Leafs during a six-game point streak

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(Sports Network) - Arizona Cardinals linebacker Alex Okafor will miss the remainder of the season with a torn biceps.
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with a torn bicep. Coming back stronger next year," Okafor wrote. The Cardinals
had already placed linebackers Sam Acho and Lorenzo Alexander on injured reserve
earlier this week.
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. -- Stacy Lewis shot 7-under 65 to lead the LPGA Tour team to the championship
of the 3Tour Challenge on Tuesday.ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Jonathan Bernier sported
retro-coloured pads and a navy Maple Leafs toque atop his mask in a blustery
Winter Classic at the Big House. “It was actually keeping me warm,” said Bernier
with a sly grin of the extra insulation, “and I thought it looked good.” The
25-year-old remained a fiery difference-maker yet again for the Leafs on
Wednesday afternoon. Bernier stopped 41 of 43 Detroit shots in front of 105,591
spectators at Michigan Stadium as his club won three straight for the first time
since late October, edging the Red Wings 3-2 in the shootout. Bernier has, for
the moment at least, snatched control of the Toronto crease. On Wednesday he
became the first Leaf goaltender to start four straight all season and owns a
scorching .950 save percentage in his past six games. “We look at it and say
that Jonathan Bernier has come in and given us a chance and given us an
opportunity in games and thats really what were looking for,” Randy Carlyle said
after the historic tilt in front of a record crowd at the football stadium in
Ann Arbor. “[But] we feel that James Reimer has done the same. Right now,
[Jonathan] is on a little bit of a run and as long as he can continue to provide
us with the level of goaltending that he has it would be foolish for us to look
another direction.” Facing at least 40 shots for the seventh time already this
season, Bernier had another busy, yet effective night. He may have been at his
best in a windy second frame. With his team under siege and already trailing 1-0
on a goal from Daniel Alfredsson, Bernier first turned aside Daniel Cleary on a
partial breakaway before stopping the scary duo of Pavel Datsyuk and
Henrik Zetterberg moments later. “If we wouldve went down 2-0 there it wouldve
been very difficult to come back given the condition of the ice,” said
Joffrey Lupul afterward. The Leafs rallied on the efforts of their goaltender
shortly after with James van Riemsdyk ending an eight-game dry spell with his
15th this season before the visitors moved ahead on a nifty redirection from
Tyler Bozak. Detroit tied it with less than seven minutes to go in the final
period before Toronto raked in the extra point in the shootout. The victory
pushed the Leafs to 47 points on the year, one up on their Original Six rival.
They have now registered at least a point in six consecutive games, turning the
corner somewhat from a miserable stretch that began at the outset of November.
As for Bernier, he continued whats been an excellent first half for Torontos
goaltending. To proclaim him the Leafs No. 1 though after a strong string of
starts would be unwise, especially in light of the stability Reimer has offered
with a .924 save percentage in 18 starts this season. Carlyle is sure to
continue rotating between the two while riding the hot hand when it emerges. “I
know that there has been this constant ‘Whos number one? question hovering over
our hockey club,” said Carlyle. “I know youre tired of hearing it and you think
Im full of it when I say 1A and 1B, but thats what I believe in and I think
competition for the position allows people to compete and bring the best out of
them.” Five Points 1. Road to the Winter Classic Ends Carlyle was famously
opposed to the all-encompassing presence of HBO en route to Wednesdays Winter
Classic and couldnt have been happier to have it conclude on this day. “Its been
a long three weeks, thats for sure,” he said, still sporting a ball cap atop his
suit. “With whats gone on with our hockey club, the way weve played, the
inconsistencies that weve played to and the microscope that weve been under you
get to see a lot of it. Theres a lot of things that are going on inside that are
hard to deal with it when youre always constantly under a camera or a
microphone.” Just as those cameras from the 24/7 series exit, the Leafs have
ever-so-subtly turned a corner, picking up points in six consecutive games. They
have just two regulation wins though in the past 21 games – winning five
shootouts – and were outshot 43-26 by the Red Wings on Wednesday. “The general
feeling in the room was that we got through a really, really tough stretch in
December with a lot of travel and a lot of games in a short period of time,”
said Lupul. “And [we] probably didnt have the results we wouldve liked, but we
kind of kept our head above water there and now were getting some bodies back in
the lineup, getting more healthy and hopefully this is the turning point for us
where we can kind of put something together.” 2. Wintery Conditions To combat
the freezing of his blocker in the chilly conditions, Bernier employed unusual
measures. “The trainer would give me hot-packs and I would just put [the
blocker] in my pants as well, try to keep it warm.” Snow fell vigorously on the
ice surface at the Big House from start to finish, a crew with shovels clearing
the surface frequently. “I was watching them shovel it,” said Dion Phaneuf, who
notched a pair of assists a day after signing a seven-year extension, “and you
could see the piles by the time they done there it was this high coming off the
ice [raises hand about a foot off the ground]..
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. “The ice conditions were really good,” he continued. “The ice was
real hard, but the snow on it made it difficult to keep the puck flat.”
“Everyones hands and feet were a little cold,” added Lupul, “but other than that
it wasnt too bad.” 3. Gleason Acquisition In looking to upgrade their defence on
Wednesday, the Leafs swapped a player/contract in John-Michael Liles who didnt
fit under Carlyle for one in Tim Gleason who promises to gain at least a more
consistent look. “The decision was made to find a player that we felt was going
to fit into our back-end more so than what [Liles] was,” said Carlyle. Like
Liles, the 30-year-old Gleason has two years remaining on his contract after
this season, carrying a slightly higher cap hit of $4 million annually ($3.875
for Liles). Describing the six-foot, 217-pound Gleason as “very competitive”,
Maple Leafs general manager Dave Nonis said that the new addition would have to
earn his ice. “It changes the look of our back end a little bit and I think it
gives Randy some more options in terms of pairings,” said Nonis. “We just want
him to make a contribution,” Carlyle said of Gleason, whose game strays toward
the defensive side of things. “And his contribution wont be expected to be a
power-play guy, it wont be expected to be an offensive guy, but a big strong guy
that can move the puck.” Gleason, a left-handed shot, figures to be in a fight
for opportunity on the Leafs third pair, battling the likes of Paul Ranger and
Mark Fraser for a chance alongside 19-year-old Morgan Rielly. 4. Bozaks Hot
Streak Though about a month passed in between – he missed 12 games with an
oblique injury – Tyler Bozak continues to thrive amid a six-game point streak.
Bozak, who scored in regulation and added the shootout winner, has tallied two
goals and seven assists in that span. The 27-year-old played nearly 24 minutes
against the Red Wings and won 14 of 24 draws. “Hes a reliable player,” said
Carlyle. “And if we had a model for the younger players to follow, it would be
Tyler Bozak as far as the confident player, not a big guy but he gets in the
way, he gets inside, he wins his share of one-on-one battles, very strong in the
faceoff circle, and hes got the hockey sense.” 5. Phaneuf Leadership Style
Phaneuf was named the 18th Toronto captain at the just-ripe age of 25. Inked to
a seven-year extension with the club three and a half years later, Carlyle
believes time and experience has allowed Phaneuf to mature into the burdensome
duties he assumes for the Leafs. “Dion was put in a situation at a very young
age to be the captain of an Original Six team in a very intense market,” said
Carlyle, shortly after the Phaneuf extension was officially announced. “I think
Dion has softened his approach – not only the way he brings himself to the rink
day in, day out – but I think to his teammates, to everybody around him, I think
hes become much more accommodating. I think its a sign of maturity. “We all know
the captaincy for an NHL team is a letter that you wear proudly, but when your
team is not having success it becomes a pretty big item on your chest. People
look to you as being the leader and positively or negatively – depending on if
it goes well or not going well – you can get ripped apart for it or accolades
for it. Those are the things that take place and I think as a young player it
takes some maturing, not only just from a hockey player standpoint, but from the
expectations that are put on you.” Matched up against Pavel Datsyuk and the Red
Wings top line, the 28-year-old played nearly 28 minutes in the Winter Classic,
notching his 12th and 13th assists this season. Bonus Point – U.S. Olympic
Duties Phil Kessel and James van Riemsdyk were named to the American Olympic
team following Wednesdays game. It will be the second go-around at the games for
Kessel – who will also be joined there by his sister Amanda, representing the
U.S. women – and the first for the 24-year-old van Riemsdyk. Stats-Pack .950 –
Save percentage for Jonathan Bernier over the past six games. 4-0-2 – Record for
the Leafs during a six-game point streak. 9 – Points for Tyler Bozak during a
six-game point streak. 4 – Consecutive starts for Jonathan Bernier, the first
time either he or James Reimer have started four straight all season. 2 – Goals
for James van Riemsdyk in the past 12 games. JVR snapped an eight-game drought
with 15th this season against the Red Wings. 28:24 – Ice-time for Dion Phaneuf
on Wednesday, a game-high. 38 – Face-offs for Jay McClement against the Red
Wings, the 30-year-old winning 45 per cent of the time. 1-6-4 – Record for the
Leafs in their past 11 road games. Special Teams Capsule PP: 0-4 Season: 22%
(6th) PK: 2-2 Season: 78.1% (27th) Quote of the Night “I was born and raised in
Sudbury and spent 18 years in Winnipeg, so I know a little bit about cold
weather. - Randy Carlyle, following Wednesdays blustery Winter Classic. Up Next
The Leafs return home to host the Rangers on Saturday.
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Posted 21 Mar 2017

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