Ex-Maple Leaf Nazem Kadri showing maturi

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The Avalanche skated off the Rogers Place ice on Wednesday with yet another thwacking of the Coyotes. For the second straight game, they dominated the club from the desert 7-1,and they sealed a trip to the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs' second round.And once again, the win waspowered by the team's leading goalguy in the bubble  Nazem Kadri."Naz has really  Wily Peralta Jersey found a way to impact our hockey club in a great way, whether it's on the power play or 5-on-5 or just that little extra sandpaper that I felt that we needed last year," captain Gabriel Landeskog said postgame."So, he's been good for us and  Willie Wilson Jersey he's one those guys that can kind of help out in all areas of the game and he's a great guy in the locker room as well. He's really helped us out, so it's been a lot of fun playing with Naz."In eight postseason games, Kadri has ledthe charge for the Avs with six goals and five a sists; seven of those points came against the Coyotes.Nazem Kadri has 2 goals so far today and the 1st period isn't even over yet.   Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) It's a far cry from where he was last year  and, truthfully, the year before  when he watched most of the playoffs from the pre s box with the Maple Leafs.After posting back-to-back 32-goal seasons, Kadri went through a disappointing 2018-19 season. The 2009 Maple Leafsfirst-round  Ryan O'Hearn Jersey draft pick pottedjust16 goals and compiled just 44 points in 73 games before only lasting two postseason games . He had beenagainst the same Bruinssquad. Toronto lost both series.Now Kadri, who was , is a dominating figure for an Avalanche team that just eviscerated the Martin Maldonado Jersey  Coyotes."Reflecting onthe time I spent in Toronto,just looking back, obviously you want to learn from your mistakes and just trying to mature as a person and as a player and as a teammate," Kadri said after scoring two in Game 5, including his NHL-leading fifth power-play goal. "I think I'm no more valuable on the ice than I am in the penalty box or in the pre s box. So, just trying to stay calm out there and composed and, like I said, I just want to help my team win and I think staying in Justin Grimm Jersey  games would do that."MORE:Mature words from the 29-year-old Kadri, who notched 36 points in 51 games in the regular season, cemented himself as the team's second-line center and becamea key cog on the power play. Oh, and not only has he avoided any suspensionsdespite still playing a physical game, but he also hasn't spent a single second in the sin bin in the last 19 days."I talked to Naz when he first got to us a little bit about his history in Toronto and some of the penalties and his reputation and he stated right away that he had made some mistakes there and he was sort  Joakim Soria Jersey of pastthat and over that and it wouldn't be a problem," recalledcoach Jared Bednar. "I said, 'Hey, listen, I want you to play your game and be physical and sort of toe the line and be highly competitive and be a difference-maker for us, but I don't want you in the box all the time. You're too big a piece to our team.'"And he a sured me that it wasn't going to be an i sue and it hasn't been. . . . I think he's a real focused player right now because Lucas Duda Jersey  he wants to prove that he can get it done this time of year and he's certainly doing that right now." if he had a chip on his shoulder and something to prove, Kadri thought that was a pretty accurate a se sment. So far, he has shownhe can bea complete player who won't go over the edge.Hehasalready surpa sed his 10 career playoff points as a Leaf  and that was over the course of four playoff appearances,19 games and zero series wins."The smile says it all," he said when asked about making it past the first round for the first time in his career. "I'm just fortunate, lucky to be in an opportunity to come into such a great dre sing room with such great teammates, such a great organization, just gave me a chance to be who I can be."They believed in me since I stepped in the door and I'm just trying not to let them  Ryan Goins Jersey down."