Pre-Game Talk: The Biggest Question: Who Plays Tonight?! Leafs in Detroit, 8:00pm, SN

[Daisy Jane]

This is a huge game, where we need to win in regulation.
We have 3 games in hand (I know, right?!) over Montreal, and 1 over Boston.

So who do you play?
Bernier who would start his 10th in a row? Pierre McGuire said as long as Bernier said he felt fine and not sore, he'd start because this game is very important standing wise for the Leafs, take two nights off, and play Detroit on Saturday.

the LA game tosses things for a loop, because you know that Bernier want that game.

I will state on record - if Reimer goes in, I believe that he will play well, and get us the win. (nefarious reasons -because he knows the few times he gets in net, he needs to audition), but truthfully, I think he'll do well, because he'll do well.

Soo. game night, tonight!
(and reason why this is at 8:00 is due to the NBC rivalry night. )

Click to read more...

 

[SprDaVE]

Reimer will get his first start in 9 games. Bernier has been great but Reimer needs to get in there.

I don't think you'll see much changes of anything to the roster other then that.

 

[Liferleafer]

Reimer will get his first start in 9 games. Bernier has been great but Reimer needs to get in there.

I don't think you'll see much changes of anything to the roster other then that.

I disagree. Go with Bernier. Start Reimer at home on Saturday, back to Bernier against LA on Sunday. We need these points, and JB gives us a better chance at getting them.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Who plays tonight? The answer is obvious. Bozak. As long as Bozak is playing, we got nuthin' to worry 'bout.

 

[ShaneFalco]

Run with Bernier while he's hot

 

[Atomos2]

Run with Bernier while he's hot

I agree

 

[ULF_55]

I disagree. Go with Bernier. Start Reimer at home on Saturday, back to Bernier against LA on Sunday. We need these points, and JB gives us a better chance at getting them.

Should go with Bernier tonight and Saturday.

Goalies should be able to play back-to-backs, and then a day off so no problem on Saturday.

 

[Hugh Mongusbig]

Hope Bozak and Kadri bring their A-game because Datsyuk has been real dangerous lately, even more so than usual. This is a Detroit team that is stacked down the middle. They have so many capable centers that several of them are forced to play on the wing on any given night. Faceoffs will be big tonight in driving possession, luckily Leafs have Kadri for that.

 

[Liferleafer]

Should go with Bernier tonight and Saturday.

Goalies should be able to play back-to-backs, and then a day off so no problem on Saturday.

I'm all for that, but you know JB will want the LA start....and with it being a 5 o'clock start, i don't see him playing Saturday night and that game.

 

[Al14]

I agree

I agree too. Go with Bernier while he's hot!

Reimer is too much of a spastic goalie with virtually no rebound control!

 

[SprDaVE]

I disagree. Go with Bernier. Start Reimer at home on Saturday, back to Bernier against LA on Sunday. We need these points, and JB gives us a better chance at getting them.

You have to play both goaltenders at some point, hot or not.

Bernier doesn't exactly have a good resume of being healthy. Consdering he was pretty busy last night and has played 9 straight games, this is the perfect opportunity to sit him and give Reimer a shot.

I don't understand this need of burning Bernier so early in the season when he's shown in his short career so far that he tends to get injured fairly easily and was out for awhile last year with a lower body injury. Even the best goaltenders in the league right now get back to back nights off and rarely ever play them. The only time Bernier should get back to back games is if we are desperate for points near the end of the season and we need to ride the hot hand. This isn't the time for that.

The only goaltender so far this season to have played more then one back to back games is Schneider. Price did play one back to back set last week, which they both lost.

 

[daveleaf]

Time to stop with rotations. Bernier gets the net unless he is tired. We need a point, if not two tonight. He's the better goalie-hands down.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Yeah I think you go with Reimer tonight - if he wins and plays really well, go with him again versus Detroit on Saturday so Bernier can get the LA game ... If Reimer struggles, I'd consider going with Bernier both Saturday and Sunday (both are home games so no travel is involved)

 

[Eb]

Haha did Daisy call this game a must win? What a cliche, wow.

 

[Liferleafer]

You have to play both goaltenders at some point, hot or not.

Bernier doesn't exactly have a good resume of being healthy. Consdering he was pretty busy last night and has played 9 straight games, this is the perfect opportunity to sit him and give Reimer a shot.

I don't understand this need of burning Bernier so early in the season when he's shown in his short career so far that he tends to get injured fairly easily and was out for awhile last year with a lower body injury. Even the best goaltenders in the league right now get back to back nights off and rarely ever play them. The only time Bernier should get back to back games is if we are desperate for points near the end of the season and we need to ride the hot hand. This isn't the time for that.

Why? If a starting goalie can't play 10-15 games in a row with the way conditioning is now, we have issues. Again, now is not the time to change the roster, Reimer can start Saturday...and back to JB on Sunday. If it wasn't 2 back to backs (and if JB continued his play) i'd give him all 4 starts.

 

[Kelly]

Give Reimer the start tonight, he's a very capable goalie, and if Bernier happens to get injured tonight, you'd all be jumping to slit Carlyle's throat for playing Bernier twice in a B2B... It's early December, no need to tire out Bernier already.

 

[WTFMAN99]

I'm not a big guy for playing goalies on back to back nights. Rarely do our goalies get an easy night in the 22-25 shot range. I'd split the back to back games for our goalies, and give Reimer the easier match ups.

 

[SprDaVE]

Why? If a starting goalie can't play 10-15 games in a row with the way conditioning is now, we have issues. Again, now is not the time to change the roster, Reimer can start Saturday...and back to JB on Sunday. If it wasn't 2 back to backs (and if JB continued his play) i'd give him all 4 starts.

Why? Because it's somewhat proven that goaltenders burn out if you over play them, especially younger goaltenders coming off an injury the previous season.

I added to my previous post that only one goaltender has played more then one back to back scenario this season and that's Schneider, and probably because their backup goaltenders are Clemmenson and Kinkaid... yeesh. Price only played one back to back so far. Top end goaltenders don't play back to back so early in the season for a reason.

You need to keep both your goaltenders at least somewhat fresh and ready to go, especially in our case because Bernier hasn't gone a season without some sort of injury since being acquired.

Let's relax with the "We need the points!!!!" rhetoric. You need points at the end of the season too. Are we going to play Bernier for the remaining 70ish games now because we need the points?

 

[TheKrebsCycle]

Gonna fall in the Reimer camp on this one. Bernier is hot but coming off a few heavy workload games. Smart move to try to ensure longevity is to play Reimer imo.

 

[Gallagbi]

Reimer should start, no use doubling up Bernier at this point in the season.

 

[Raging Bull]

Bernier tonight, Reimer Saturday, Bernier Sunday.

 

[Daisy Jane]

You have to play both goaltenders at some point, hot or not.

Bernier doesn't exactly have a good resume of being healthy. Consdering he was pretty busy last night and has played 9 straight games, this is the perfect opportunity to sit him and give Reimer a shot.

I don't understand this need of burning Bernier so early in the season when he's shown in his short career so far that he tends to get injured fairly easily and was out for awhile last year with a lower body injury. Even the best goaltenders in the league right now get back to back nights off and rarely ever play them. The only time Bernier should get back to back games is if we are desperate for points near the end of the season and we need to ride the hot hand. This isn't the time for that.

The only goaltender so far this season to have played more then one back to back games is Schneider. Price did play one back to back set last week, which they both lost.

while i agree with you, is it fair to say that he gets injured easily? was he injury prone in LA, or is it the 2 injuries he got in short order, (one of them aggravated because someone fell on him - and one can argue because he came back too early?)

Haha did Daisy call this game a must win? What a cliche, wow.

haha, no Daisy did not call this game a must win. I said we need to win in regulation. it's a divisional game, and Detroit already has 4 points from us. where we only have 3. so if we win in regulation, that would give us 5 points over their 4.

and quite frankly, a cliche is a cliche because it's almost always true. Divisional games should be won in regulation without giving the extra point, especially, vs. teams that we're battling for a playoff spot.

 

[wingman75]

I think you start Reimer tonight, and start Bernier back to back on the weekend (if he feels okay).

We need to win 1 of 2 in regulation vs Det. And we need to win 1 of 2 (Reg/OT/SO) vs ANA/LA.

I am not feeling good about this one. Our 3rd period possession has been terrible and we know that is Det's game... fingers crossed.

 

[91Stammer*]

Hard to believe we are the 2nd best goal scorers. Go Leafs Go.

 

[Al14]

Bernier tonight, Reimer Saturday, Bernier Sunday.

I'd do that! Limit Reimer to 1 game on Saturday!