The perennial sad sacks known as the Toronto Maple Leafs have taken their game up a notch this season.
In fact, it’s not out of the question that they will finish in the top three in the Eastern Conference.
When I see a team turn a corner like this, the first place I look is between the pipes. And in that regard, I really like Jonathan Bernier.
Look, I know Bernier may not be the most worldly guy. Just recently he mistakenly praised the late Nelson Mandela’s accomplishments “on and off the ice.”
But as I write this, JB’s got a fairly outstanding .922 save percentage and a respectable 2.55 GAA in 24 games. And it’s not as though he’s got the best blueline corps in front of him, either.
Some speak of a goaltending controversy in Toronto given strong efforts from James Reimer, but Bernier is and should be the go-to man.
As Rob Longley wrote in the Toronto Sun recently, the Maple Leafs coaching staff “believe that in Bernier they have a goalie who can carry the freight, a plan they are confidently putting to the test.” So far, so good.
Seguin scores!
Tyler Seguin hasn’t quite come out of nowhere to lead the league in scoring (as of this writing), but the gifted centre has nonetheless been a pleasant surprise for the Dallas Stars.
Seguin, 22, finished last season with a career-high 84 points, good for fourth in the NHL. Despite playing for a mediocre Dallas club, he’s on pace for 100-plus points this campaign.
What’s more, he potted four game-winning goals and was third in league shots through his first 30 games.
Still, there’s a lot of hockey left to be played. If Seguin is going to challenge for the scoring title, he will need to keep up this consistency – something that hasn’t always been his strong suit.
Real deal?
Who doesn’t have a soft spot for the New York Islanders? The last time anybody took the boys in blue and orange seriously, people were still break dancing and hugging their Smurf dolls.
But don’t look now, because the new Isles are here and they’re quite possibly for real – even if you’ve never heard of any of them.
The likes of John Tavares, Kyle Okposo, Brock Nelson and Ryan Strome are putting up solid numbers thus far.
In net, Jaroslav Halak has been not quite amazing, but not terrible, either. Halak is a streaky player, but he’s managing to rack up the wins.
This has got to be the best group of blueliners the Islanders have had in ages. Nick Leddy and Johnny Boychuk know how to move the puck and protect their own end, and Lubomir Visnovsky and Matt Donavan are smooth and reliable.
