the team. ... Boyle has 95 points in 365 NHL games. ... | Forum

WINNIPEG – As an early afternoon practice wrapped in the blustery Manitoba capital of Winnipeg, Maple Leafs head coach Randy Carlyle ambled over to James Reimer, stretching just outside the visitors crease, and offered a quick word. Matt Read Flyers Jersey . He, the 25-year-old Toronto backup net-minder and Manitoba native, would be making just his fourth start in the past 16 games against the Jets the following evening. It was the word of opportunity for Reimer, who has fallen into the role of backup, outmatched in recent weeks by Jonathan Bernier, his Quebec counterpart. "Its been," said Reimer in conversation with the Leaf Report, pausing briefly to choose his words, "its been an interesting year. Thats maybe the best way I can describe it." More than eight months after he steered the Leafs into their first playoff appearance in nine years and Reimer is no longer the no. 1 guy in Toronto. Bernier has wrestled hold of that mantle for the time being, earning the bulk of starts since the middle of December – 32 on the year compared with 21 for Reimer. Challenged, doubted, and dissected often throughout his 127-game NHL career, be it through summer trade talk for Roberto Luongo, deadline trade talk for Miikka Kiprusoff or a concussion that badly derailed his first full season, Reimer has managed to overcome a series of different hurdles in his tenure as a Leaf, but maybe nothing quite like this. Bernier is not a rumoured threat, nor a nagging injury to bypass, but a feisty challenger itching to prove himself in the spotlight. And thus far, the 25-year-old has taken full advantage of the opportunity hes been granted in Toronto, sitting amongst the top-10 in league save percentage (.925), while eventually establishing himself as the Leafs undeclared no. 1 starter. The looming challenge for Reimer is to snatch the job right back. And he plans to fight for it. He has not and has no intention of asking for a trade out of Toronto despite circumstances (Bernier trade, a proven track record) that might have led others in his situation to stray down that path. "Your end goal is to be the guy and you want that, but youve got to focus on everyday what I need to do so that that can happen," said Reimer. "Its like I want to win the Cup, but its not like every day I hit the ice Im going to win the Cup. I want to win the Cup, but when I hit the ice its what do I need to do to be the best I can be. And if you focus on that everyday then eventually the Cup will come.  "Same with this (situation). Its obviously something you want. Its something you really want. But youve got to focus on a lot smaller goals." Those goals start with making full use of the opportunities he gets, however infrequent, and reshape a race that is likely far from over. One such opportunity presented itself earlier this week in Denver, Reimer propelling the Leafs to an unlikely 5-2 win over the Avalanche with 35 big saves. And now another opportunity looms against the Jets on Saturday evening, his club looking to avenge a 7-1 loss in Dallas two nights earlier. Reimers only real control in the matter of playing time is performance. And though he started with a bang in October – a gaudy .949 save percentage in six games – that performance has dipped downward (albeit with little help in some situations) with Bernier proving the more reliable and consistent of the two. "Thats exactly the way you approach it," Reimer said of earning more starts with performance. "You try not to look ahead. You try not to say Id like to get 10 out of 12 (starts) or 10 out of 20, or whatever, three out of seven, whatever it may be. "To me, when I get the nod I want to go out there and play my heart out." This is unfamiliar terrain for the Morweena native, that of the NHL backup. Though he very briefly battled with Ben Scrivens at the outset of last season, Reimer has quickly defined himself as a viable starter in the league, finishing 2013 with eighth best save percentage while steering the Leafs to a near-first round upset of the Bruins in the playoffs. He owns an impressive 63-38-15 career mark with a sturdy .915 save percentage. Falling into the role of second fiddle, thus, has been a challenge, mostly in the mental arena. "Its 105 per cent mental, I think, this game," said Reimer. "Its all about trying to be in the right mindset and trying to stay positive and knowing that when you have the extra time to work on stuff thats what youve got to do. Youve got to work your butt off so that when you get the nod youre as prepared as you can (be)." His longer-term future in Toronto remains murky at best. Reimer is a restricted free agent this summer with Bernier locked up for another year. In theory, the organization could opt to keep both – though Reimer holds arbitration rights and would seem to hold a pretty good case for a good raise – but more than likely one will be gone by next fall, if not sooner. Both want and have earned the right to start. The choice will ultimately belong to general manager Dave Nonis, who brought Bernier into the fold from Los Angeles in his first big splash as the Maple Leafs boss last summer. Reimer wants to stay and wont ask to go. But he also wants to play and intends to fight to do so. "I feel like Im becoming a better person for it or at least I hope so," he said of the experience this season. "I feel like Im battling and grinding and trying to do everything I can. As far as I know if youre doing that then thats all you can do." Bernie Parent Flyers Jersey . The Clippers were angry about blowing a big lead; the Kings didnt like being in that kind of hole and nearly digging themselves out only to lose. Steve Mason Flyers Jersey .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. http://www.nhlflyersproauthentic.com/bobby-clarke-hockey-jersey/ . Ferrer, trying to win his fourth title on Mexican soil, will next play South Africas Kevin Anderson, who eliminated American Sam Querrey,7-6 (2), 6-4. Also Wednesday, Gilles Simon (6) of France beat Donald Young of the United States 6-4, 6-3, Ukraines Alexandr Dolgopolov downed Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 6-3, 6-4 and Croatias Ivo Karlovic defeated Dudi Sela of Israel 7-6 (4), 6-2.NEW YORK -- Derick Brassard scored the go-ahead goal with 7:46 left in the third period and the New York Rangers used late offence to beat the New York Islanders for the second straight game, 4-1 on Friday night. With the teams skating 4-on-4 and the Rangers taking advantage of a delayed penalty, Brassard took a cross-zone feed from defenceman Marc Staal and fired a shot past Evgeni Nabokov to give his team a 2-1 lead. Brad Richards provided insurance with 5:01 remaining, ripping a drive in off Nabokov, and Ryan McDonagh added an empty-net goal with 1 second left. Staal had two assists and Henrik Lundqvist made 38 saves for the Rangers, who have won three straight and six of eight. Brian Boyle gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead in the first period before Kyle Okposo tied it in the second. The Rangers topped the Islanders 2-1 outdoors at Yankee Stadium on Daniel Carcillos third-period goal Wednesday night and won the season series 3-2. The teams met for the third time in 11 days. Nabokov made 33 saves for the sliding Islanders, who dropped their fifth straight (0-4-1) after winning seven of nine. They controlled play in the second period, holding an 18-6 edge in shots, and got even on Okposos 24th goal. During a power play, the Islanders spent much of the advantage in the Rangers zone and tied it 5 seconds after McDonagh left the penalty box. Calvin de Haan fired a shot from inside the blue line at the right point that Lundqvist knockeed away. Bernie Parent Jersey. But the puck came to Okposo near the left post. He settled it down and sent a shot in to make it 1-all with 5:32 left in the second. Okposo got right back on the score sheet after being blanked at Yankee Stadium. He has scored a goal in five of seven games and has six assists in that span. The Rangers held a 1-0 lead at the end of the first period after outshooting the Islanders 14-12. They recorded the first six shots, but later trailed 11-9 before going back on top. Boyle scored his fourth of the season and 50th in the NHL when he deflected Staals shot from the centre of the blue line off the crossbar and past Nabokov at 3:29. It was Boyles first goal in 12 games but his third point in three games after he posted an assist in each of the two Yankee Stadium contests. After weathering the early Rangers onslaught, the Islanders generated plenty of pressure and drew the only power play of the period when Brassard held de Haan in the offensive zone. The Islanders had four shots on the advantage. Lundqvists best stop of the period came when he slid across the crease to get his right pad on a one-timer by Josh Bailey in tight. Lundqvist later used his left pad to block Okposos hard drive from the slot. NOTES: The Rangers honoured longtime television voice Sam Rosen before the game for 30 years with the team. ... Boyle has 95 points in 365 NHL games. ... Nabokov made his second straight start after returning from injury in a relief role on Monday. 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