A few weeks back I wrote about Craig Anderson and James Reimer. They were back where they belonged after being usurped. For Reimer, it's been a two year wait. For Anderson, it was The Kid with an amazing run. Ottawa and Toronto will need these two.
Jonathan Bernier, who assumed the number one role from Reimer two seasons ago, appears to be making the turnaround. He's found himself in the minor leagues. Well, Jonathan doesn't have to worry about not playing now, as his backup is the zamboni driver (Are the Leafs trying to motivate him?). But seriously, he's posted back-to-back shutouts and is definitely going to get the call. And a short drive, if you know what I mean.
It's still early in the season, but their is plenty of time for Bernier, with a few good starts at the NHL to turn it around. He played very well in 2013/14 for Toronto, but an injury suffered late in the season didn't help. He played more the next season, 58 games compared to 55 in 13/14, but his play dropped. Jonathan was still the number one guy when the Leafs' season started this year, in spite of some serious off-season changes to Leafland management.
But then a funny thing happend.
James Reimer started to play. And play well. Bernier wasn't winning games or getting any goal support. You know, like the stat run support in baseball? James just seemed to hit his stride. But then he got hurt, which opens the door for Bernier.
Right now, Toronto is using Garrett Sparks, who wasn't even alive when the Leafs made it to within a game of the Stanley Cup finals back in 1993. That gives you an idea of his age. So far, so good. 2-1, 2.33, .920, and a shutout to boot. But there's no way Toronto can go with this kid, unless he's the second coming of Andrew Hammond (More on him later).
But Bernier has experience. He played well as a backup with the Los Angeles Kings before Toronto acquired him for Ben Scrivens and Matt Frattin. His time in Los Angeles impressed the Leafs' brass, and made Scrivens expendable. Even if the situation in Toronto is that the Leafs never make him the #1 guy, he's under contract for two years. Maybe he will regain that status with Reimer hurt. Regardless, we have not heard the last about Bernier in Toronto.
Andrew Hammond came out of nowhere to go 20-1-2 last season. He's 2-0-2 this season, proving that last year was no fluke for the Senators' netminder. But really, the job was always Craig Andesons's and last years' playoff sort of proved it. While he is 34, Craig's shown no signs of slowing down. And while his stats aren't eye-popping this season (Yet, but just watch, they will), he's proven himself in stealing games over and over again. Usually, the goalie who "wins" you games is the number one guy, where as the guy that can also stop pucks in the backup. That's the way it goes in the NHL.
Hammond, though, suffered a concussion (Goalies are always at risk for that in a crowded crease) back in mid-November, and might be gone for a time. But his real numbers this year (.930 SV% despite the opposition averaging nearly 36 shots on goal a night) are enough to make me feel like he'll be around a while when he comes around. The Sens third-stringer, Matt O'Connor, has been used just once this season, and it's been all-Anderson even in back-to-back nights. Ottawa is not sold on O'Connor at this point.
References
“Official Site of the National Hockey League” NHL.com. National Hockey League. Web. (07 Dec. 2015). http://www.nhl.com/
Sports Reference LLC. Hockey-Reference.com - Hockey Statistics and History. http://www.hockey-reference.com/. Web. (7 Dec. 2015)
Jonathan Bernier, who assumed the number one role from Reimer two seasons ago, appears to be making the turnaround. He's found himself in the minor leagues. Well, Jonathan doesn't have to worry about not playing now, as his backup is the zamboni driver (Are the Leafs trying to motivate him?). But seriously, he's posted back-to-back shutouts and is definitely going to get the call. And a short drive, if you know what I mean.
It's still early in the season, but their is plenty of time for Bernier, with a few good starts at the NHL to turn it around. He played very well in 2013/14 for Toronto, but an injury suffered late in the season didn't help. He played more the next season, 58 games compared to 55 in 13/14, but his play dropped. Jonathan was still the number one guy when the Leafs' season started this year, in spite of some serious off-season changes to Leafland management.
But then a funny thing happend.
James Reimer started to play. And play well. Bernier wasn't winning games or getting any goal support. You know, like the stat run support in baseball? James just seemed to hit his stride. But then he got hurt, which opens the door for Bernier.
Right now, Toronto is using Garrett Sparks, who wasn't even alive when the Leafs made it to within a game of the Stanley Cup finals back in 1993. That gives you an idea of his age. So far, so good. 2-1, 2.33, .920, and a shutout to boot. But there's no way Toronto can go with this kid, unless he's the second coming of Andrew Hammond (More on him later).
But Bernier has experience. He played well as a backup with the Los Angeles Kings before Toronto acquired him for Ben Scrivens and Matt Frattin. His time in Los Angeles impressed the Leafs' brass, and made Scrivens expendable. Even if the situation in Toronto is that the Leafs never make him the #1 guy, he's under contract for two years. Maybe he will regain that status with Reimer hurt. Regardless, we have not heard the last about Bernier in Toronto.
Andrew Hammond came out of nowhere to go 20-1-2 last season. He's 2-0-2 this season, proving that last year was no fluke for the Senators' netminder. But really, the job was always Craig Andesons's and last years' playoff sort of proved it. While he is 34, Craig's shown no signs of slowing down. And while his stats aren't eye-popping this season (Yet, but just watch, they will), he's proven himself in stealing games over and over again. Usually, the goalie who "wins" you games is the number one guy, where as the guy that can also stop pucks in the backup. That's the way it goes in the NHL.
Hammond, though, suffered a concussion (Goalies are always at risk for that in a crowded crease) back in mid-November, and might be gone for a time. But his real numbers this year (.930 SV% despite the opposition averaging nearly 36 shots on goal a night) are enough to make me feel like he'll be around a while when he comes around. The Sens third-stringer, Matt O'Connor, has been used just once this season, and it's been all-Anderson even in back-to-back nights. Ottawa is not sold on O'Connor at this point.
References
“Official Site of the National Hockey League” NHL.com. National Hockey League. Web. (07 Dec. 2015). http://www.nhl.com/
Sports Reference LLC. Hockey-Reference.com - Hockey Statistics and History. http://www.hockey-reference.com/. Web. (7 Dec. 2015)
Canadian Press. "Bernier Starts for Marlies,
Zamboni Driver Signed as Backup - Sportsnet.ca." 04 Dec. 2015. http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/bernier-starts-for-marlies-zamboni-driver-signed-as-backup/.
Web. (07 Dec. 2015).
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