(35-13-5). Jean Dupuy chipped in with two assists. Spitfires go

TORONTO – It would seem that Nazem Kadri has been around a lot longer than his 191 career games suggest. But truth be told, Kadri just turned 24 and is only three seasons removed from spending half a year in the American Hockey League with the Marlies. He continues to experience the growing pains typical of most young players in the NHL - impactful and impressive some nights, quiet and ineffective on others. Inconsistency, thus, remains the defining point of consistency for the seventh-overall pick from 2009. How then to be consistent? “That’s a great question,” Kadri said quizzically ahead of a Saturday clash with the Rangers. “That’s something any young player looks for. Just talking to team therapists and people who know the body and the mind a little bit better, they say that a male brain doesn’t even fully develop until they’re 26. It obviously takes a bit of time.” Kadri boasts some of the best possession numbers on the Leafs, but had little to show for it production-wise before Saturday, posting just five points in the first 13 games. He also entered the night winning just 45 per cent of his faceoffs, about even with the lowly mark of last season. Mostly, he’s been inconsistent. (And his minutes have dipped slightly as a result – down to just over 16 per game.) In wins over Columbus and Chicago late last week, Kadri had two goals, three points, and six shots, only to march quietly through a two-game road swing with no points and just a single shot in losses to Arizona and Colorado. He was impactful and noticeable again versus New York, finding the score-sheet twice alongside new linemates, David Clarkson and Richard Panik, also winning 68 per cent of his faceoffs and drawing a penalty. Consistency is the benchmark by which Maple Leafs brass is measuring their fifth-year centre, due to be an intriguing restricted free agent next summer. “Naz has to be prepared to compete for 82 games,” said Leafs general manager, Dave Nonis on the first day of training camp, “and if he is then he’s going to have a very good year.” Underlying numbers aside, there have been nights this season, like in Glendale and again in Denver, when he’s hardly been noticeable on the ice. Carlyle, who gave Kadri a pep talk at Saturday’s morning skate, said Kadri needs to focus on moving his feet and engaging in the game physically “because that seems to follow success with Nazzie”. He did that more often on Saturday, setting up the fourth Leafs goal with a burst of speed up ice, adding another assist and three hits in more than 15 minutes. “We’re looking for him to continue to show growth,” Carlyle said of Kadri. “At times, he takes steps forward and other times he seems to be in neutral. But that’s not any different from any young player.” Kadri, who finished third in team scoring last season, had been paired with Phil Kessel for the better part of the past five games in Carlyle’s hopes for greater balance. He thus drew the challenging competition typical of Toronto’s best player. That changed Saturday in a likely attempt from the head coach to ease the strain on his struggling centre. There was probably some degree of unluckiness to Kadri’s early struggles to produce offence, though his PDO was just a touch under 100 before the game against the Rangers, signaling some unluckiness, but only barely. More likely it’s inconsistency from a player still learning the ropes of the NHL, experiencing the ups and downs in the front row of one of hockey’s brightest fishbowls. “Obviously, you want to learn as quick as you can,” Kadri said, “but you’re not going to be great every single night, we understand that, but just most nights you’ve got to be.” Five Points 1. Big Night Maybe it’s the gloves. Leo Komarov matched his career-high for points in just the 14th game of the year Saturday, adding his eighth and ninth of the year in the 5-4 win over New York. Komarov, who had nine points in 42 games as a rookie, has actually been wearing the gloves of Phil Kessel through the first couple months this fall. “Because mine havent arrived yet,” Komarov explained. “I play all this season with them because mine havent come yet. Theyre coming.” He scored his first goal of the year and the eventual game-winner late in the final frame, depositing a Jake Gardiner feed before breaking into a mile-wide grin. “I’m not the best goal-scorer in this league,” the 27-year-old said afterward, “but I think I needed that one, it feels great.” Komarov signed a four-year deal worth nearly $12 million to return to Toronto in the summer, Leafs brass noting their desire to re-inject the feisty presence he offered in the lockout-shortened 2013. “His on-ice play is one of a player that refuses to stop working,” Carlyle said glowingly of Komarov after the win against New York, which snapped a two-game winless skid. “It’s a display every day. He enjoys coming to the rink and playing and he only knows one way; he gives 100 per cent in practice and the games and any of the events that you participate in he seems to be the guy that always has a smile on his face.” Beyond the surprising offence – he ranks fourth in team scoring – has been an added presence for the Leafs on what was an awful penalty kill a year ago – now up to 84.3 per cent. As for the points, Komarov would say only this, “I’m just trying to do my best for the team, I don’t really care about the points.” 2. Komarov II Cody Franson offered a revealing observation of Komarov off the ice. “He’s still the world’s most interesting man,” Franson said. “He’s a great piece in our room. He’s a guy that everybody likes being around. He keeps the mood light when he’s not even trying to. He’s a great fit for our team all the way around.” Added Carlyle, “He has a little bit of a different sense of humour being that he speaks five different languages and he mumbles in all of them. He’s just a funny guy and a good guy to be around and he plays hard for his teammates.” Komarov also had eight hits and won all six faceoffs versus New York. 3. Rielly Return Scratched earlier in the week, Morgan Rielly was back in the Toronto lineup Saturday, totaling exactly 18 minutes against New York. “That’s what happens sometimes,” he said of the situation pre-game, visibly and admittedly displeased with the decision. “Obviously, you don’t want to be a healthy scratch, you want to always be able to play the game and help your team, but sometimes that happens and you just have to deal with it and try to bounce back from it.” Carlyle stressed that the 20-year-old needed to exploit his skating ability more often. “That’s one of the things in today’s hockey with the freedom and the ability that these players have nowadays, skating is so much more important,” Carlyle said. “Position and getting body position through skating and not being non-active in that area is an area in which young players have to figure out and understand. It’s as simple as taking two strides to provide some form of screen or body position so your partner has another half-a-second to retrieve a puck. It’s stuff like that that we’re asking of these guys to grasp and young players don’t normally look at it that way.” Rielly was scratched nine times as a rookie, but not once after December 8. “I know that I’m able to play better,” the sophomore said, “and he (Carlyle) knows I am too.” 4. Shooting More One target for improvement for the Maple Leafs youngest player was shooting the puck more often than he had as a rookie. And so far, Rielly has done just that. On pace for more than 200 shots – a threshold only five NHL defenders eclipsed last season – he is first among Leaf defencemen in that category and fourth overall. “I think I’ve just been trying to get the puck on net a bit more, trying to create rebounds and scrambles at the net,’ Rielly said. “I think I knew that I could shoot more this year and try to create more opportunities and that’s what I’ve been trying to do. I’ve gotten a lot more chances to do that, I think, this year than last year, but it’s just a matter of trying to keep doing it and just try to get your point shots through to the net.” Rielly, who has one goal and three assists to date, had only 96 shots in 73 games last season, scoring twice. 5. More Youth and Young D In poor position to receive a pass from Stephane Robidas late in the second period, Jake Gardiner had the puck bounce off his skate and right to former Leaf Dominic Moore, who promptly found Carl Hagelin for the Rangers game-tying third goal. The 24-year-old later pinched in the offensive zone, setting up Komarov for the game-winner “Tonight’s game is another prime example of a young player,” Carlyle said with a chuckle. “One positive, one negative … He made a difference in the end and when it counted.” Gardiner, who was forced to leave Thursday’s game in Colorado with a bruised left knee, returned to play just under 17 minutes against New York. Bonus Point Sidelined Joining David Booth, Brandon Kozun and Joffrey Lupul on the injured shelf was Daniel Winnik, sidelined Saturday following a thunderous collision in Denver on Thursday that appeared to knock him briefly unconscious. Carlyle, who said Winnik was “100 per cent fine” after the 3-2 shootout loss to the Avalanche, wouldn’t specify whether the 29-year-old was suffering from any concussion symptoms, but did say that the team was following the league’s concussion protocol. “It looked like he was [unconscious] for a bit,” Carlyle said, “so that’s all part of the process, that they do the evaluation and they create a time-frame before he’s able to come and join our hockey club.” TSN’s Darren Dreger later reported that Winnik passed all of the protocol associated with suspected concussions, but was held out Saturday as a precaution. Under league protocol, Winnik would’ve been tested while at rest and, if he showed no concussion symptoms there, then again after some form of exertion. His test results would be compared with the results of testing done during training camp to determine if he was ready to play. It’s unclear if he will indeed play Sunday in Ottawa. Stats-Pack 6-games – Point streak for Phil Kessel, who has four goals and 11 points in that span. 33 – Shots for Morgan Rielly this season, fourth most on the Leafs. 6-20 – Toronto power-play in the past six games. 8 – Hits for Leo Komarov against the Rangers. 13-19 – Faceoff mark for Nazem Kadri against the Rangers. Special Teams Capsule PP: 1-2 Season: 21.6% PK: 2-2 Season: 84.3% Quote of the Night “He has a little bit of a different sense of humour being that he speaks five different languages and he mumbles in all of them.” -Randy Carlyle, on Leo Komarov. Up Next The Leafs play the Senators in Ottawa on Sunday at 6pm, making up the game earlier this month that was postponed because of tragedy in the nation’s capital. Cheap Nike Air Max 90 . Yup, he definitely needed this one. Craig homered twice and had three RBIs Wednesday night to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 7-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Craig went 4 for 5 and Yadier Molina added three hits for the Cardinals, who salvaged the final game of a three-game set in hopes of staying within shouting distance of front-running Milwaukee in the NL Central. Fake Nike Air Max 90 . Both sides came closest to scoring in the first half, when Roma had a goal from Mattia Destro waved off for offside and Inters Rodrigo Palacio headed high. "A draw was a fair result. Neither squad had many chances," Roma midfielder Miralem Pjanic said. https://www.cheapnikeairmax90china.us/ . - IndyCar racing officials expressed confidence on Monday that the NOLA Motorsports Park will be able to complete more $4. Clearance Nike Air Max 90 .com) - The Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies have finalized their agreed-upon trade that sends former National League MVP Jimmy Rollins to the West Coast for a pair of minor league pitching prospects. Nike Air Max 90 Sale . 25 against Miami. Hillis left Browns Stadium about two hours before kickoff, a decision that has led to speculation he was upset over ongoing negotiations with the club on a contract extension.ERIE, Pa. - Otters goaltender Devin Williams made 28 saves to pick up his fourth shutout of the season as Erie blanked the visiting Saginaw Spirit 3-0 in Ontario Hockey League action on Thursday. Dylan Strome and Dane Fox each scored for the Otters (40-10-2), while Brendan Gaunce added a short-handed goal with 1:02 remaining in the game. Connor Brown picked up two assists. Jake Paterson stopped 21 of 23 shots for Saginaw (25-22-5) in the losing effort. --- STORM 8 STEELHEADS 0 GUELPH, Ont. — Robby Fabbri and Jason Dickinson each scored twice and added an assist as the Storm dominated Mississauga. Matt Finn scored a goal and helped on three others, Zac Leslie had a goal and an assist, Zack Mitchell had a goal and two assists, and Brock McGinn also scored for the Western Conference-leading Storm (40-9-3) to pull his tally to 33 on the season. Chase Marchand started in net for the Steelheads (20-29-4), but was pulled after giving up five goals on 28 shots through 40 minutes. Spencer Martin stopped 10 of 13 shots in relief. Guelph outshot Mississauga 41-24, holding the Steelheads to six shots in the second period. --- BATTALION 2 WOLVES 0 NORTH BAY, Ont. — Jake Smith turned away all 25 shots he faced as the Battalion edged Sudbury. After a scoreless first period, Barclay Goodrow scored his 24th of the season at 15:46 of the second to brake the stalemate for the Battalion (28-18-6). Vincent Praplan added his 16th of the year at 3:08 of the third to extend North Bays lead to 2-0. Franky Palazzese made 29 saves for Sudbury (27-16-8). --- PETES 4 GENERALS 3 (SO) PETERBOROUGH, Ont. — Josh MacDonald scored in regulation time and again in a shootout to lift the Petes over Oshawa in a penalty-filled affair which resulted in six game misconducts. Steven Varga and Connor Boland also scored for the Petes (24-23-4), who rracked up 51 penalty minutes on 19 infractions.dddddddddddd. Oshawa (32-15-5), which took 23 penalties totalling 55 minutes, got power-play goals from Mitchell Vande Sompel and Dylan Smoskowitz, while Bradley Latour added a short-handed goal. Daniel Altshuller started in net for the Generals, making all 18 saves before being handed a game misconduct penalty. Ken Appleby stopped 23-of-26 shots in relief. Peterborough goaltender Andrew DAgostino also got a game misconduct. He stopped 14 of 15 shots and Jason Da Silva made 19 saves on 21 shots in relief. --- SPITFIRES 4 GREYHOUNDS 3 WINDSOR, Ont. — Slater Koekkoek scored a power-play goal at 11:16 of the third period to lift the Spitfires over the Greyhounds. Remy Giftopoulos had a goal and two assists for Windsor (32-17-2), while Ben Johnson, and Steven Janes added the other Spitfire goals. Jared McCann, Patrick Watling and Tyler Gaudet replied for Sault Ste. Marie (35-13-5). Jean Dupuy chipped in with two assists. Spitfires goalie Dalen Kuchmey made 39 saves for the win, while Sault Ste. Maries Matt Murray turned aside 30 shots in the loss. --- FRONTENACS 10 COLTS 6 BARRIE, Ont. — Darcy Greenaway and Spence Watson each had two goals and one assist as the visiting Frontenacs toppled the Colts. Henri Ikonen had a goal and two assists and Ryan Verbeek scored a goal and helped on another for Kingston (28-19-4). Mikko Vainonen, Samuel Schutt, Warren Steele and Conor McGlynn also scored and Matt Mahalak made 23 saves for the win. Zach Hall scored a hat trick and added an assist for the Colts (25-22-3) while Andreas Athanasiou scored twice. Kevin Labanc added the other Barrie goal. Mackenzie Blackwood started in net for Barrie, but was pulled after he allowed seven goals on 31 shots through the first two periods. Daniel Gibl stopped 12 of 14 shots in relief. ' ' '