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DETROIT – Randy Carlyle made sure he was being asked about James Reimer after a one-goal loss in Detroit, pausing before he offered an assessment of the now 26-year-old understudy. Cheap Jerseys From China . “I thought he was okay, you know, just okay,” said Carlyle with a tone of evident frustration after a 3-2 defeat to the injury-riddled Red Wings squad, the Leafs third in the past four games. Long a point of stability this season Toronto goaltending has suddenly been thrown into question with Carlyles remarks, Reimers performance and the uncertain status of injured no. 1 Jonathan Bernier. Starting in place of Bernier for the second straight game – his fourth consecutive appearance – Reimer allowed three goals on 31 shots, including a game-sealing squeaker under the left arm from Daniel Alfredsson with the Leafs down one in the final minutes of regulation. It was the kind of stop Bernier has made routinely this season, one that Reimer needed to make at that point in the game and perhaps what soured Carlyle most afterward, Torontos comeback attempt ultimately falling short. “So he said I was just okay,” said Reimer, responding to Carlyles comments. “I thought I played good, but obviously youd like to make at least one of those saves in the third.” Such blunt discontent was certainly out of character for Carlyle, who rarely, if ever, singles out any one player, even under the most obvious of circumstances. He was surely agitated by the loss – which saw the Leafs drop further behind Tampa and Montreal in the race for second in the Atlantic – unhappy with the officiating and displeased with a schedule that has his club right back at it Wednesday following 10 long days on the road. To land Reimer in the cross-hairs though on this night was unfair. His team started slowly opposite a Detroit squad that was missing a slew of key components, including Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk. They also suffered breakdowns – Tim Gleason and Paul Ranger both caught flat-footed at the offensive blue-line – that led to Nyquists two breakaways, while also managing just two goals for the third time in four games (all losses). Whatever his motivation the remarks wont help a sketchy dynamic between coach and player, one that includes a very public stare-down from Reimer in the first period of a loss to these same Red Wings on Dec. 21. Further inflaming the matter afterward were the words of Reimers agent and close friend Ray Petkau, who tweeted, "As is customary in Toronto, when your team plays poor defensively game after game you blame your goalie." Petkau later said the tweet was not in response to Carlyles comments. Doubted and dissected often throughout his Toronto tenure and a restricted free agent to be in the summer of 2014, Reimer will probably use this latest bit of critique as motivation and for the Leafs that may be a good thing. Bernier remains out for the foreseeable future (more on that in Five Points) leaving Reimer as the go-to guy in goal with key division battles ahead against the Lightning and Canadiens. They need him to regain the form he showed last year and displayed recently in relief against the Kings, a brilliant performance that saw him turn aside all 31 shots he faced in an impressive road win. “I dont know if I was great and I would like to be great, but I thought I made some good saves when I needed to,” Reimer concluded of his evening. “Unfortunately at the end, especially that third one, you want to come and make a big save for your team there. Unfortunately wasnt the case tonight.” Five Points 1. Kessel Cools Off Cooling off from an unsustainably scorching stretch that saw him post 31 points in a 17-game span, Phil Kessel had seven shots and was a force against the Red Wings, but ultimately went point-less for the fourth straight game and sixth time in the past eight. Its the fifth time this season that the 26-year-old has gone three games or more without a point. The Leafs are now 6-19-2 on such occasions, two of those wins coming in recent weeks against the Flyers and Kings. Chasing the first 40-goal season of his NHL career – he has 34 currently – Kessel has just one goal in the past eight games. James van Riemsdyk, who thrived through a recent stretch of 11 goals and 21 points in 17 games, has also cooled some, snapping a seven-game drought with the late marker in Detroit. The Leafs have leaned heavily on their top line – which also includes Tyler Bozak – for offence, needing the likes of Nazem Kadri (two goals in the past 13 games), Joffrey Lupul (two goals in the past 13), David Clarkson (one in the past 22) and Mason Raymond (the hottest of the group with six in the past 15) to chip in regularly for support. Aside from the odd contribution, however, theyve not done so consistently. Toronto forwards were responsible for only five goals (of 12) during the five-game road trip. 2. Road Trip A road trip that began with so much promise for the Leafs – following wins in Anaheim and Los Angeles – soured at the end with losses in Washington and Detroit. Toronto finishes the season-long swing with a 2-3-0 mark, not bad, but hardly desirable. “I wouldnt call it a success,” said Jake Gardiner, who scored for the fourth time in the past six games. “We were thinking three out of five wouldve been good. Two of five is okay. Games on the road are always tough, something we have to move on from.” “This game and the last game I dont think that we played as well as we have been playing or can play so thats the negative about it,” said Carlyle. “But we battled back, we didnt quit, we found a way to get two goals tonight and make a game of it. Flush this and get ready for tomorrow.” The Leafs have played two more games than the Lightning, whom they host Wednesday, and trail them by a point. They sit three back of the Canadiens, whom they face at home on Saturday. 3. Wearing Down? Second and third among Toronto forwards in ice-time this season and both key members of Team USA at the Sochi Olympics, one might be led to wonder whether Kessel and van Riemsdyk are simply wearing down at this late stage in the season. Both have seen their ice-time rise (slightly) in March as the Leafs trend toward an 11-forward, seven-defender lineup. Kessel, who had a second period breakaway attempt stopped by Jimmy Howard, actually entered the night as the team-leader in ice-time this month, averaging more than 22 minutes. van Riemsdyk was just a touch behind at nearly 22 himself. “Its been very demanding,” said Carlyle of the schedule and its effects on playing time. “Its the first time in my career that you go out on a 10-day road trip and you come back and youve got to play back-to-back at home with your first game back. I dont know where that one comes from.” van Riemsdyk led all Toronto forwards this night with more than 22 minutes, Kessel a shade behind with just under 21, including exactly nine minutes in the third. Carlyle employed eight forwards for most of that final frame as the Leafs looked to even the score. 4. Bernier Status Nursing a groin injury, Bernier remained off the ice for the fifth consecutive day on Tuesday. He then missed his second straight game in Detroit and will sit out again at home on Wednesday when the Leafs host the Lightning. With a likely day off for the team on Thursday, his status for the weekend also appears in real doubt with a back-to-back looming against the Canadiens and Devils. That would mean a return next week at the earliest, all of which ups the pressure on Reimer to perform. “Theres always going to be that push to get your people back,” said Carlyle ahead of a tilt against the Red Wings. “Bottom line is the player makes the decision. All we can do is treat him medically, provide him with the right environment, give him the opportunity to test his injury if hes good enough to go and well make the decision based upon input from him the player.” Though hes split each and every back-to-back set between his two goaltenders this season, Carlyle would be hard-pressed to not come back with Reimer on Wednesday even in light of Tuesdays circumstance. Though hes enjoyed a fine season with the Marlies, Drew MacIntyre has yet to start an NHL game. 5. Phaneuf Scare Upended by the stick of David Legwand in the final frame of Tuesdays affair, Dion Phaneuf remained down on the ice before quickly departing for the Toronto dressing room. He returned to the bench a few moments later, chirping at ref Dan OHalloran for the non-call on Legwand. “Theres no point in talking about it,” said Phaneuf afterward. “It wasnt a slew foot, it was actually a stick, but its done and over with.” The Leafs captain said he had the wind knocked out of him on the play. He still managed to lead his team with more than 23 minutes on this night. Stats-Pack 2-3-0 – Leafs record on five-game road trip. 1 – Goals for Phil Kessel in the past eight games. 208 – Man games lost to injury for Toronto this season, a pittance compared to the 322 lost by Detroit, who were without the likes of Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, Stephen Weiss, and Darren Helm on Tuesday night. 6-19-2 – Leafs record this season when Kessel does not record a point. 4 – Consecutive appearances by James Reimer, doing so for the first time this season. 6 – Consecutive games with a goal by the Toronto defence, four of which have come from Jake Gardiner. 5 – Goals from Toronto forwards on the five-game road trip. 41-48 – Leafs penalty kill over the past 16 games. Special Teams Capsule PP: 1-4Season: 20.7% (5th) PK: 4-4Season: 78.7% (28th) Quote of the Night I “I thought he was okay, you know, just okay.” -Randy Carlyle, on the performance of James Reimer against Detroit. Quote of the Night II “So he said I was just okay. I thought I played good, but obviously youd like to make at least one of those saves in the third.” -James Reimer, in response to Carlyles assessment. Quote of the Night III “Nobodys feeling sorry for us two months ago when we were missing our top two centres. I didnt see you pointing the question at us then.” -Randy Carlyle, questioned on the Red Wings injury troubles ahead of Tuesdays game. Up Next The Leafs host the Lightning Wednesday night in a key division battle at the ACC. China Jerseys Wholesale . -- Mississippi State was crushed twice by Florida last season, once by 35 points and the other by 25. China Jerseys Stitched . - While a fast-paced offence has become more of a fixture in recent years, the San Antonio Spurs can still grind out games when needed. https://www.chinajerseyscheap.us/ . Didnt need any help this time. Wood beat Cincinnati for the first time in his career, repeatedly pitching out of threats for seven innings, and Chicago stalled the Reds week-long surge with a 2-0 victory Monday night.MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota Vikings star running back Adrian Petersons booking on a child abuse charge Saturday has created another crisis for the embattled NFL, already derided for not responding strongly enough to acts of domestic violence by its players. It also has touched off a national debate about the role of corporal punishment in parenting. In the eyes of a Texas grand jury, Peterson crossed the line when he repeatedly struck his son with a tree branch, or switch, in May. Petersons attorney has said he has never run from what happened -- and that Peterson was inflicting the same discipline he endured as a child. "Obviously, parents are entitled to discipline their children as they see fit, except when that discipline exceeds what the community would say is reasonable," Montgomery County Prosecutor Phil Grant said about 12 hours after Peterson was booked and released from jail and released on $15,000 bond. He is charged with causing injury to a child age 14 or younger. Peterson, one of the NFLs most popular players and widely considered one of the best running backs to ever play, flew from Minnesota to Houston in the early morning hours after authorities indicted him on Friday evening. He has a home in both locations. The Vikings almost immediately decided to deactivate him for Sundays game against the New England Patriots, and NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said on Saturday that Petersons case "will be reviewed under the NFLs personal conduct policy." The situation comes as the NFL proceeds with a self-commissioned investigation by a former FBI director into how it handled the case of Ray Rice, who knocked his then-fiancee unconscious in an Atlantic City elevator. Rice was released Monday from the Baltimore Ravens after a video surfaced that showed the violence. The NFL said it hadnt seen the video before then, but a law enforcement source told the AP it was sent to a league executives office in April and provided a voice mail confirming it was received. Unlike Rices situation, Petersons case is complicated by his stance that he meant his son no harm but rather was applying the same discipline he experienced growing up. "Adrian is a loving father who used his judgment as a parent to discipline his son. He used the same kind of discipline with his child that he experienced as a child growing up in East Texas," Petersons attorney, Rusty Hardin said. Steve Eudey, who coached Peterson as a young boy in Palestine, Texas, and has remained a family friend, said he has heard stories from Peterson about his father Nelson "being a firm disciplinarian." "Some of the things his dad did to him was to make him tough," Eudey told The Associated Press. Eudey said he had yet to speak to Peterson since his arrest, but said his actions were consistent with the type of upbringing he had. &"I will go to my grave defending Adrian, but at the same time you cant harm a child, either," Eudey said. China Jerseys Cheap. "I know that was never his intent." Grant, the Texas prosecutor, said the grand jury felt the charge was warranted after spending several weeks reviewing "lots of evidence." Its not unusual for people subjected to physical discipline as children to use corporal punishment against their own children, experts say, and courts will sometimes consider that as a mitigating factor when sentencing an abuser. Peterson faces up to two years in prison and a $10,000 fine if found guilty. News of Petersons charges led several prominent athletes to tweet about their experiences with corporal punishment when they were children. "Am I the only one that got hit with a switch? I had to go outside and pick my own switch. It taught values, respect (and) accountability," former NBA star Tracy McGrady said. But he later qualified those remarks, tweeting, "Disciplining a child is vital. Of course any early physical punishment should be within reason, not overboard, and inside certain boundaries." While the legal process plays out, the NFL is facing a potential test case for the tougher penalties it declared last month for players involved with domestic violence. Commissioner Roger Goodell announced an initial offence will draw a six-week suspension without pay, though "more severe discipline will be imposed if there are aggravating circumstances such as the presence or use of a weapon, choking, repeated striking, or when the act is committed against a pregnant woman or in the presence of a child." It is not clear if Petersons case will invoke those penalties. Corporal punishment is legal in Texas, and the law spells out that non-deadly force against a child by a parent or guardian is permissible. But the punishment is abusive if it causes injury. While a blow that causes a red mark that fades in an hour is not likely to be judged abusive, a blow that leaves a bruise, welt, or swelling, or requires medical attention, could be judged abusive. The childs injuries will likely be under scrutiny as the case proceeds. The guidelines also say while spanking with the bare, open hand is least likely to be abusive, use of an instrument "is cause for concern." The Vikings jumped ahead of the NFL and the legal system by shelving Peterson for the game Sunday. Two other teams -- Carolina and San Francisco -- have taken heat for allowing players involved in alleged recent domestic violence incidents to continue to play. The team -- and the league -- will likely face scrutiny as they decide whether Peterson returns to the field as the legal process plays out. As of Saturday, no decision had been made about his outlook this season, and no court date had been set in Texas. ' ' '