OTTAWA – It was late November and Jake Gardiner was trying to figure out what had gone wrong. Nike Air Max 270 Flyknit Cheap . The 23-year-old wanted to pinpoint precisely what was keeping him from having success. "I obviously wasnt playing my best and wasnt really aware of what I was doing wrong," he told the Leaf Report ahead of a Saturday tilt with the Senators. So he decided to hit the tape. Gardiner pulled out his iPad and scrutinized video of his performance in the first round against Boston last spring. He watched clip upon clip of his shifts against the Bruins, keen on determining what gave him so much success. His performance then was electric. Gardiner scored a goal and strung together five points during an exhilarating six-game run. "I just wanted to figure out what I was doing differently in the playoffs, as opposed to now, because I wasnt happy with my game," he said of the video work. What Gardiner saw was an engaged defender who made quick decisions with and without the puck. The game seemed to slow down for the former Ducks first-round pick. He was assertive, unpredictable and dangerous on the rush and generally stable in the defensive zone. For the third-year Leaf, who has struggled with consistency this season, it was a helpful reminder of the player he had been not so long ago and the player he certainly had the potential to become once more. "It was nice to see what I was succeeding at then and try to replicate that now," Gardiner said. "Sometimes you get away from it and you dont know what the reason is." Gardiner was a healthy scratch for the first time this season on Nov. 27 in Pittsburgh. During the morning skate that day at Consol Energy Center, he engaged in a lengthy conversation with head coach Randy Carlyle, the former Norris Trophy winner advising on what hed seen and what needed to improve. Carlyle wanted Gardiner to make better decisions with the puck. He stressed that his young defender must move it faster, that he get his forwards involved more often and join the attack if and when the opportunity looked right. Too often, Gardiner gathered from the conversation, was he holding the puck before eventually making a poor decision with it and a turnover often the end result. "I wanted to know what I was doing that they didnt see that they wanted to see," Gardiner said of his conversations with the coaching staff. "I think Ive been more aware of it now; trying to move the puck quick and obviously still stay solid defensively." Gardiner was an offensive force in his rookie season with the Leafs. He scored seven goals and posted 30 points, tops among first-year players at the position. He has yet to score this season, though, and has just seven assists in 28 games. But by skewering the tape and picking the minds of the coaching staff, he finally seems to understand why the offence hasnt been there. "Its almost the fact of just doing less with the puck," he said. "Im able to skate the puck a lot, but that doesnt necessarily mean offence. I dont have many points this year, so I think moving the puck quicker to the forwards and letting them do their work, [then] maybe Ill create more offence that way. Itll create fewer turnovers for me and less time in our zone." Gardiner has not yet rediscovered the performance that made him such an elusive force against the Bruins, but hes inching gradually in that direction. In beating the Stars on Thursday, he led the team with nearly 26 minutes – matching a season-high – and also paced the group in Montreal last weekend. His return to form would help stabilize an increasingly wobbly Toronto back-end. Armed with new (and old) information, Gardiner is doing his best to get there. 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Or perhaps the 36-year-old goalkeeper and Italy captain was reflecting on this: He is only the third player in history to be part of five World Cup squads, along with Germany great Lothar Matthaus and former Mexico goalkeeper Antonio Carbajal.Gordon Strachan will not flood his Scotland team with debutants during tonights Hampden friendly against Denmark. Six players could make their Scotland debuts including Dundee goalkeeper Scott Bain, who stayed with the squad following the victory over Czech Republic after David Marshall pulled out through illness.The uncapped Kieran Tierney, Liam Cooper, John McGinn, Jamie Murphy and Oliver Burke also joined up with the squad while Paul Caddis and Liam Bridcutt are aiming to win their second caps. Strachan revealed the new players had energised the coaching staff but he also has a number of experienced players to choose from with Shaun Maloney and Steven Whittaker drafted in and Steven Fletcher passed fit after missing the Prague trip with illness.Strachan said: When youre making your debut, whatever level it is, its good to have experienced players around you. I dont think its that great to have a lot of inexperience around you when you make your debut.So there will be a lot of experience but whoever makes their debut or comes back in from the cold - Liam Bridcutt has been fantastic, he has looked an even better player than he did a couple of years ago - its nice to have experience around you.We pick the squad and then we look at the players and see who is ready. Its going to be hard because the intensity they have worked at has been quite phenomenal. Scotland boss Gordon Strachan Team newsCeltic left-back Tierney looks the likeliest newcomer to start, although club-mate Charlie Mulgrew is another option in his position.Strachan clearly feels 18-year-old Tierney is worth looking at after picking him ahead of the likes of Graeme Shinnie and Lee Wallace.Well, hes played European football against top sides so that has been a benefit to him, and Celtic, and to us, Strachan said. He didnt look out of place when I have seen him.He has a good way about him: determined, a bit of humility as well, thats great. Air Max 270 Black Cheap. Ikechi Anya celebrates putting Scotland ahead against the Czech Republic It has helped that people like Scott Brown and Shaun Maloney have been round him and are there to help him. These guys are great role models.You might think there would be enthusiasm from the young ones, and they have been fantastic, but I have had as much enthusiasm from Shaun Maloney and Gordon Greer as anybody. Celtics Kieran Tierney could make his debut Opta statsScotland have won only one of their last six games against Denmark, losing five.Robert Snodgrass is the only Scottish player to score in those six games, scoring in a 2-1 win in August 2011 (the other goal was a William Kvist own goal).Scotland are without a clean sheet in their last seven games against Denmark, their last coming in September 1975.Spurs midfielder Christian Eriksen scored Denmarks goal in their 2-1 defeat at Hampden Park in August 2011.The Danes are winless in five away internationals, losing four.BettingScotland are Sky Bets 15/8 outsiders for the victory on Tuesday night with Denmark favourites for the win at 6/4, while a stalemate is priced at 9/4. The first goalscorer market is wide open as Leigh Griffiths is rated the 9/2 favourite, while Nicolai Jorgensen and Lasse Vibe are considered the visitors main threats at 6/1 apiece. Griffiths is enhanced from 3/1 to 5/1 to score in a Scotland win in Sky Bets pre-match Price Boosts, which also includes Christian Eriksen to score from outside the area available at 10/1.Watch Scotland take on Denmark at Hampden Park live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 7.30pm on Tuesday night. ' ' '