It appears that the Toronto Maple Leafs might have dodged a bullet regarding goaltender Jonathan Bernier. The Canadian Press backs up Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston’s report that his lower-body injury isn’t considered serious.
Bernier, 25, left Thursday’s game against the Los Angeles Kings with that issue, although later it was revealed that he went into the contest hurt.
James Reimer will likely run with the gig for as long as Bernier is out, and he’s proven to be a capable backup/1B in Toronto, but the Leafs lean heavily on goaltending. Bernier’s been fantastic in that regard, which is crucial since the Maple Leafs allow an average of almost nine more shots per game than they generate (36.4 to 27.7).
It’s unclear how much “not serious” means in the grand scheme of things, but either way, it’s good news for Toronto.