TORONTO - With four games remaining, which James Reimer are the Toronto Maple Leafs getting?
The one that lost his last eight starts and has not won a game where he was in net for the opening face-off since Jan. 21? Or the one who a year ago led the team to its first playoff appearance since 2004?
The Leafs are hoping it is the latter. With Jonathan Bernier shelved for at least the next three weeks because of a strained MCL, the team's playoff hopes are once again resting with Reimer. And, as head coach Randy Carlyle might say, 'just OK' is not going to cut it.
For Reimer, this is a second chance at redemption. An opportunity to put a difficult season behind him and, as a pending restricted free agent, to prove that he can be a No. 1 goalie - a hero, as one reporter suggested - whether it is in Toronto or another city.
'Now it's time to stop the puck,' said Reimer, who made 10 of 11 saves after replacing Bernier in the third period of Thursday's 4-3 overtime win against the Boston Bruins. 'It really doesn't matter what transpires at the end of the season or all that white noise, per se. I'm just going to try my best and get those two points [against the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday].'
The ninth-place Leafs, who were one point back of the final wild-card spot heading into Friday night's games, need more than just two points to make the playoffs. On Friday, sportsclubstats.com had the team's playoff chances at 64.6% if Toronto wins its remaining four games. Essentially, the team needs to be close to perfect but also receive help from the eighth-place Columbus Blue Jackets or seventh-place Detroit Red Wings.
That begins in net, where the Leafs have lived and died with their goaltending. When Bernier and Reimer have been on, they have masked a lot of the team's defensive deficiencies. But as Reimer showed during the recent eight-game losing streak, where he allowed 18 goals in five games and was pulled in his last start, anything less than spectacular is a guarantee for a loss.
That is what makes the loss of Bernier so tough to swallow. He had been having a Vezina Trophy-worthy season, in which he posted a .923 save percentage in 49 starts. When he pulled his groin last month, the Leafs went into a death spiral. That nearly happened again on Friday.
Toronto had been leading Boston 3-2 with about 11:38 remaining in the third period, when Paul Ranger shoved the Bruins' Patrice Bergeron onto Bernier, causing damage to the goaltender's knee. Four minutes later, Reimer allowed the tying goal, but managed to hang on for the overtime win.
'I'm sure lots of people were counting us out when it was 3-3 and Boston was coming,' said Reimer. 'But we hang in there and we don't give up and we find a way to win in overtime. That's the kind of team we are.'
Still, when Carlyle spoke to Bernier on Friday, the goaltender's reaction to the MRI likely mirrored that of many fans.
'Disappointed,' Carlyle said of Bernier. 'Those are the type of injuries you don't want to see happen, but they do happen. Now, we'll have to move forward without Bernier.'
It was not exactly a vote of confidence in the backup. But it was nothing new. All season long, Reimer has been the afterthought, a goalie who has been criticized by the coach and abused by fans either at the game or on Twitter.
The adversity, said Reimer, 'refines you.' He believes he is stronger mentally today than he was three weeks ago. And he believes the playoffs are a possibility because he believes in himself.
'I've done this in the past,' he said. 'I've had to carry the load in different scenarios and I've been successful in that. I feel confident. Hopefully I can do it again. It's a challenge. If you're a competitor you love your challenges. These are the fun times.'
Well, that depends on your definition of fun. And, of course, which Reimer shows up for these four games.
Post By http://sports.nationalpost.com/2014/04/04/toronto-maple-leafs-must-make-playoff-push-without-jonathan-bernier-out-three-weeks-with-injury/
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