TORONTO – His teammates have said all the right things. Theyve defended him, branded the furious finger-pointing as unfair and claimed that they, not he alone, were responsible for the anxious beginnings of a slide that nearly and may still sweep them out of the playoff picture in the East. With Jonathan Bernier sidelined for the remainder of the regular season – he has an MCL strain in his left knee and will be out three weeks – the Maple Leafs will turn once more to the beleaguered, doubted and frequently dissected James Reimer in what may be his final days as a Leaf. But their goal of reviving playoff hopes that simmer tepidly with four games left dont rest solely on his 26-year-old shoulders. "Now its about time we have his back and step up to the plate," said Nazem Kadri defiantly after a much-needed overtime win against Boston on Thursday night. That wasnt the case the first time around. Reimer, who hasnt won a start in more than two and a half months, may have struggled badly in his first rescue attempt for Bernier last month – he posted an .871 save percentage in five starts (all losses) – but he was deserted on an island through much of the wreckage. Of the 18 goals he allowed in relief of his younger counterpart, four came via breakaway, two via odd-man rush and two more from the back-door with little to no opportunity for a save. "At that point when we were losing the team in front of him just couldnt bring it together and figure things out and obviously the goalies left out there to dry by himself," Kadri said. "We didnt play too good as a team," Carl Gunnarsson concurred. "We didnt help him out." That will have to change, starting Saturday when the Leafs host the Jets in the final regular season game at the ACC this spring. Trailing Detroit and Columbus for the final two wild card positions in the East, their hopes cannot rest on Reimer alone – especially at a point when his confidence has sunk to its lowest at the NHL level. Improvement isnt likely to magically appear in the teams defensive play – a struggle from start to finish – but the glut of glaring and often fatal mistakes needs to be kept to a minimum. Errors like two-time Rocket Richard winner Steven Stamkos being left alone to score three goals or Gustav Nyquist burning away for a pair of breakaway markers on the same night. Until recently, Bernier proved an acrobat at masking such deficiencies, piling up eight wins when he faced more than 40 shots in a game this season. Those theatrics, however, have evolved into expectation in Toronto, an unfair burden that became Reimers to shoulder when Bernier went down with a groin injury last month. The situation may have bubbled over in Detroit on Mar. 18. It was after that game against the Red Wings – a 3-2 loss for the Leafs – that head coach Randy Carlyle described his struggling goaltenders performance as "okay, just okay", comments that ignited a firestorm back home. While he later downplayed the remarks – addressing them with Reimer personally a day later – Carlyles blunt post-game observation seemed to ignore the manner in which Reimer was beat that night – two of the three goals came via the Nyquist breakaway, the third circa the odd-man rush – and thereby singled out the goaltender on a night when he was left alone on far too many occasions. It was the culmination of doubt which has surrounded Reimer upon his landing in Toronto for good in January 2011. "Its a non-issue as far as were concerned," Carlyle said Friday of the since quieted controversy. Reimer hasnt won a start since Jan. 21. Like his teammates, his level will need to rise substantially from where its been for the Leafs to have any hope of spicing up a late season race. For all the follies of those around him during the spiral last month, he could not deliver the one or two timely, game-changing saves needed most nights for success. That will have to change in the days ahead. A restricted free agent and almost certainly playing elsewhere next season, Reimer wondered before Thursdays surprise relief appearance if he had seen his last game as a Leaf. Now comes one final (in all likelihood) opportunity to exit on a positive and perhaps even uplifting note – if he and the Leafs can somehow defy the odds and get into the playoffs. "Honestly right now theres lots of thoughts swirling in your head about a lot of things," he said ahead of a clash with the Jets, "but now its just time to stop the puck. It doesnt really matter what transpires after the season or all that white noise per se. All Im trying to do is just play my best, get those two points (Saturday), and then go on to Florida. Try not to think about other stuff." "Ive had a lot of success in the past and had to carry the load in different scenarios and Ive been successful in that. I feel confident." . He was with the New York Jets in 2011 when the NFL locked out their players after they failed to agree on a new contract. Willy went undrafted but was given a look by four NFL teams before heading north. .com) - Cincinnati Reds pitcher Mat Latos had an arthroscopic procedure performed on his right elbow last week, the teams official site reported Wednesday.
http://www.cheapraidersjerseysonline.co ... sey-online. He made that dream a reality Wednesday night. Olt, who grew up in Branford, Connecticut, attended UConn and made a nearly 2 1-2 hour trek to Boston a handful of times to watch the Red Sox, belted a two-run homer, one of four hit by Cubs in a 16-9 rout that completed a three-game interleague series sweep. . He will just have to wait a little longer. Bester grabbed an early lead before Scotlands Darren Burnett took over and ran away with the mens singles lawn bowling final 21-9 on Friday. . Funny, they looked like longtime friends during Pittsburghs 5-1 demolition of Dallas on Tuesday night. Quick to the puck and even quicker to the net, the Penguins top line overwhelmed the suddenly struggling Stars as Pittsburgh bounced back from a dismal weekend sweep at the hands of Philadelphia by jumping on Dallas early. SAO PAULO, Brazil -- Two substitutes, two goals. Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal can, it seems, do no wrong at this World Cup. He sent on replacements Leroy Fer and Memphis Depay in the second half of the match against Chile on Monday and they scored both goals in a 2-0 win that confirmed the Dutch as Group B winners with a maximum nine points. "It is luck," Van Gaal himself said about his super substitutions. "Just luck." But it was more than that. Fer, listed by FIFA as 6 feet 2 inches (188 cm) tall, scored with a header a minute after coming on as a substitute for the 5-foot-6-inch (171 cm) Wesley Sneijder. "I know Leroy Fer is tall compared with our opponents. I know he can head the ball well," Van Gaal said. Then there was Depay. "We analyzed that Chile in the last 15 minutes gives away more room," Van Gaal said. "If you have a creative player in at that moment, you have the chance to use that space." Manchester United, which hired Van Gaal to restore its fortunes after a disastrous season by the clubs lofty standards, must be delighted even if it has to wait a bit longer for him to join them after the World Cup. Chile, one of the most attacking and attractive teams at the World Cup, had no answer at the Itaquerao Stadium, especially not without midfielder Arturo Vidal who watched from the bench. "I played the best team I had," said Chile coach Jorge Sampaoli. Juventus star Vidal had knee surgery before the tournament and had a sore Achilles tendon but said a day before the match he felt fit and ready to play. Both teams had already advanced to the second round, but Chiles first loss of the tournament consigned it to second place in Group B and a meeting with host Brazil in Belo Horizonte. The Dutch next travel to Fortaleza to play Group A runner-up Mexico in the round of 16 on June 29. Chile began with its trademark fast, attacking style while the Dutch, with a five-man defence, looked content to sit back, absorb the pressure and break out with swift counterattacks. "We gave nothing away and fought like lions," stannd-in captain Robben said.dddddddddddd "Orange lions." The match marked the first time at this World Cup the Netherlands had played in its national colour, but the change of jerseys didnt change its fortunes. Vidals absence deprived Chile of midfield creativity and it struggled to break down the well-drilled Dutch defence. Barcelona forward Alexis Sanchez tried to fill the gap left by Vidal, but couldnt find a way through. He came closest to scoring in the second half with a powerful shot that Jasper Cillessen easily blocked at his near post. "Im very proud of this team," Robben said. "If you see how we fought here today. We were right on top of them and gave them no chances." The Netherlands was playing without suspended captain and striker Robin van Persie and was also missing defender Bruno Martins Indi, who suffered a concussion in the teams last match, a tough 3-2 victory over Australia in Porto Alegre. No problem for inspirational coach Van Gaal, who pulled a tactical surprise with his starting lineup -- reverting to the 5-3-2 formation he began with against Spain and posting veteran forward Dirk Kuyt, in his 99th international, at left back. "I enjoyed it," Kuyt said. "I never played in this position but the coach told me a couple of weeks ago that it could be a possibility during the tournament and I told him that I would be ready for it and I was very happy I get the chance. I think it went very well and hopefully I will get another chance." Then came Van Gaals substitutions. Fer headed in powerfully and Depay doubled his World Cup tally in stoppage time. Robben delayed his cross from the left cleverly until the PSV Eindhoven striker arrived at the far post -- also delaying his run by a split second to shrug off his marker -- to tap in an inch-perfect pass. "He is a huge talent and great for the future of Dutch football," Fer said of Depay. Robben said that after three wins out of three, the Dutch squad is hungry for more. "We can enjoy this fantastic performance, but it must not stop here," he said. ' ' '
