PHILADELPHIA – Teammates in Los Angeles, Jonathan Bernier had a sense of what
Wayne Simmonds might attempt when the two squared off in Philadelphia on
Wednesday night.
NBA Jerseys Cheap . Hauled down by
Paul Ranger with fewer than four ticks left in the second period of a tie game,
Simmonds was promptly shut down by the closed pads of Bernier in what proved to
be a game-changing penalty shot. “Hes got a great backhand too,” Bernier smiled
after his Leafs debut, a 31-save gem that sealed a 3-1 win, the second in as
many nights for Toronto. “I remember that. I was hoping he was going to shoot
it.” Passed over for the opening night start in Montreal just a day earlier,
Bernier was a sponge in the Leafs crease, absorbing a barrage of shots from a
feisty Flyers group, his team eventually finding their way in the third frame en
route to victory and a perfect 2-0-0 start to the season. “The puck just seems
to stick to him,” Joffrey Lupul said afterward of Bernier. “Especially on point
shots through traffic or tipped, it just seems to always be right around him.”
“He just battled,” added Randy Carlyle, the Leafs surviving six of seven Flyer
power-plays, including three in a turbulent opening frame. “Any of the loose
pucks that were around he seemed to have the ability to scoop up, be it with his
trapper or his blocker. He grabbed pucks. When there were loose pucks around,
they didnt get many second opportunities.” And when they did manage those
opportunities, Bernier held strong. With the Flyers on the hunt of their fourth
man advantage early in the second frame it was the Quebec netminder turning
aside multiple whacks from Vincent Lecavalier and Matt Read, the score remaining
a misleading 1-0 for the home side. Holding strong early and often, his efforts
were eventually rewarded late in the second frame when Phil Kessel buried his
first of the season to knot the score at one. It was less than three minutes
later though that Simmonds was awarded the penalty shot – 3.1 seconds left on
the clock – a simmering Philadelphia crowd about to bubble over with their team
on the attack and the period about to close. The game lingered on the line, a
goal from Simmonds sure to turn the tides in the Flyers favour heading into the
third and final frame. “Those are momentum swings that can carry a team into the
room and I think with him stopping the penalty shot [it] gave our room an extra
boost between the second and third,” Carlyle said. “He made it look pretty
easy,” Lupul added of the stop on Simmonds. Dave Bolland would score the
go-ahead goal minutes into the third, his first as a Leaf and first of two on
the evening, all that Bernier would need to preserve victory. On the hunt for
the No. 1 gig in Toronto after years as a backup with the Kings, it was a fine
first showing for the 25-year-old. How it skews the early race for starting
duties will certainly prove curious in the days ahead, the home opener with
Ottawa looming at the Air Canada Centre on Saturday. Five Points 1. More pucks
for Bernier Bernier better get used to seeing more rubber in Toronto than he did
in Los Angeles. The Kings gave up the third fewest shots per game last season, a
direct contrast to the Leafs, who finished fourth-worst overall, yielding more
than 32 per night. Over the past two seasons – a stretch that includes 25 starts
– Bernier faced more 30 shots on only four occasions, winning three of the four
starts. 2. Carlyles choice Berniers impressive performance may not be enough to
earn him the start on Saturday if past history is the judge for Carlyle. James
Reimer has simply sizzled in his career against the Senators, highlighted by a
8-1-1 career mark with a 1.69 goals against average and .949 save percentage. 3.
Bolland rises With Claude Giroux occupying the first line centre spot for the
Flyers and Lecavalier manning the second hole, Carlyle made the decision at the
outset of the second frame to flip Bolland onto a second unit with Lupul and Nik
Kulemin, replacing the youthful Nazem Kadri. “We felt that having the
flexibility to put Bolland up there gives us another competitive veteran guy to
play up against those guys,” Carlyle explained of bumping Bolland up in the
lineup. Finding a quick favourite in the head coach, Bolland sparked the unit,
beating Steve Mason in tight on a feed from Lupul early in the third before
icing the proceedings late with his second of the evening. Shortly after the
trade with Chicago went down this past summer, GM Dave Nonis hinted at growth
potential for Bolland offensively – hes scored 15 or more three times – an early
sampling perhaps of such sentiments on Wednesday night. “Hes a solid player,”
Lupul noted of Bolland, who played 16 minutes. “I knew that playing against him,
watching him in the playoffs a lot. Hes going to do things right in his own end
… [And] he showed he can go to the net and finish as well.” 4. Bernier
impressions Lupul observed before the game that Bernier oozed “calm” in the
crease, both in handling incoming shots and limiting rebounds. Also noticeable
to the 30-year-old was Berniers proficiency with the puck. “Hes really confident
handling the puck which I think can help our defence out a lot going back to
retrieve pucks,” the winger said, prior to Wednesdays match with the Flyers.
“Hes pretty good at getting out there behind [the net] and hitting the open
man.” Added Cody Franson of that ability, “I think anytime a goalie has
confidence handling a puck, its going to help us. It doesnt make us go back
quite as much for pucks and it can help us spread their offence out a little
bit. Thats definitely a plus.” 5. Fraser injury, Rielly opening? Mere seconds
after he laid a high-stick on Zac Rinaldo did Mark Fraser take an awkward hit
from former Leaf Jay Rosehill. Fraser twisted his left knee on the play and did
not return. He left the Wells Fargo Center on crutches and will have a further
assessment done on Thursday. An injury to the Ottawa native could spell an
opening for Morgan Rielly, who sat in the press-box for a second straight night.
“Right now they want him to practice and keep picking up some things at
practice,” Lupul said of the 19-year-old Rielly. “Hes going to be in there
eventually. Obviously they didnt keep him here from junior to sit in the
press-box all year so hes going to get his opportunity and its his job to be
ready and I think he will be.” Special Teams Capsule PP: 1-2 PK: 6-7 Quote of
the Night “The one call on Colton Orr, I dont know. Im not going to get myself
fined but holy crow. Giroux spun to turn around and fell and we got a penalty
for it.” -Randy Carlyle on the penalties his club faced against the Flyers,
including an early tripping call to Colton Orr. Up Next The Leafs host the
Senators in their home opener on Saturday.
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#83217388 / gettyimages.ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Andrey Makarov made 27 saves as the
Rochester Americans moved into a playoff position by defeating the visiting
Toronto Marlies 3-1 on Friday in American Hockey League action. Kevin Porter,
Luke Adam and Jerome Gauthier-Leduc supplied the scoring for the Americans
(34-27-10), who came into the game one point behind the Oklahoma City Barons and
idle Charlotte Checkers for the final post-season spot in the Western
Conference. Rochester has won four straight games after dropping nine in a row.
Josh Leivo scored the lone goal for the Marlies (42-23-6) while Christopher
Gibson stopped 18-of-21 shots in defeat. Porter opened the scoring at 13:22 of
the first period for the Americans.
NBA
Jerseys From China. Leivo, however, responded just 27 seconds later
for Toronto. After a scoreless second period, Rochester regained the lead 3:23
into the third when Luke Adam scored on the power play while Peter Holland
served a minor for goaltender interference. Torontos Kevin Marshall was sent off
for hooking, which led to Gauthier-Leduc adding another power-play goal for the
Americans at 7:04. Rochester went 2 for 6 on the power play while the Marlies
failed to score on six chances with the man advantage. The Americans currently
sit seventh in the West, but could finish the night in eighth if the Barons
defeat the Abbotsford Heat.
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