TORONTO - As the crowd in the dressing room began to thin after the game, a dramatic win that helped keep the Toronto Maple Leafs in the post-season conversation, James Reimer, the surprise contributor, admitted to thinking something many had been suspecting.
Before he was pressed into emergency duty against the Boston Bruins on Thursday night, the 26-year-old had considered the possibility he had played his final game with the only NHL team he has ever known.
'Yeah, lots of things go through your mind,' he said. 'Obviously, that's a plausible train of thought. But you know, you just never know?'
Reimer stopped 10 of the 11 shots he faced from the Bruins in relief of starter Jonathan Bernier, who left the game with an undisclosed lower body injury midway through the third period, with the Leafs clinging to a 3-2 lead. Leafs head coach Randy Carlyle said Bernier, who missed five games with a groin strain last month, is scheduled to undergo an MRI to determine the extent of the damage.
Toronto was short-handed when Reimer hopped over the boards, though he did not know it, at the time. He allowed an even-strength goal a few minutes after the penalty had been killed off, but he did not allow another goal, helping the Leafs to a 4-3 overtime win.
The win kept the team within a point of the Columbus Blue Jackets for the second wild card berth in the Eastern Conference. The Blue Jackets have six games left to play, while the Leafs only have four. One website, sportsclubstats.com, is giving the Leafs a 9.9% chance of making the playoffs - but those odds would have been much worse without a win over the Bruins.
'We needed that,' Carlyle said. 'He needed that.'
And now, if Bernier is injured, Carlyle may need Reimer. And that would add a layer of intrigue to a season already wrapped in bundles. Toronto has four games remaining, and will likely need to win all four for a chance at one of the final playoff berths - which is also something that might quiet the calls for Carlyle to be fired.
Reimer had not been in net for a win since March 13, having played in five straight losses as the Leafs tumbled into the fringes of the playoff race. After one of those losses, a 3-2 loss to Detroit on March 18, Carlyle described Reimer's performance as 'OK, just OK.'
The Red Wings beat Reimer with a breakaway, and two other solid scoring chances. The goaltender responded: 'He said just OK? I thought I was good.'
His agent joined the fray, via social media. Ray Petkau posted this on his Twitter page, which limits him to 140 characters of controversy fuel at a time: 'As is customary in Toronto, when your team plays poor defensively game after game you blame your goalie.'
As is customary in Toronto, when your team plays poor defensively game after game you blame your goalie.- Ray Petkau (@RayPetkau) March 19, 2014
Apparently that last tweet needs clarification. Notice it's NOT directed at anyone in particular. It's a general observation. #BadTiming- Ray Petkau (@RayPetkau) March 19, 2014
I hadn't heard the post game interviews at that time. If I wanted to stir the pot, that would have been perfect! Nothing to see here folks..- Ray Petkau (@RayPetkau) March 19, 2014
Five days after that loss to Detroit, Reimer was pulled from a game against New Jersey, which ended in another loss. It was a Sunday night, and it was the end of a weekend in which some Twitter users had taken to launching attacks on Reimer's wife, April, for his struggles in net.
Thankfully the voices of many drown out the voices of a few. Thank you if you wrote me a kind tweet :)- April Reimer (@april_reimer) March 23, 2014
Don't mistake my silence for ignorance, my calmness for acceptance or my kindness as weakness #goaliewifeproblems- April Reimer (@april_reimer) March 23, 2014
'Most of the things those people are saying, I mean, they're not even necessarily fans,' James Reimer said with a shrug late Thursday night. 'The true fans are the ones who were the supportive ones. For everything that was going on, there was 10, 20, 100 fans who were in support.'
On Thursday night, the Air Canada Centre crowd welcomed him into the net with a loud cheer. Some began to chant his name moments later. (Most of the noise ended after the Bruins tied the score at 3-3, but that was expected, since the goal seemed to physically remove most of the oxygen from the building.)
'The fans have been great,' Reimer said. 'Obviously, there's kind of been a cloud, some negativity that's been going on, but the support has been tenfold. I love playing here, and the support I feel has been unbelievable.'
Reimer, who is set to become a restricted free agent this summer, said he told his wife he had a feeling he would get into the game on Thursday. That feeling passed when the game began with Bernier in net, but Reimer said he was prepared to play.
'Obviously, it's been tough with everything that's been going on, but you stay positive,' he said. 'Faith has been a huge thing for me, in keeping me grounded and keeping things in perspective. That's huge.'
Post By http://sports.nationalpost.com/2014/04/04/toronto-maple-leafs-may-need-to-rely-on-james-reimer-adding-yet-another-layer-of-intrigue-to-their-season/
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