The first three games of Jonathan Bernier’s 10-day conditioning stint with the Toronto Marlies was perfection in the form of three straight shutout victories, 70 saves and an infusion of confidence for the struggling Leafs goaltender.
The Marlies 5-4 overtime loss to the Utica Comets on Sunday ended the club’s five game winning streak, but also may have cast a bit of doubt of whether Bernier is ready for his possible return against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday.
Bernier allowed five goals on 26 shots, including two short-handed tallies, a pair of goals from Alex Friesen and Mike Zalewski 39 seconds apart that gave Utica a 3-1 lead early in the second period and the tying and game-winning goals from Jordan Subban and Friesen with 60 seconds left in regulation and 16 seconds into overtime.
Heres Alex Friesen's OT Winner. His second goal of the night. pic.twitter.com/PvhY54CTVM
— Jeff Veillette (@JeffVeillette) December 13, 2015"Today obviously wasn't the same as he was in the previous three." Marlies coach Sheldon Keefe said. "He was perfect in the previous three and that is really what he should take away from this experience being down here."
The string of shutouts and 3-0-1 record are being emphasized by the Leafs in the hopes that Bernier's crisis of confidence prior to agreeing to the conditioning stint is a thing of the past, but it has to be a bit of a concern that the 27-save victory in Utica on Friday was the only game in which he was severely tested.
"I think I gained that confidence back, I made some adjustments in my game and I feel good, so I'm ready to go back to the Leafs (Monday)." Bernier said following the game.
It is fair to say that Bernier was not called upon to make any big saves last weekend against Rochester and Manitoba and that he failed to come up big in front of a weary Marlies group that was playing their third game in three nights on Sunday.
The recall of the Leafs goaltender may not immediately result in the return of Garret Sparks to the Marlies, as James Reimer has not practiced since suffering a lower body injury in Minnesota on December 3.
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William Nylander scored his club-leading 14th goal of the season and added an assist to extend his AHL scoring lead to five points, but the status of the 19-year-old for the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship that begins in less than two weeks is still in question.
The Leafs announced on Sunday that had given permission to winger Kasperi Kapanen to join Team Finland but that Nylander's status would be determined by the end of the week. The Marlies play three road games in Binghamton, Wilkes Barre/Scranton and Hershey on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday before having a week off.
The Marlies lineup on Sunday included three call ups from the ECHL's Orlando Solar Bears with Connor Brown, Frederik Gauthier and Nikita Soshnikov out with injuries. It is possible that the Leafs are holding onto Nylander until the last possible moment, just as the Colorado Avalanche are doing 2015 first rounder Mikko Rantanen.
Rantanen has been given permission to play for Finland, but not until the Avs AHL affiliate plays their last pre-Christmas game on December 21.
If Toronto keeps Nylander until next Saturday's game in Hershey, the maximum amount of games the 19-year-old will miss is 6 between December 26 - January 3.
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