Can he return to the form he demonstrated a couple of
seasons ago? Is he over the concussion/neck injury? Was his rookie campaign a
mirage or is he the real deal? Will he be part of a trade to bring Roberto
Luongo to Toronto?
The answers so far: Yes he has returned to his rookie
season form, and yes he is over his concussion/neck injury. It doesn't appear
his rookie season was a fluke and Roberto who?
Reimer gets the call tonight against Carolina as he makes
a 5th consecutive start for the Maple Leafs.
"I feel like I have battled hard and stayed with it
and competed well," said Reimer who has a 2.47 GAA and a save percentage
of .922, (10th best in the NHL). "Honestly it's our team. We have played
well as a team. I don't think it really matters who is back there."
Actually James it does matter. If the Reimer from last
season was in goal, the Leafs lose to Washington on Thursday instead of coming
up with a win on Thursday.
If last season's Reimer faced the Bruins on Saturday,
Boston wins 6-0, not 1-0.
A new goalie coach in Rick St Croix (replacing Francois
Allaire), a commitment to defence and feeling good are reasons why Reimer has
given his team a chance to win this season.
"I feel being healthy is maybe the biggest
thing," said Reimer when asked why he has had such success. "My job
is to give the guys as best a chance as possible to win."
That he has.
The Leafs will play 5 games in 8 days (including a stop
to Winnipeg, not far from Reimer's home or Morweena, Manitoba). A busy stretch
for the Leafs and Reimer.
It’s an important one too.
*The Leafs have struggled at home so far - 1 and 3 at the Air Canada Centre.
Coach Randy Carlyle, does your team have to be better at
home?
"No sh&t," said Carlyle, ahead of the home
game against Carolina. "We've played some decent hockey here yet we've
found ways not to compete to the level that was required in our building and
all the things we've talked about day in and day out."
"It's imperative to have a (good) home record to
qualify for the playoffs, it's as simple as that," said the coach.
"That's the bottom line. It is something we are stressing."
Carlyle has been saying since the first day of training
camp the importance of doing well at home - creating an identity.
Yes these Leafs work harder but not necessarily smarter than
last year's bunch and Carlyle knows it.
The Leafs have scored 9 goals in 4 games at home.
"We have to be more determined in the offensive
areas," said Carlyle. "In the cycle game at times we have shown we
can do that but it's hard to cycle the puck if you don't get the puck in deep
and retrieve it."
21 home games left for the Leafs - a team that is in the
words of the head coach "a work in progress."A work in progress, on the road and at home, especially it seems at home.
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