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Gardiner thrusts himself into spotlight with another Game 7 blunder

Stan Temming
Jake Gardiner skates with the puck during Game 1 of the first round NHL playoff series between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
Jake Gardiner skates with the puck during Game 1 of the first round NHL playoff series between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)

Oh dear… Here we go again.

Everyone’s favourite whipping boy in a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey during Game 7s just can’t seem to catch a break during big games against the Boston Bruins.

Last year he finished a horrendous minus-five in a 7-4 loss at TD Garden, the deciding contest of that first round series. Just short of a full year after that awful performance and all of the flak that he took for it, Gardiner’s play in the first period of the Tuesday’s Game 7 had fans feeling deja vu.

With Toronto already down 1-0 to the Bruins, his play behind the Maple Leafs’ net resulted in a turnover that Marcus Johansson turned into the second goal of the game.

When you look at the blueliner’s numbers in Beantown, it isn’t pretty.

The 28-year-old finished minus-three in Toronto’s 5-1 loss to Boston.

Thoughts and prayers, Mr. Gardiner. Thoughts and prayers.

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