Scoring slump doesn’t rattle Kadri
After nine games without a goal, centre remains confident that he’ll enjoy an offensive breakout
Nazem Kadri has the kind of personality and NHL experience that can take a goal slump and turn it into a lesson on NHL survival that should be bound and printed for younger players.
Entering Wednesday night’s game against the tough and talented Winnipeg Jets, Kadri’s scoring line is mostly blank: Nine games, no goals, and four assists.
And, oh yeah, there are three hit goal posts.
Kadri isn’t playing with what he’s gotten used during the previous few seasons.
Nor is it a bona fide, shutdown checking line. He’s on the third line, because of the Leafs’ depth at centre with Auston Matthews and John Tavares ahead of him.
His wingers are Connor Brown and Par Lindholm. Brown — with his work ethic, speed, and pedigree with forechecking and the cycling game, was planned. Lindholm was not.
Leafs coach Mike Babcock had every intention of starting the season with Lindholm as his fourth-line centre, and leaving him there. Kaspari Kapanen was targeted as the other winger on Kadri’s line. Kapanen’s role has now changed: He’s up on the Matthews line while William Nylander sits through a contract impasse with the team. Nylander’s absence has had a ripple effect.
“That wasn’t the plan,” Babcock said
about Lindholm being the winger on Kadri’s line.
“But he’s intelligent (Lindholm), he makes good plays on the back end, he works hard, you can play him in all situations.”
Regardless of the lines, Kadri knows it’s about time he turns on the red lamp.
It’s new territory for him, but he’s not panicking.
“I feel like it’s different,” Kadri said about his role and the makeup of the lines.
“And I do have to adjust accordingly. (Babcock’s) plan was to get to the (shutdown) role … he’s still finding ways to get me some minutes, and maybe me being more consistent on the powerplay would help, but at the end of the day, I’m confident the goals will come.”
Kadri’s ice time has indeed dropped by almost a minute — he’s averaging15:58 per game so far, off from his career average of 16:56.
He also had Mitch Marner on his wing over the final 37 games of the season last year, and Mar- ner went from a sluggish offensive pace to one that had him on a 90-plus points pace over that closing span.
In the meantime, Kadri, like the rest of the Leafs, have to figure out the playoff-like checking approach teams have been taking against them, even at this early juncture of the season.
In losses to Pittsburgh and St. Louis, Toronto’s high-octane offence faced constant neutral zone clogging. It’s something the Leafs now that opponents have scouted their success.
“That’s what most teams do now, get on top of you right away,” Kadri said.
“You look up-ice and there’s always someone in front of you. Every team is doing that and you have to find ways to play through it.
Adds Kadri: Everyone comes into Toronto ready to play. The Leafs are the national broadcast game, a lot of guys are from this area too. So its under a microscope and everyone wants to do well.
“And I’m sure they’re sick of hearing the Leafs, everyone talking about us, but we know we’re going to get a lot of that.”