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Bernier attempted to face Kings hurt, exited game

Toronto Maple Leafs v Anaheim Ducks

ANAHEIM, CA - MARCH 10: Jonathan Bernier #45 of the Toronto Maple Leafs sprays water on his face during the first period against the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center on March 10, 2014 in Anaheim, California.

Harry How

Goaltender James Reimer was the hero for the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 3-2 win over Los Angeles last night. Jonathan Bernier got the start against his former team, but he allowed two goals on 10 shots before exiting the game.

As we previously reported, Bernier left due to a lower-body injury. What came out later is the fact that Bernier was hurt before the contest, per TSN’s Jonas Siegel and Sportsnet’s Arash Madani.

His goal was to play through the problem, but that didn’t work out. The severity of the injury isn’t known and the Leafs aren’t sure if they need to recall 30-year-old journeyman goaltender Drew MacIntyre.

While there’s no question that the Maple Leafs would much rather have Bernier getting the majority of the starts at this critical juncture, as Reimer demonstrated last night, he’s capable of holding his own. He served as the Maple Leafs’ starter before they got Bernier and while Reimer’s already been though a lot of rough patches, his presence makes potentially losing Bernier for an extended period less than a disaster.

The Maple Leafs have a comfortable nine-point cushion in the battle for a playoff spot, but they’re still fighting for second place in the Atlantic Division.

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