying goal. It was the 15th this season for Kessel and fourth in the past five games. “They’re a dangerous group,” Carlyle said. “The pass JVR made to Kess is a big-league pass. Those are scorers’ passes and those are offensive players that can execute in those situations.” “We were alright,” Kessel added. “We need a couple bounces here or there. [But] we’re winning so that’s the most important [thing].” 5. Shootouts Mike Santorelli went to school about 734 kilometres from Detroit, playing three seasons for Northern Michigan University. And it was the one-time Michigan import who got the call to finish the Red Wings in the shootout, beating Jimmy Howard for the winner. Carlyle said he got the tip to use the 28-year-old from Peter Horachek, the Leafs assistant who coached a younger Santorelli in Nashville. Word from Horachek was that Santorelli was “gold” in the shootout and he proved right in Motown. Santorelli is pushing 45 per cent lifetime in shootouts. Tyler Bozak, meanwhile, has scored on 60 per cent of his opportunities, amongst the best in the league currently. Stats-Pack 3-0-0 – Record for James Reimer this season when facing more than 40 shots. 63-22 – Possession advantage for Detroit. 2-1-1 – Leafs record vs. the Red Wings this season. 27:59 – Ice-time for Dion Phaneuf on Wednesday. 6-4-1 – Leafs record in back-to-back games this season. 37 – Average shots allowed by the Leafs in their past six games. Special Teams Capsule PP: 0-4 Season: 20.4% PK: 4-4 Season: 84% Quote of the Night “He was just okay.” -Randy Carlyle, on the performance of James Reimer on Wednesday night. Up Next The Leafs conclude their regular season series with Detroit at home on Saturday.
Devin McCourty Jersey . With timely hitting and good pitching, the Marlins are one win away from sweeping the slumping Houston Astros.
Jimmy Garoppolo Jersey . This week they discuss Russias mens hockey team, the ineptitude of the IOC handling the Nicklas Backstrom situation, John Tortorellas many apologies, and Canadas strong showing in curling. WASHINGTON -- Alize Cornet and Madison Keys were the high-profile casualties on the opening day of the Citi Open, while veteran Svetlana Kuznetsova breezed through to the second round on Monday. Cornet, the Frenchwoman who beat Serena Williams en route to the fourth round of Wimbledon, was defeated 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 by American wild card Shelby Rogers. Rogers will play Marina Erakovic or Kristyna Pliskova in round two. Kuznetsova comfortably downed Polona Hercog of Slovenia 6-3, 6-2 to progress to a second-round match against either Heather Watson or Kirsten Flipkens.
Tom Brady Jersey. Seventh-seeded American Keys was beaten 7-5, 6-3 by Japans Kurumi Nara, who will face Zarina Diyas in the second round. In the mens draw, qualifier Robby Ginepri of the U.S. beat Alejandro Falla of Colombia 6-4, 6-2 and will take on top-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych in the second round.
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