Blood, sweat, and tears
I’ve already gone through Leo’s in-your-face play and how his physical game gets under the skin of the opponent. A full 60 minutes of Leo Komarov getting in your grill is enough to make anyone lose their cool.
But that physical play sometimes took a toll, not just on the opponent, but on Leo himself. That physical play often left Leo Komarov bruised and bloodied.
And he didn’t care. Well, he didn’t seem to care. Leo knew what his game was and what he offered the New York Islanders. And that’s one of the reasons fans and teammates loved him. He was willing to get down and dirty for their benefit.
The coaching staff knew that when Leo Komarov jumped over the boards he’d give them everything he got. Almost quite literally. Look at all that blood dripping down his face! And it seems like a minor inconvenience to the man.
If that doesn’t make you nod your head in approval, even slightly, about Leo Komarov as a player, I don’t know what will.