TORONTO – You might as well burn the tape.
Jake Gardiner is not looking at it.
The Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman doesn’t need to relive Game 7, Period 3 — even if the echoes of last year’s team collapse popped from the mouths of some upper-deck boo birds when he made a defensive gaffe mid-season.
Gardiner, a minus-5 that night, hasn’t watched footage of the 7-4 elimination loss he took full ownership for, but the sting still lingered past Boston’s own elimination to Tampa Bay in Round 2.
“It was for sure a couple weeks. It was tough, but I got a good support system. My family’s very supportive. You obviously never forget it, but you just put it to the side, and it drives you to work harder and be better,” Gardiner said Tuesday following a team meeting.
“I don’t think too much about it, to be honest. Just try to move on.”
The frightening irony here is once Toronto’s post-season ends, regardless of the elite puck-mover’s performance, Gardiner is likely to move on.
The 28-year-old will arguably be the second-most-attractive defenceman on the free agent market (next to San Jose’s Erik Karlsson) and due a significant pay bump from his current $4.05-million salary.
“We would like [Gardiner] to be here. It’s not as simple as it sounds,” said GM Kyle Dubas, who must prioritize RFA Mitch Marner, his leading scorer, when it comes to expensive extensions. “You only have a certain amount that you can divvy up, and it’s trying to make that all work and keep our team on the right path moving forward.”
There is a mutual fondness between the Leafs’ second-longest-tenured player and the organization, but surely the new father’s long-term financial stability will be no small factor when he considers the tiny window for pro athletes to rake their millions.
A disc injury serious enough to keep him out of action for six weeks and warrant debate over surgery will also be top of mind.
“Jake Gardiner is a really good player. I think he’s someone that people have decided isn’t a good player. I can tell you right now: We can’t find another one,” coach Mike Babcock said.
“It’s real simple for me. I think he’s a good player, and I gonna play him a lot. How’s that?”
That’s fine by Gardiner, who is expected to start “Slay the Bruins Take 3” to the left of his likely 2019-20 incumbent, Travis Dermott.
Don’t be mistaken: It’s not as if the player’s mind is preoccupied with slaying demons 24/7.
“Nothing’s changed with his attitude,” Marner says. “He still comes to the rink every day happy and loves it. That’s how you can tell it doesn’t bother him what everyone is saying outside. He’s a special player for our team.”
In last week’s return-from-injury game, Gardiner teasingly played hide-the-glove from Dermott and earned retweets for his adorable warm-up interaction with baby Henry, 7 months, sitting earmuffed at the glass.
“I was telling my wife, ‘He’s starting to like me a bit more.’ He’s smiling. I think that just comes with age,” Gardiner said. “He’s been a blessing. He’s been awesome.”
Gardiner reports that his back held up well after 26 1/2 minutes of use during Saturday’s shinny game in Montreal and acknowledges the uncertainty of his future in blue and white, saying his UFA status “definitely” adds a layer of urgency to finish what’s been left undone.
Positively or negatively, it’s difficult to imagine a scenario where Gardiner’s performance this April won’t impact his value league-wide.
“I’ve been with this team a long time, a lot of these guys, and I definitely have to take advantage of it,” he said.
“We were right there with them. We know we can beat them. We were kinda talking about, y’know, if you’re up in a game, make sure you finish it. That’s very important this time of year. Take advantage of your opportunities.”
The defenceman doesn’t need to be reminded that in Game 7, with a 4-3 lead heading into the final frame, the Leafs failed to register a shot on net for the first eight minutes of Period 3. The Bruins scored four unanswered, and the walls caved in.
“You play smart, but you play hard, and you never take your foot off the pedal,” said Gardiner, also running point on the second power-play unit. “All the young guys know what it’s like to go into that building now.”
Only one guy knows what it’s like to go out of that building like Gardiner—head high, spirits low, face in the cameras, shouldering all the back-breaking weight of defeat.
“This is what he did: He came out in the media and said he had a tough Game 7. So then they ran with that for a while, you know what I mean? We all lost. We were all there,” Babcock said.
Did Jake Gardiner take too much on himself that night?
“I think everyone should take it on themselves,” Babcock said. “When you’re the coach, you should take it on yourself. If you’re a player, you should take it on yourself.
“There’s lots of people here that like to get things going. I don’t think you’ve got to do that; I don’t think you’ve got to feed it. I think it feeds itself.”
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