Fans cheer Gardiner, before Marner beats him for game winner
Jake Gardiner was left with mixed feelings after the Maple Leafs’ wild 8-6 win over his Carolina Hurricanes on Monday.
On one hand, there was a classy standing ovation for him in the first period at Scotiabank Arena, while the Leafs played a video tribute to his eight seasons and 551 games in a Toronto uniform. He was also part of a terrible defensive effort that saw Carolina blow a two-goal lead in the third period.
Gardiner felt bad for good friend James Reimer. The former Leafs goalie, with the Hurricanes playing brutal defence in front of him, was pulled after allowing three goals on the first seven shots of the game.
“We hung him out to dry right away,” Gardiner said. “He has been great for us. It was a tough (game) for everybody.”
The 29-year-old Gardiner didn’t know what to expect in his return to Toronto, for the first time since signing a four year, $16.2-million (U.S.) contract with Carolina as a free agent in early September. His overall success as a Leaf — 11th in team history in games played by a defenceman, 28th in points — was often overshadowed by a pair of nightmarish Game 7s against the Boston Bruins.
“I was excited to play this game,” he said Monday.
“I was a little bit nervous. You don’t get that feeling too often anymore.”
Gardiner’s 20 shifts, totalling 15:05 in ice time, went reasonably well. He was on the ice, however, for Mitch Marner’s game-winner midway through the third period — six seconds after Tyson Barrie tied it off a Marner feed. Marner stripped the puck from Gardiner’s defensive partner, Trevor van Riemsdyk, then blew by Gardiner before scoring.
“I don’t think both teams can look at that game and say: That’s the way we want to play,” said Gardiner, who caught up with some of his old teammates Sunday night after the Carolina charter landed.
He said his nerves were eased somewhat by the early standing ovation and video montage.
“It was awesome,” he said. “I got a warm welcome, which is nice. It was fun seeing these guys.”
Spezza moment: One of Sheldon Keefe’s priceless postgame comments took off on social media. The Leafs head coach said he had Jason Spezza take the opening faceoff — on a line with John Tavares and Ilya Mikheyev — because the 17year veteran had his children at the rink for what was billed as the Next Generation Game, celebrating youth and the future of the sport.
Spezza scored 30 seconds into the game, then dropped back to the fourth line until Keefe had him with Tavares again for the opening faceoff of the third period, with the Leafs trailing 5-3.
“I had a sense here, frankly, that with the Next Generation Game and it being a two o’clock start that he would have his girls in the building. So, a chance to give him a little moment there, and it worked out for us,” Keefe said of Spezza.
Much of the reaction on social media took shots at former Leafs coach Mike Babcock, who drew fire on opening night for making Spezza a healthy scratch against his old club, the Ottawa Senators.
J.T. for three: According to NHL public relations, Tavares set a record for the fastest three points to begin a game in franchise history: one goal and two assists in five minutes, 10 seconds.
Up next: After the Christmas break, the Leafs take on the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center, Friday at 7 p.m.