The Nightmare Is Over

I haven't checked the Weather Network yet, but I'm pretty sure that the temperatures in Hell are plunging right now. The Toronto Maple Leafs, losers of their last 11 games, finally broke the skid as they downed the lowly Edmonton Oilers by a 5-1 score. The embattled James Reimer - a player half of Toronto seems to want to run out of town - turned in a solid performance, stopping 31 of 32 shots in the victory. Five different goal scorers dented the twine behind Viktor Fasth, but none were more spectacular than defenceman Morgan Rielly's goal to put Toronto up 3-0 in this game.

Rielly isn't known for his goal-scoring prowess, but he looked like a young Pavel Bure with his toe-drag and snipe tonight. Check it out.

That's outstanding. And this guy may be available on the trade market? Hello Anaheim. Hello Detroit. Hello anyone needing a solid defenceman with a flair for the offensive game!

While fans and players alike in Toronto are probably breathing a sigh of relief, none deserved this win more than James Reimer. For all the hoopla surrounding the Jets and Evander Kane, it seems that Reimer is Toronto's scapegoat for a lot of crap. Personally, I think it's undeserved, so this win should absolve him of whatever he is being blamed for this week for at least a few hours.

Things doesn't get any easier for the Leafs, though. They play again on Tuesday night against the New York Rangers. The Rangers dropped their game tonight against the Nashville Predators, and they won't have Henrik Lundqvist in net. The Rangers hold the first wild card spot by a point over the Bruins, and they trail the Capitals by two points in their division. In other words, the Rangers will be hungry for points and will be looking to feast on the Leafs.

The nightmare is over, though. Ding dong, the witch is dead. Don't celebrate to hard, though, as there's still work to be done in Kansas, Dorothy.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!