Mike Cassese, REUTERS
First, let’s just get this out in the open. I am a fan of James Reimer. A pretty big fan, actually.
I don’t own his jersey, and he isn’t my twitter picture, or anything like that. But like all of Leafs Nation I too was mesmerized by Reimer, swept up in the fanfare that was the second half of last season, when he exploded onto the scene and nearly lead the Maple Leafs to a post season birth.
Reimer certainly stamped his place in the hearts of Leafs fans everywhere, and his first impression was good enough to garner him a contract extension from Leafs management. They also dubbed him the starting goalie in the summer, before a second of training camp had been played.
However, Reimer started the 2011-2012 season off slow, and was then derailed by an injury at the hands of Brian Gionta that put him on the shelf for an extended period of time. Upon his return, Reimer seemed at times just as lost as he was prior to the injury.
Was it a sophomore slump? Was it just a case of a player starting slow? Was the team in front of him not playing as well as they could have defensively?
These were all questions that would be asked, and points that would be argued, by fans of the Maple Leafs and Reimer.
Compounding the situation was the fact that Jonas Gustavsson, once considered by many in Leafs Nation to be a lost cause just a few weeks earlier, had stepped up his game in the absence of Reimer. ”The Monster” was making key saves at key times, and was helping his team win hockey games.
Surely it wasn’t easy, as decisions like these usually never are, but Ron Wilson made the only decision he could. The decision to start Jonas Gustavsson, and to see how far it took the hockey team.
So far, so good.
Gustavsson played above average once given the opportunity in between the pipes, and has started 2012 off superbly. He has been in the net for four Maple Leafs wins to start the new year, two of which Gustavsson slammed the door for shutouts, against the Jets and Sabres respectively.
In his last three games, Gustavsson has a goals against average of just 1.01, with an accompanying save percentage of .969. Conversely, in the last three games Reimer has appeared in, his numbers read 4.11 goals against, with a save percentage of .870.
Naturally, the numbers on the season as a whole are beginning to turn towards the better for Gustavsson as well. 13-7-0, with a goals against slowly creeping downwards, and currently 2.91. His save percentage on the season has gone up as well, now sitting at .908, numbers that are both better than his counterparts, and in four more games.
Is the goaltending situation sorted out in Toronto? History would show that the answer is likely not.
Gustavsson has shown flashes of brilliance such as this before, only to be derailed by inconsistency, or plagued by injury. Should he be able to gain that consistency, and rid himself of his bad luck with injuries, it would be interesting to see what his numbers could look like at the end of the season.
Still, those are a lot of “if’s.”
For Reimer, surely it has been a frustrating season, although his happy-go-lucky demeanor would never let you know it. Things haven’t gone his way thus far in the 2011-2012 campaign, his follow up to his stunning debut mid way through last season.
It has to become a time where he simply goes to practice every day, straps on his pads, and works hard for the entire time he’s on the ice. And judging by his character, you know he will do just that. With Gustavsson starting, Reimer certainly can’t feel as though it is an ideal situation. He can, however, use this time to work in practice and get himself back to where he needs to be, for one never knows when he will be called upon by the team again.
For Reimer fans, it’s not personal. Really, it’s not.
As I stated at the start of the article, I fancy myself a fan of James Reimer, as I am sure most, if not all, in Leafs Nation do. However, right now isn’t about last seasons heroics. It isn’t about whether you have an emotional attachment to him as your favourite player, although that is understandable.
It isn’t about the posters hanging on your wall, your computer background, or the signed 8×10 photo you bought last season. And it certainly isn’t about ‘giving up on him’ or ‘not being a real fan’ because we point out the true faults of a team.
It’s about wins. Wins for the Toronto Maple Leafs, as they strive to gain as many points as possible, marching towards ending their lengthy playoff drought.
And each win counts for two points in the very tight Eastern Conference standings, no matter how you get them. No matter who is in net to gain them.
It’s not a controversy. It’s a competition, and a healthy one at that.
May the best goalie (at the time) win (the right to start).
