miaowang123: Encarnacion (left wrist) did not play for the second game in a

miaowang123

PHILADELPHIA – Teammates in Los Angeles, Jonathan Bernier had a sense of what Wayne Simmonds might attempt when the two squared off in Philadelphia on Wednesday night. Gio Gonzalez Jersey . Hauled down by Paul Ranger with fewer than four ticks left in the second period of a tie game, Simmonds was promptly shut down by the closed pads of Bernier in what proved to be a game-changing penalty shot. “Hes got a great backhand too,” Bernier smiled after his Leafs debut, a 31-save gem that sealed a 3-1 win, the second in as many nights for Toronto. “I remember that. I was hoping he was going to shoot it.” Passed over for the opening night start in Montreal just a day earlier, Bernier was a sponge in the Leafs crease, absorbing a barrage of shots from a feisty Flyers group, his team eventually finding their way in the third frame en route to victory and a perfect 2-0-0 start to the season. “The puck just seems to stick to him,” Joffrey Lupul said afterward of Bernier. “Especially on point shots through traffic or tipped, it just seems to always be right around him.” “He just battled,” added Randy Carlyle, the Leafs surviving six of seven Flyer power-plays, including three in a turbulent opening frame. “Any of the loose pucks that were around he seemed to have the ability to scoop up, be it with his trapper or his blocker. He grabbed pucks. When there were loose pucks around, they didnt get many second opportunities.” And when they did manage those opportunities, Bernier held strong. With the Flyers on the hunt of their fourth man advantage early in the second frame it was the Quebec netminder turning aside multiple whacks from Vincent Lecavalier and Matt Read, the score remaining a misleading 1-0 for the home side. Holding strong early and often, his efforts were eventually rewarded late in the second frame when Phil Kessel buried his first of the season to knot the score at one. It was less than three minutes later though that Simmonds was awarded the penalty shot – 3.1 seconds left on the clock – a simmering Philadelphia crowd about to bubble over with their team on the attack and the period about to close. The game lingered on the line, a goal from Simmonds sure to turn the tides in the Flyers favour heading into the third and final frame. “Those are momentum swings that can carry a team into the room and I think with him stopping the penalty shot [it] gave our room an extra boost between the second and third,” Carlyle said. “He made it look pretty easy,” Lupul added of the stop on Simmonds. Dave Bolland would score the go-ahead goal minutes into the third, his first as a Leaf and first of two on the evening, all that Bernier would need to preserve victory. On the hunt for the No. 1 gig in Toronto after years as a backup with the Kings, it was a fine first showing for the 25-year-old. How it skews the early race for starting duties will certainly prove curious in the days ahead, the home opener with Ottawa looming at the Air Canada Centre on Saturday. Five Points 1. More pucks for Bernier Bernier better get used to seeing more rubber in Toronto than he did in Los Angeles. The Kings gave up the third fewest shots per game last season, a direct contrast to the Leafs, who finished fourth-worst overall, yielding more than 32 per night. Over the past two seasons – a stretch that includes 25 starts – Bernier faced more 30 shots on only four occasions, winning three of the four starts. 2. Carlyles choice Berniers impressive performance may not be enough to earn him the start on Saturday if past history is the judge for Carlyle. James Reimer has simply sizzled in his career against the Senators, highlighted by a 8-1-1 career mark with a 1.69 goals against average and .949 save percentage. 3. Bolland rises With Claude Giroux occupying the first line centre spot for the Flyers and Lecavalier manning the second hole, Carlyle made the decision at the outset of the second frame to flip Bolland onto a second unit with Lupul and Nik Kulemin, replacing the youthful Nazem Kadri. “We felt that having the flexibility to put Bolland up there gives us another competitive veteran guy to play up against those guys,” Carlyle explained of bumping Bolland up in the lineup. Finding a quick favourite in the head coach, Bolland sparked the unit, beating Steve Mason in tight on a feed from Lupul early in the third before icing the proceedings late with his second of the evening. Shortly after the trade with Chicago went down this past summer, GM Dave Nonis hinted at growth potential for Bolland offensively – hes scored 15 or more three times – an early sampling perhaps of such sentiments on Wednesday night. “Hes a solid player,” Lupul noted of Bolland, who played 16 minutes. “I knew that playing against him, watching him in the playoffs a lot. Hes going to do things right in his own end … [And] he showed he can go to the net and finish as well.” 4. Bernier impressions Lupul observed before the game that Bernier oozed “calm” in the crease, both in handling incoming shots and limiting rebounds. Also noticeable to the 30-year-old was Berniers proficiency with the puck. “Hes really confident handling the puck which I think can help our defence out a lot going back to retrieve pucks,” the winger said, prior to Wednesdays match with the Flyers. “Hes pretty good at getting out there behind [the net] and hitting the open man.” Added Cody Franson of that ability, “I think anytime a goalie has confidence handling a puck, its going to help us. It doesnt make us go back quite as much for pucks and it can help us spread their offence out a little bit. Thats definitely a plus.” 5. Fraser injury, Rielly opening? Mere seconds after he laid a high-stick on Zac Rinaldo did Mark Fraser take an awkward hit from former Leaf Jay Rosehill. Fraser twisted his left knee on the play and did not return. He left the Wells Fargo Center on crutches and will have a further assessment done on Thursday. An injury to the Ottawa native could spell an opening for Morgan Rielly, who sat in the press-box for a second straight night. “Right now they want him to practice and keep picking up some things at practice,” Lupul said of the 19-year-old Rielly. “Hes going to be in there eventually. Obviously they didnt keep him here from junior to sit in the press-box all year so hes going to get his opportunity and its his job to be ready and I think he will be.” Special Teams Capsule PP: 1-2 PK: 6-7 Quote of the Night “The one call on Colton Orr, I dont know. Im not going to get myself fined but holy crow. Giroux spun to turn around and fell and we got a penalty for it.” -Randy Carlyle on the penalties his club faced against the Flyers, including an early tripping call to Colton Orr. Up Next The Leafs host the Senators in their home opener on Saturday. Trea Turner Jersey . One out away from finishing off an impressive shutout, they let a must-win game slip away. Custom Washington Nationals Jerseys . With nothing tangible at stake, the Raptors turned in their most impressive outing of the fall in their seventh and second to last exhibition tilt against their stiffest competition yet, but they lost a couple starters in the process.TORONTO (CP) -- Josh Hamilton drove in four runs and Mark Trumbo had a career-best five hits and equalled a club record with four extra-base hits on Tuesday as the Los Angeles Angels defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 12-6. Trumbo hit three doubles, a single and a solo home run to drive in two runs and Hamilton had two singles and a solo home run as the Angels snapped a six-game winning streak by left-hander Mark Buehrle (11-8). It was the 10th time an Angels player had four extra-base hits in a game. Trumbo also became the first Angels player with five hits and five runs in one game. Erick Aybar also hit a solo homer and Chris Iannetta hit a two-run homer as the Angels (68-76) stopped a two-game slide. Anthony Gose hit his first career grand slam and Rajai Davis hit a solo homer for the Blue Jays (67-77), who had won their previous three games and 10 of 13. Right-hander Jerome Williams (7-10) allowed nine hits and six runs in five-plus innings to win his second consecutive start. Buehrle gave up 12 hits and eight runs in four-plus innings to lose his first decision since July 20, a span of nine starts without a loss. Left-hander Ricky Romero, the Blue Jays No. 1 starter only two years ago, made his third major-league appearance of the season in the seventh and allowed two hits, a walk and one run in his first outing since being recalled from triple-A Buffalo as a September callup. Aybar hit his sixth homer of the season and Hamilton hit a two-run single to key the Angels four-run first inning. Grant Green singled in the other run as Buehrle allowed five hits and a walk. Goses grand slam in the second inning tied the game. His first homer of the season came after singles by Adam Lind, J.P. Arencibia and Moises Sierra.. Adam Lind Jersey. Los Angeles regained the lead in the third on a leadoff double by Trumbo and Hamiltons single to centre. Hamilton took second base on Goses throwing error as he launched a needless throw to the plate that went to the backstop. The Angles took an 8-4 lead with three runs in the fifth. Trumbo led off with his 32nd homer of the season and Hamilton followed with his 20th. Chris Iannetta and Kole Calhoun followed with doubles. Buehrle was replaced by right-hander Chad Jenkins. Mike Trout led off the sixth with a single to extend his hit streak to 12 games and scored on Trumbos double against Jenkins. Chris Iannetta hit his ninth homer of the season to score two more runs to increase the lead to 11-4. Davis led off the home sixth with his fifth homer of the season. A walk to Arencibia and a double by Sierra led to Williams departure. Michael Kohn allowed a run-scoring groundout to Kevin Pillar. Trumbo singled for his fifth hit of the game in the eighth against Romero. He took second on an error by Davis on the hit to left and scored on Calhouns single. Notes: Blue Jays CF Colby Rasmus (left oblique strain) took batting practice Tuesday and manager John Gibbons said he might play in a game by the end of the week. Rasmus was put on the disabled list since Aug. 11 ....Blue Jays 1B Edwin Encarnacion (left wrist) did not play for the second game in a row and is listed as day to day. ... Angels 2B Howie Kendrick (hyper-extended right knee) has been activated from the disabled list but is not expected to play until Friday. He was put on the DL Aug. 10 retroactive to Aug. 6. ....The Blue Jays will start RHP R.A. Dickey (12-12, 4.29 earned-run average) against Angels LHP C.J. Wilson (15-6, 3.42 ERA). Wholesale NFL JerseysWholesale NFL Gear Discount NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping Stitched Jerseys NFL Jerseys Outlet Wholesale NFL Jerseys ' ' '