{"id":88174,"date":"2019-04-09T14:23:26","date_gmt":"2019-04-09T14:23:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clnsmedia.com\/?p=88174"},"modified":"2021-10-11T12:14:25","modified_gmt":"2021-10-11T12:14:25","slug":"behind-enemy-lines-babcock-wants-lots-of-gardiner-tavares-on-the-bruins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.clnsmedia.com\/?p=88174","title":{"rendered":"Behind Enemy Lines: Babcock wants lots of Gardiner, Tavares on the Bruins"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the countdown continues to Thursday night, the Toronto Maple Leafs are preparing themselves for a better series against the Boston Bruins than they had last year.<\/p>\n

Judging off head coach Mike Babcock’s comments from Tuesday, things may end up not being that different.<\/p>\n

Jake Gardiner, Jake Gardiner and more Jake Gardiner!<\/h2>\n

The Bruins have Tuukka Rask; the Maple Leafs have Jake Gardiner. Both are as polarizing as a player can get in their respective cities.<\/p>\n

On Tuesday, Babcock made it clear that despite the hate, Gardiner would be used a lot against the Bruins.<\/p>\n

“I think Jake Gardiner is a really good player,” said Babcock after an optional Leafs practice.<\/p>\n

“I think he is someone that people have decided isn’t a good player, and so they pick on him.<\/p>\n

“I can tell you right now, we can’t find another one. I guess the way I look at it is real simple for me. I think he is a really good player and I’m going to play him a lot.”<\/p>\n

The Gardiner-hate up in Toronto reached a peak last year when he was minus-5 in Game 7 against the Bruins, the worst coming on this Jake DeBrusk goal.<\/p>\n