As much as many followers of the Toronto Maple Leafs hope their team will lose every game remaining on the 2014-15 regular season schedule, instances such as their 5-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday are bound to occur, because as bad as the Maple Leafs have played, they will encounter clubs in the next two months that they are simply better than.
The Leafs ended their franchise-record breaking 11 game losing streak at Air Canada Center in a display of hockey that at times could only be described as painful to watch, as James Reimer made 31 saves replacing an under-the-weather Jonathan Bernier for his first win since December 14.
Toronto enjoyed the majority of the offensive opportunities early in the game(including a five-on-three power play) but failed to capitalize until the midway point of the middle frame, when Richard Panik, Phil Kessel and Morgan Rielly scored a trio of goals in the span of 4 ½ minutes. Mike Santorelli and Peter Holland added third period breakaway goals to guarantee the Leafs first victory since a 5-2 win over Columbus, but Edmonton’s Luke Gazdic spoiled Reimer’s shutout bid with three seconds remaining.
“We’re very happy about (the win), I think we’re even happier we got to have it on home ice.… Rielly said following the game. “I think we owe our fans a little bit. We’re happy with the way we played and all we’re worrying about now is trying to keep this thing going and keep playing well.…
One of the few encouraging points for the Leafs in the last month has been the performance of the 20-year-old Rielly, who scored his sixth of the season on an impressive end-to-end rush on Saturday.
The 2012 fifth overall pick is averaging 19:01 TOI per game this season, but has averaged over 22 minutes the last nine games and is handling more responsibilities in the absence of team captain Dion Phaneuf. This progress and maturity is a positive sign for the Leafs aspirations for the young defenseman and may be proof that Rielly has the capability to step into a top pairing role as soon as next season if Cody Franson and/or Phaneuf are dealt.
“Like I said last night, it’s really hard to play that kind of hockey, and to come out of it, you’ve got to work tremendously hard and fight the negative momentum.… A relieved Reimer said following the victory. …I thought we did a heck of a job tonight. I thought right from the get-go we came out to play and I credit my team.…
Reimer was named the first star in the second of back-to-back weekend starts, but it is unclear whether interim coach Peter Horachek will give him a third straight start on Tuesday or go back to Jonathan Bernier.
It is clear from how Reimer has been used this season by former coach Randy Carlyle and Horachek that the Morweena, MB native is lower on the depth chart than Bernier and their workload in the remaining 28 games is likely to reflect that.
Toronto needs to make a determination of whether Bernier is capable of being their future #1 goalie in advance of the expiration of his two-year bridge deal this summer and that cannot happen if Reimer is given a sizable workload. Indications are that Leafs management believe in the 26-year-old Laval, Quebec native, but does that mean that they will give Bernier a long-term extension in excess of $5 Million per season or opt to go to arbitration for a short-term deal.
With Toronto clearly in a selling posture three weeks prior to the March 2nd trade deadline, Reimer could be among a number of Leafs players who could be dealt to a team looking for a solid backup or an injury replacement, such as the Nashville Predators or New York Rangers. Reimer has another year left on a contract with a $2.3 Million cap hit, but the deal was front loaded and pays $2 Million in the final year, which could make it easier to move in the summer.
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Wild Card Race – Points(Games Played)
1. NY RANGERS 64(50), 2. BOSTON 63(52), 3. FLORIDA 56(50), 4. PHILADELPHIA 52(52), 5. NEW JERSEY 51(53). 6. TORONTO 50(54) 7. OTTAWA 49(51), 7. COLUMBUS 49(51).
Leafs odds of making the playoffs (0.4%, up 0.1% with win over to Edmonton, as per Sportsclubstats.com .
McEichel Race – Points(Games Played)
8. NEW JERSEY 51(53), 7. TORONTO 50(54), 6. OTTAWA 49(51), 5. COLUMBUS 49(51), 4. CAROLINA 45(52), 3. ARIZONA 45(53), 2. EDMONTON 37(53), 1. BUFFALO 35(53)
Current Leafs odds at winning Draft Lottery(6.5%)
Saturday's results: Columbus and Carolina keep pace with Toronto with wins over Ottawa and San Jose. Toronto jumps past the Sens with the win over Edmonton, but both Ottawa and Columbus trail the Leafs by one point and have three games in hand. New Jersey loses in Montreal and is one point ahead of Toronto.
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The Leafs have returned defenseman Petter Granberg and goalie Antoine Bibeau to the Toronto Marlies after being emergency recalled on Saturday. Granberg was elevated due to the uncertain status of Cody Franson, who was limping after the game in New Jersey on Friday but played against Edmonton. Bibeau backed up Reimer due to Bernier’s sudden illness.
The demotion of both could be for cap management reasons or an indicator that Dion Phaneuf will be ready to come off injured reserve and Bernier will be able to return to the lineup on Tuesday.
My col: McDavid says being on #Leafs would b dream come true - much to @GrahamDeLaet's chagrin http://t.co/fXguiAHmA9 pic.twitter.com/6vBNj8HW8I
— Mike Zeisberger (@Zeisberger) February 8, 2015Rumor Updates
The LA Kings interest in defenseman Cody Franson may be increased or could be done altogether depending on the injury status of defenseman Alec Martinez. The Cup-winning goal scorer suffered an upper body injury in the Kings 4-2 win over Tampa on Saturday. The Kings are within five points of Calgary and Vancouver for two playoff spots, but it is uncertain whether GM Dean Lombardi will consider the injury to Martinez the death knell to the Kings playoff chances or more impetus to complete a deal for Franson or another blueliner in the next three weeks.
Sportsnet’s Damien Cox reported Saturday that the Leafs are not close in talks with Franson, Mike Santorelli and Daniel Winnik on contract extensions and that center Tyler Bozak’s name has gained momentum in trade circles.
Contract talks with the three pending UFA’s were simply a mechanism for buying time and seeing if they could be signed for a bargain basement price, which is not going to happen. Franson is said to be looking for a six to seven year deal in excess of $5 Million, Santorelli for three years at close to $3 Million.
There may be a benefit for the seller who sells first to get the best return, which could mean that deals will start to happen this week.
The potential trade of Bozak could be a hint towards Toronto’s intentions of signing center Nazem Kadri to a long-term deal this summer. The 28-year-old Bozak has another three seasons left at a very economical $4.2 Million cap hit and could bring a significant return from a team looking for secondary scoring and a center who can win faceoffs and play special teams.
Kadri is two seasons away from unrestricted free agency and being signed to a five or six-year-deal is likely to cost in the $4.5 – 5 Million range.
Bozak and Kadri’s statistics are nearly identical and both are considered more a fit as second-third line centers. With Toronto likely entering a significant rebuild, it is more likely that Kadri(four years younger than Bozak) will be entering the prime of his career when the Leafs are ready to contend.
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