Maple Leafs 4 v. Sharks 2: Optimus Reim Delivers

Is going to have to be sent down. We can’t demote Gustavsson, and we need Giggy to get lots of starts so that we can trade him for assets at the deadline.

Just got home from Owen Nolan`s bar in SJ near the arena. Lots of Canadians there, lots of Leafs fans. We`re like cockroaches — we`ll invade your home and multiply. A highlight was the Go Leafs Go chants on the concourse. I was literally jumping up and down in my seat like the guy at the end of the 87 Canada Cup when MacArthur scored the goal that iced it.

LOTS of Leafs fans there tonight, including some I say in LA. Some are also making the trip to Phoenix. I planned this trip in the offseason, but in November, when the wheels fell off our season, I feared we might get shutout multiple times and get swept. We`re playing with house money at this point, going 2-0 and winning both games in regulation.

I thought the SJ crowd was fantastic. They really support their team over here. But there is also a lot of angst over the way their season has gone thus far. I felt after two periods that SJ may have squandered their chances and we had a real opportunity to steal one. We were very lucky to be down only 1-0 after 40 minutes.

Phil Kessel`s goal was a thing of beauty.

GO LEAFS GO!

when I wear my new Kessel jersey

The one-sidedness of the poll responses is an insult to polling.

Doesn’t even warrant a question — the leafs played well enough to win, but Reimer allowed them to do so.

I’m Indian, I want somebody to guess what lund means in punjabi haha :P

Are we maybe giving Reimer too much credit here?

Not the popular opinion. I can see that. I agree, he’s played spectacularly. But look at what has happened with the Leafs over the last few games as well. Scoring – 7 goals in the last two days, throw in Atlanta and St. Louis and over the last four games that comes to 22 goals in 4 games, or 5.5 GPG. A crap ton of success on the PK. Being, for the most part, disciplined and staying out of the box so as not to strain said PK. Kessel on fire again. MGK being awesomer than usual.

What hasn’t happened with Reimer in the net? Komi hasn’t placed the puck directly on the sticks of guys like Cammalleri who are alone in the slot. Beauchemin hasn’t lost the puck and have it go straight to Christian Huselius in front of the net. Dion Phaneuf hasn’t been injured. Brett Lebda/John Mitchell haven’t been playing. Colton Orr has been much better than the stone-handed pylon he was during the losing skid.

Granted, Gustavsson’s play hasn’t exactly been Vezina-worthy. He needs to work out the kinks in his game, like tracking the puck. But he made so much progress last year, and even in November and the beginning of December was the reason that we were close in a lot of losing games. He’s a month removed from that kind of play. He has demonstrated an ability to play with the best in the league, as well as the desire to work harder and improve.

While I’m impressed with Reimer’s play so far, and his gaudy numbers so far as well, there is one number I’d like to point out: 16. The number of periods which Reimer has played in the NHL. What happens around here if we go into a tailspin for three weeks and Reimer is in net for those games, then Gus comes in and we start winning like a gambler woth loaded dice again? We call for Reimer to be sent down, and re-anoint Gus as our future awesome goalie? We just spent the past month critisizing him.

In conclusion. Be happy that Reimer is running with the opportunity. Cheer for his success. But we should keep in mind the big picture. That’s part of Burkie’s job as well. He’s not going to call Reimer our goalie of the future based on 5 games and a mop-up effort. The plan, I believe (and I have no basis for this argument other than circumstantial evidence), is that Gustavsson is still our future goalie. I agree with playing the hot hand. I agree we need to get out of the lottery, and playing the hot goalie is a way to do that. I just do not agree with finding a reason for a hot streak and focusing on that one reason, discarding all other reasons for a team’s earlier lack of success. Even if Reimer is playing well, it is a team game. The team is winning the games, not James Reimer, per se.

(I really hope nobody takes this wrong. I really don’t want to be a downer here. I’m just trying to put the hype around here about Reimer into perspective. Feel free to call me moron or other variants, but there’s my two cents, for whatever it’s worth.)