TORONTO –- The assignment was simple, but the task was tall.
That’s why Nazem Kadri arrived at Air Canada Centre on Tuesday night knowing that he might end up looking bad. You only need to be a shade off to be dealt that fate when tasked with shutting down Connor McDavid.
His response to the challenge said an awful lot about his continued relevance to the rebuilding Toronto Maple Leafs. For one night, anyway, Kadri turned the tables on the Edmonton Oilers star and delivered an unlikely two-goal performance.
It all started with a decision to play him tough. Kadri did everything he could to get in McDavid’s way, even giving him a little shove into the end boards long after a first-period whistle. This was the building where McDavid grew up dreaming of the NHL, but the message was clear: it’s not going to be a comfortable place to play tonight.
“I don’t know any skill player that likes to get hit, including myself,” Kadri said after a 3-2 win. “No one enjoys that. Off the drop of the puck, when you know it’s going to be a long night, that’s when sometimes you kind of shy away a little bit.
“He’s a good player. I had to do what I had to do.”
That included fighting McDavid off during a puck battle early in overtime before beating Cam Talbot to win the game. The Oilers felt interference could have been called on the play – “I have an opinion on it, I don’t really want to share it too much,” said McDavid – but the only signal from the referee was for a goal.
It capped one of the finer performances we have seen from Kadri since coach Mike Babcock started using him as the team’s shutdown centre.
Even though the experiment is not quite 12 months old, we already have a strong idea that the 26-year-old is up to the task. He produced strong possession metrics last season and potted 17 goals despite having horrible shooting luck – scoring on a career-worst 6.5 per cent of his shots.
The scales have swung back in his favour during the first few weeks of this season and Kadri now has five goals and eight points to show for 10 games played.
Most importantly, he has his coach’s trust. The Oilers double- and triple-shifted McDavid early in Tuesday’s game and Babcock worked to get Kadri out against him as much as possible. That strategy produced the opening goal 89 seconds in and helped keep No. 97 off the scoresheet all night long.
“Real good for Naz,” said Babcock. “Naz did a real good job, his line did a good job. McDavid played [8:07] in the first period, so that helped us too because that’s a lot of minutes. That helped us because Naz had only played five – he didn’t penalty kill.
“He was allowed to be fresher.”
Added teammate Auston Matthews: “He was creating havoc, making it tough on that big line.”
What started as the McDavid vs. Matthews show quickly turned into Naz’s Night. That returned some of the spotlight to a player who has basically grown up under it ever since being picked No. 7 overall by the Leafs in 2009.
With the youth movement now underway around him, the attention has waned. But his role within the team is as important as ever. Kadri signed a $27-million, six-year extension over the summer and is expected to help create an environment where Matthews, among others, can grow into his own.
That means being reliable and consistent in every zone. Every night.
“You’ve got to find that steady medium,” said Kadri. “I like to score goals, too, I like to put up points. Obviously, my responsibility is to try and shut down and make these players not want to play here.”
He’s found a nice fit between veteran Leo Komarov and rookie Connor Brown. They obviously played a part in limiting what McDavid could accomplish on an important night – one that saw family and friends from nearby Newmarket trek south for his first game here.
Kadri was grinning ear-to-ear when he greeted his own parents in the hallway outside the Leafs dressing room after changing out of his equipment. The first question from his father, Sam, was: “Are you tired?”
They obviously appreciated the work he had done.
Despite being on the scene here for more than seven years already, we are still learning what Kadri might be in the second half of his NHL career. A night like this one continued to suggest he’s carving out an important niche.
“I’m not here just to kind of be a role player,” said Kadri. “I want to help this team win and … set a good example [for the young kids] by doing things right and showing them what it takes to be a professional.
“All of those things I’ve embraced.”
