36 and 28 goals as one of the club's top scoring threats. His fourth year with the Penguins saw him suddenly struggle with no goals in 16 games which led to him being assigned to the Penguins minor league affiliate in Baltimore. Gardner led the AHL team in scoring with 32-goals and 81-points in just 54 games. Washington Capitals His solid play in the American League earned him another chance to find his game at the NHL level when the Washington Capitals offered him a contract for the 1984-85 season. Gardner managed just 2-goals and 6-points in 12 games with Washington but had an explosive season for their farm club. Gardner led the AHL in scoring with 51-goals and 130-points in just 64-games. Despite his lofty production, the Capitals opted not to bring him back for a second year. Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres inked Gardner to a free agent deal but he appeared in just two games with them spending the rest of the season dominating the American Hockey League again en route to his second-straight league leading performance. He potted 61-goals and 112-points for Rochester Americans then retired from professional hockey at years end. Eleven years after retiring, while serving as the assistant coach for the Washington Capitals AHL affiliate the Portalnd Pirates Gardner was pressed into action when the team was short on players due to injury. Gardner managed to pick up an assist in the game. This assist extended an impressive accomplishment for Gardner: During his pro career he suited up with seven different American Hockey League teams and he produced at a point-a-game or better for every one of them. Coaching career Shortly after his playing career ended, Gardner jumped into the coaching profession, becoming head coach of the Newmarket Saints of the American Hockey League for four seasons. He later became an assistant coach for the Baltimore Skipjacks (later Portland Pirates after their relocation) under coach Barry Trotz. Both Trotz and Gardner were later promoted to the NHL level when they moved to Nashville to work for the expansion Predators. Gardner would be assistant coach through the 2002–03 season and then worked as a pro scout for the organization. In January 2007, he was named head coach of the Russian KHL team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. He guided the team to a nine-game winning streak and made the playoffs, but was released in February 2008. In