This is hilarious. Nazem Kadri scored a hat trick in Ottawa last night, and a Sens fan - who appears to be wearing some kind of credentials around his neck - went ballistic.
Not only that, he nearly dumped his beer on the girl beside him.
(You may have to click on the gif for it to work)
Kadri's on an amazing run. I'll be the first to admit I never thought he could be this good, let alone in his first full NHL season (it's a shortened season, but whatever).
The Leafs were patient with him, let him stay in the AHL until he was completely ready, and now are giving him sheltered minutes to help him succeed.
Kadri will have to prove he can still put up these numbers while facing top checking lines, but for now, it's fun to enjoy the ride.
The thing that blows my mind is after last night's game, he's sixth in NHL scoring. He's outscoring the likes of Staal, Getzlaf, Toews, Tavares, etc. (although they haven't played as many games).
Joffrey Lupul has also been on fire since coming back from a broken forearm. In six games since his return, he's scored eight goals and 13 points. It's been fun watching him and Kadri together the last few games.
This quote from Lupul sums it up:
"I've never played at this level before. To be honest, I'm kind of just figuring it out now as I go. I didn't necessarily know I was capable of playing at this level. And now I'm figuring out that I can do a lot of things out there that other guys can't."
How good does that Beauchemin for Lupul and Gardiner trade look now?
The Leafs are a good bet for their first playoff berth since 2004 (99.4% odds according to sportsclubstats.com) but after last year's train wreck down the stretch, I won't breathe easy until they actually clinch.
Still, hard not to dream about a potential first-round matchup against Montreal, which is very possible. Leafs would have to pass Ottawa (currently tied, Sens have a game in hand) and Boston would have to pass Montreal (three points back with game in hand). But as long as we don't play Boston, I really don't care who it is as long as we get in.
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