Leafs vs. Panthers: Gudbranson blows a tire, almost gives up goal

One of the first lessons you learn as a young aspiring hockey player is how to skate backwards.

Erik Gudbranson apparently missed that particular practice session when he was a kid. Which is unfortunate because, y'know, he's a defenseman. They tend to backskate a lot.

It's been a forgettable game for Gudbranson. First, he got stuck in a collapsing pane of glass. And now this.

The Panthers' defenseman was forced to pedal backwards when Mikhail Grabovski suddenly came barreling down the wing on the rush in the third period. However, having never learned this valuable skill, Gudbranson's feet could not understand what his brain was telling them to do. Naturally, Gudbranson went flying and Grabovski was given a premium scoring chance on the breakaway. He didn't cash in, but that's not important. Toronto still leads and is set up nicely to win, and this game certainly leads off Gudbranson's career blooper reel at this point.