Cherry: Reimer should be No. 1 goalie
Posted February 21, 2012 3:45 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Despite the Toronto Maple Leafs’ recent skid, Don Cherry wasn’t willing to point the finger at the team’s struggling goaltenders.
Cherry said the team’s problems keeping the puck out of the net are related to defensive breakdowns and defensive zone coverage issues, which reflects the play of the defencemen and forwards.
“I don’t know about the goaltending,” Cherry said. “It’s so easy to blame the goalie. If you look at the goals, what is (Reimer) supposed to do there. I don’t buy that. They’re getting too many breakaways, too many 2-on-1s. They need a real rock defenceman and like everyone in the National Hockey League; they need a centreman.”
Although the Leafs are planning on starting Jonas Gustavsson on Tuesday night, Cherry said if he was Ron Wilson, he’d be going with the inconsistent Reimer between the pipes.
“If you remember them last year, Reimer carried them and they almost made the playoffs,” Cherry explained. “You got to go with the guy. He’s out a month in a half. As soon as he starts playing bad, he’s out. You got to give him confidence.
“Remember before he got hurt, he was dynamite … When goalies get hurt, their timing is thrown off. Got to get in the game. I’d go with Reimer because he’s proved he can do it.”
Cherry said he wouldn’t make many changes to the team’s current lines, although he said he’d prefer if Nazem Kadri was recalled from the AHL. He thinks with the Capitals fading, the Leafs might be able to back into the playoffs.
Toronto currently sits in eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings and take on the Devils in a key matchup on Tuesday.
