Newly-acquired Leaf notches his first point of his tenure in Toronto
The start to Erik Gustafsson's tenure in Toronto was pretty slow-going, with the veteran blueliner failing to record a single point through his first 5 games as a Leaf. The issue was compounded by the fact that the guy the Leafs traded for him, Rasmus Sandin, is off to a red-hot start with Gustafsson's former Capitals.
Well, if his slow start was weighing on him, Gustafsson can now breathe a bit of a sigh of relief, as he was able to notch his first point as a Leaf in the early stages of the first period on Friday night against the Carolina Hurricanes.
The play was a beauty by Gustafsson, showing great patience and a shifty presence, walking the blue line and faking out his man before ripping a puck towards the net, which was tipped in by depth winger Zach Aston-Reese.
If this is the start of Gustafsson becoming more comfortable in Toronto, it's a welcome sight. Gustafsson had tallied 38 points as a member of the Capitals before being acquired by the Leafs, so the offensive instincts are certainly there. The biggest question about his game have been his play in his own zone, while on the defensive side of the puck. So far, he has faired pretty well in his first 5 games, sitting at a -1, which is now an even 0, thanks to tonight's assist.
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