Goalie James Reimer got his first career start last night, after having first appeared in relief of JS Giguere in Toronto’s 6-3 loss against Atlanta on December 20th. Checking forward Darryl Boyce was called up to fill in for Mikhail Grabovski in Thursday’s game against the Blue Jackets, and played so well Ron Wilson inserted him into the lineup last night. Joey Crabb had a previous call up that saw him get in to two games, but was recently called up again after Tim Brent was out with the flu.
All three have had little time to adjust to the Leafs, but all three are making their presence felt, and they did so last night in Toronto’s 5-1 win over the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Place. Reimer stopped all 4 shots he faced in relief of Giguere, and stopped 32 of 33 shots last night against the Senators, picking up his first career NHL win in his first career NHL start.
Joey Crabb has provided a physical presence playing alongside sniper Phil Kessel, and has 4 assists in his 5 appearances with the club so far this season, including two setups of Tyler Bozak to get the Leafs out to a 3-0 lead in the first period of last night’s contest. Darryl Boyce, playing in his second career game, scored on a rebound in the second to put the Leafs up 4-0. He added an assist in Thursday’s loss to Columbus, to give him 2 points in his two games.
This influx of energy has been just what the Leafs have needed. In losing 4 of their last 6 games, many have questioned their effort on a nightly basis. Some good play early led to goals for the Leafs and they were able to carry that momentum against a lifeless Senators squad, jumping out to a 5-0 lead before the Sens second 5-on-3 power play of the game finally bore fruit, a Sergei Gonchar shot that Reimer got a piece of, but not enough of, to maintain the shut out.
Reimer has been an unexpected boon for the Leafs. A 4th round pick in the 2006 NHL draft, Reimer has steadily progressed since his days with the Red Deer Rebels of the WHL. Reimer started in the Leafs organization with their ECHL affiliate, the Reading Royals, playing two seasons before being traded to the South Carolina Stingrays and subsequently winning the Kelly Cup championship and earning ECHL Playoff MVP honours.
He followed that up with a solid season playing for the Toronto Marlies in the AHL, posting a 14-8-4 record, a 2.55 GAA and a .925 save percentage. He picked up this season where he left off with the Marlies before being called in to back up Jonas Gustavsson for a few games as JS Giguere has been out with groin injuries.
Joey Crabb was signed as a free agent in the off-season, coming over from the Atlanta Thrashers. Crabb has been a consistent point producer in the AHL for several seasons with the Chicago Wolves before appearing in 29 games with the Thrashers last season. Crabb’s admirable play with the Marlies this season has earned him two brief stints with the club, and he has not disappointed.
Darryl Boyce went undrafted, but signed a contract with the Toronto Marlies in the 2007 season, eventually earning a two-way contract from the Maple Leafs in January of 2008. Boyce appeared in a game in 2008 against the Washington Capitals, but left after a few shifts with a separated shoulder. Boyce has brought a level of energy and some offensive contribution to the Marlies, but it remains to be seen whether his talents can translate to the NHL level.
In a season that is quickly becoming a lost cause, the Leafs are using this opportunity to reward players for their strong play on the Marlies with some NHL ice time, as well as an opportunity to evaluate the club’s depth at certain positions and overall talent level. Names like Boyce, Crabb, Reimer, Hanson, Caputi and others will be given longer looks this year as Burke tinkers with the roster in the days leading up to the NHL trade deadline.
Setting off on the right foot to start 2011 will be key for the Leafs, and they may need the continued spark of their new additions in the coming days as stiffer competition comes to town before the Leafs embark on it’s final Western Conference road trip of the season. Burke promised that these Leafs would be tough to play against, and it seems that the addition of a few spark plugs like Crabb and Boyce can help that cause.
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Born and raised in Northern Ontario but currently living in Toronto, Tyler wouldn't have it any other way. Home to his two favourite sports teams, Tyler revels in the day to day sports experience that is Toronto. 