Kyle Clifford gets another shot to prove himself
With a potential first round match up set to be played tonight against the reigning Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning, it appears Kyle Clifford is set to draw back into the lineup.
Clifford, along with Abruzzese, Jason Spezza and Wayne Simmonds, are currently engaged in an internal battle for playing time. While Clifford likely offers the least offense of the four, he can still bring physicality and veteran experience as a two time Stanley Cup Champion (2012 & 2014) with the Los Angeles Kings.
Since March 15, the Leafs have played 18 games. Kyle Clifford has dressed for nine of them. In that stretch, the Leafs are 14-3-1. When Clifford played in that stretch, they were 7-1-1. Now, no-one is going to make the argument that the Leafs' hopes of winning lives and dies with Kyle Clifford. That would be a foolish argument. But what we can take from this is the Leafs are able to play at a high level when he is in the lineup.
If Clifford wants to win a full time job on the fourth line, he needs to play with a lot of physicality and stand up for his teammates, that is a given. But you can not just be a one dimensional player, even on the fourth line, in the NHL anymore. He also needs to prove he can be trusted not to take penalties, nor be a defensive liability on the ice. Additionally, you want your fourth line to be capable of chipping in at least some offense, as he did last game.
This is the type of goal you hope for from a player like Kyle Clifford. Go to the net, provide a screen, deflect it in. He is also in good position here for a potential rebound. As we know, in the playoffs, we see more dirty area goals.
The truth is, Clifford's chances of playing likely hinges on who the Leafs' play. The heavier the team, the better chance Clifford has of drawing in. But Clifford still needs to do his part if he wants to be seen as a viable option come playoff time.
So far this season, in 19 games Clifford has recorded three points (1 goal & 2 assists), 21 penalty minutes, 36 hits, averaging 8:20 of ice time a night. He is first on the team in average hits per 60 minutes played at 13.63. For reference, Wayne Simmonds is second, averaging 13.17 hits per 60 minutes played.
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 21 | 167 ANSWERS Kyle Clifford gets another shot to prove himself Should Kyle Clifford play come playoff time? | ||
| Yes, every game, he's a tough customer | 66 | 39.5 % |
| Should play around half the games | 65 | 38.9 % |
| Keep him out of the lineup | 23 | 13.8 % |
| Doesn't matter much anyways | 13 | 7.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
