UPDATE: Sportsnet's Chris Johnston reports that goalie James Reimer left practice at the Mastercard Center in Etobicoke, ON and appeared to be hurting.
TSN's Mark Masters indicates that the Leafs goaltender appeared to be favoring his left leg.
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The Toronto Maple Leafs have been riding the hot goaltending of James Reimer to a respectable record in November, but the how the club would they fare once Reimer cooled off may have been answered in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Boston Bruins at Air Canada Center on Monday.
David Krejci scored in the shootout to give the Bruins their second straight win over Toronto. Brad Marchand had a pair and Zac Rinaldo scored for Boston, while Joffrey Lupul, Leo Komarov and Tyler Bozak scored for the Leafs.
After Marchand opened the scoring on a shorthanded effort early in the first, batting the puck out of midair with a swing that would have made David Ortiz proud, Reimer allowed a weak short-side goal to Rinaldo that gave Boston a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes.
Toronto rallied to tie the game in the middle frame with goals 62 seconds apart from Lupul and Komarov, but less than two minutes later Boston took back the lead as Reimer allowed Marchand’s shot to dribble between his glove and left pad.
The Leafs goaltender nearly allowed another questionable one for the game-winner late in the third on a shot from Patrice Bergeron, but defenseman Morgan Rielly batted the puck to safety before it bounced into the goal.
Boston goalie Tuukka Rask also had difficulties, giving up a juicy rebound on a PA Parenteau shot resulted in Tyler Bozak’s tying goal late in the second, but Rask was significantly busier than his counterpart, facing 42 shots and a 4-on-3 power play in the last two minutes of overtime.
“In fairness to (Reimer),he’s been carrying us.… Leafs coach Mike Babcock said after the game. “On Rinaldo’s goal, we made a mistake, on the other one, it just went in. I thought our team played hard and did a good job. I thought we had a lull after they got two and then we got ourselves regrouped and played hard. We had tons of chances. Neither goalie was having a career night early and then both goalies played real well.…
Reimer did make an excellent save on Jimmy Hayes in the second period and made 26 saves in his third game in four nights, but the proof that the 27-year-old goaltender is capable of being the primary starter in the future is still scant and circumstantial.
Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos indicated on Monday that Reimer will be looking as an unrestricted free agent next summer for a destination that will give him a clear opportunity to be the #1 goaltender. With the picture in Toronto being murky at best with the status of Jonathan Bernier, the odds appear more towards Reimer being a trade deadline rental for a club in need of goaltending than re-signing with the Leafs.
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Roman Polak was injured in the third period blocking a shot, but Babcock indicated following the game that x-rays on the defenseman’s foot were negative.
Toronto’s next contest will be on Saturday against the Washington Capitals.
The Leafs have an over .500 record (5-3-2) when scoring three or more goals and are 2-7-3 when scoring two goals or less.
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The Maple Leafs signed a pair of their highly regarded 2015 draft class on Monday, as defenseman Andrew Nielsen and winger Dmytro Timashov agreed to three-year, entry-level contracts.
The 19-year-old Nielsen was selected in the third round (65th overall) last June and has put up impressive offensive numbers with the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes. In 23 games, Nielsen has seven goals and 17 assists (tied for 2nd in WHL defensive scoring), which matches his totals for the entire 2014-15 season.
Timashov was QMJHL Rookie of the Year and second in the league with 71 assists last season prior to being selected 125th overall by the Leafs. After impressing many during the rookie tournament in London, ON and training camp, the 19-year-old was returned to the Quebec Remparts and is leading the club with 13 goals, 28 assists in 23 games.
The Ukrainian-born forward will likely play for Sweden in the upcoming IIHF World Junior Tournament in Helsinki next month.
With the signings of Nielsen and Timashov, the Leafs have now locked up four of their nine 2015 draft choices. First rounder Mitch Marner and second rounder Travis Dermott agreed to entry-level deals during the summer.
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