Game Day: Why the Reimer recall is good news for Gustavsson

The decision to recall James Reimer can be interpreted in many ways. But first and foremost, this is clearly an intervention for Jonas Gustavsson.

And his response to this intervention – even if nobody uses that word – will shape his future with the Leafs.

I was listening to Deerhunter's Halcyon Digest last night and for some reason two songs – "Memory Boy" and "Helicopter" – reminded me of Goose. It's hard not to feel sorry for this poor guy.

What has happened? Are we witnessing a sophomore slump? Is Gustavsson putting too much pressure on himself to match the outer-orbital greatness achieved in Sweden?

Or is The Monster now spooked by something we can't see?

Whatever the reason, the 26-year-old is at a crossroads. Before the season started, the plan was simple: Gustavsson would march along the chosen path as the team's future No. 1 goalie.

He would ascend, once again, toward the greatness.

Veteran J.S. Giguere, the present No. 1, would mentor the talented protégé. Goaltending coach Francois Allaire would continue to fine-tune the youngster's game for North America, working on angles, rebound control, lateral movement and positional dynamics.

Alas, the plan has not proceeded as expected.

Gustavsson has played in 23 games this season. He has 6 wins, 13 losses and two OT setbacks. His save percentage is .890, which ranks 44th in a 30-team league. His GAA is an equally grim 3.29, which ranks 43rd.

But even more troubling than cold numbers is the mysterious evaporation of his confidence. Instead of the outer-orbit, Gustavsson is trapped in a personal hell of fiery insecurity and paralyzing self-doubt.

After overcoming cardiac problems and culture shock to start last season, after grinning in interviews and promising to "steal" some games from Vesa Toskala, the soft-spoken bravado has turned into shell-shocked silence.

During his last start, the disastrous 7-0 loss to the Rangers, Gustavsson looked like a child lost at the mall. He was forlorn and traumatized, despondent and alone. When he was yanked in the first after surrendering three goals in 2:26 seconds, it was painful to watch him on the bench.

His mask remained on, as if by protective instinct. His eyes kept darting up at the scoreboard, as if he couldn't quite believe what just happened. And twice his padded legs kicked out violently, an almost involuntary physical act borne from acute psychological frustration.

He had reached a new low.

This brings us back to Reimer. And here, though Gustavsson probably doesn't want to hear it, the news is good: In a perverse way, this recall proves the team still believes in him.

If they didn't, he would likely be starting tonight's game against Carolina. They would keep playing him, possibly showcasing him for a trade. They would let him, force him, to work through this slump in real time.

They would leave Jonas Gustavsson to fight his demons on his own.

But by calling up Reimer, the Leafs are doing the opposite: They are trying to save Gustavsson. They are recognizing he needs an extended time-out. They sense he is adrift at sea and they are tossing him an anchor before his confidence vanishes in the chop.

They are intervening to free him from his personal hell.

As with any intervention, this will be difficult at first. Barring injuries or an unforeseen personnel change, my guess is Reimer will now split the workload with Giguere. All this talk of carrying three goalies or bringing the kid up because there is roster room is a red herring.

For now, it's The Jiggy & Reimer Show.

For Leaf fans, meanwhile, the Reimer recall is also good news because it indicates the team still believes it can take a mad dash for the final playoff spot, however improbable. That's the bottom line: Reimer is confident and itching to help win games down the stretch.

As for Gustavsson, he may go down to the Marlies for a conditioning stint. If he agrees to such an assignment, he wouldn't have to clear waivers. Or he may continue to work on his game with the coaching staff until the intervention is deemed a success.

Whatever happens, whatever sound bites trickle out at the official level, Gustavsson is now on a break. But when he's ready to return, the chosen path will be waiting.

 

PHOTO: CHRIS YOUNG/CANADIAN PRESS

Comments

[waffles2010]

Bill, I will suggest that the new mascot take Carlton the bear into the woods and do something inappropriate to each other. Or get caught in a forest fire, whatever.

Vinay, there are THREE games a week. They all require brain damage inflicted.

[moe green]

Upon reflection VM, I'm gonna back you up on this. It may be the first time this season that Orr was actually needed. That said, he also could have cost us the game with a bad penalty.

[waffles2010]

What a tip in by Komisarek, he's the best.

[Vinay Menon]

Good news: Leafs have scored three goals tonight. Bad news: Two have been on their own net.

[moe green]

Where do u find stats on giveaways? Kessel's gotta be up there. What? Another "funny" goal.

VM Replies: Don't see Kessel near the top. But, um, check out the Top 10 for three familiar names:
http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm?fetchKey=20112ALLAASAll&sort=giveaways&viewName=rtssPlayerStats

[moe green]

I don't know. Trouble now is that too many weak efforts that there is little solace to be gained from a "good loss." That's why it's hard to care anymore. I think too many players are just looking forward to the off-season where they can spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a whole lotta fun. Don't you get the feeling that Kessel has as much fun playing NHL11 on the playstation as he does playing real hockey?

[Boo Who?]

@Moey moe moe. Moester with the moestest. Moe-lecular. Of course you can call me Boo!

I'm late, but arrived just in time to see the replay of that hit by Phaneuf - ohhhh yeeeaah. /Koolaid man

[Alecia]

Well I was expecting some goals during that non-existent 5 min major, now I'll just expect with a 4-3 win.

Oh and Bill, here you go:
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=550436

[Sens-ible Bill]

On Versus, during first intermission in Rangers vs. Caps game, about to show a fight from Leafs game they say "might have crossed a line."
Since can't get Leafs game, have to go into other room to check it out. (On PC in dining room at the moment.)

[moe green]

Boy are they familiar. Thanks Vinay.

[waffles2010]

Moe, Kessel has to enjoy NHL11 way more than the NHL. It requires far less effort. He doesn't even have to move.

[Vinay Menon]

Now would be a really, really good time for this PP to get rolling.

[moe green]

Well whaddaya know a two-man pp!

[moe green]

If they don't score here, I'm making brownies! Heroin brownies!

[moe green]

K I gotta go score... some chocolate.

[moe green]

oh well...

[waffles2010]

Make lots Moe, we need them. Or lemon meth squares. U choose.

[moe green]

How come we don't score any funny ones? Oh well guys. I got a bad feeling about this. We played better than we did against the Rangers.

[TimB]

-35 with wind chill outside.I may not be back.

VM Replies: ♫ Smoooke on the water/And TimB in the ice ♫

[Boo Who?]

I'm baking up a nice batch of powdered arsenic donuts. Not sure who I'm gifting them to yet, only time and the third period will tell.

[waffles2010]

Boo, me first, me first. me me me me me me me me me me . Please

[moe green]

We'll all go down together. So who thinks we're gonna win this. Alecia, what was the prediction tonight? I have sadness. Since when I predict them winning they lose, I'm calling 5-2 Canes. Anyone?

[Boo Who?]

Now look, I'm no goaltending expert, so help me out here - is there a name for the style of goaltending Jiggy prefers? Is it called something like 'the leave-a-space-big-enough-to-drive-a-truck-behind-you technique'? Why is he so far out all the time? (Serious question, I'm just annoyed.)

[waffles2010]

With Kessel scoring a meaningless late power play goal. That way his plus minus doesn't improve.

[80s Leafs]

Dear Coach Wilson, please alter your (lack-of)powerplay so that one of the non-scaredy-cats goes and stands in front of the opposing net, such as Phaneuf, Brown, or Armstrong. This passing around the perimeter between Kaberle, (insert other pointman here) Kessel, Grabovski and MacArthur, followed by a completely un-screened shot, is not working.

[moe green]

If not for this blog, this would have been the worst season ever. I wasn't "hoping" for the playoffs this year, I thought it was a lock. Seriously. i couldn't imagine Burke letting us miss the post season again. Not again.

I am very disappointed in Kessel. I just don't like him as a player. I know he is super talented but I really don't think he cares at all. I'll take two MacArthurs for every Kessel. Actually, you could afford five.

Very disappointed in the defense this year too. Leading the league in giveaways. Leading the league in worst shooting percentage. They just stink. Don't like Burke's attitude about fighting either.

Kessel, Phaneuf, Komisarek, Gustavsson so very many disappointments.

[moe green]

Sorry, i have to change my prediction: 4-3 Leafs in OT.

[Vinay Menon]

Oh, crap.

[Boo Who?]

@waffles - I'm now imagining a news item about police discovering a compound full of people, all wearing identical jerseys and ball caps, their lifeless bodies draped in Maple Leafs flags.

[waffles2010]

80s Leafs, I think you forgot to mention Versteeg.

[moe green]

I'll be back for the comeback. Who am I kidding. Goodnight kids. Should never have changed my prediction.

[Vinay Menon]

Timmy Brent! 3-2. Come on, boys! Do this! Do this for Kulemin's face!

[waffles2010]

Boo, with left over doughnuts and kool-aid.

[moe green]

Okay I'm back. My protest lasted two seconds.

[moe green]

Okay, here's my prediction. If we win tonight, we make the playoffs. Penalty? What? Why? In the Cane's zone. What a pinhead

[moe green]

I smell something... a shorty?

[Vinay Menon]

Timmy Brent again! Boom!

[moe green]

LOL Vinay re Kulemin's face.

[moe green]

Wayne Brentsky!

[moe green]

For Kuli's face Vinay, for Kuli's face!

VM Replies: Tonight, everything is about that symbolically mangled nose.

[moe green]

That's it, Brent's gotta teach Kessel to do that.

VM Replies: You've been telling them to fake shots all season long.

[moe green]

I know, how hard is it. We used to fake shots playing ball-hockey all the time. and it worked!

[moe green]

Boo, hold the arsenic. for now.

[Vinay Menon]

And we're back to... "Oh, crap."

[moe green]

my feed is gone... did we score?

VM Replies: No. But they just did. 5-3.

[moe green]

I am worried, I hope Kuli's injury isn't worse than a broken nose.

[moe green]

Oh no, they scored already? was it another softie? come on LEAFS!

[waffles2010]

5-3 Canes Moe.

[Boo Who?]

I can just split them into two batches. *pauses with shaker in hand* Uh oh, which ones were which? *finishes dusting and sashays over to Carolina bench*

I'll make more later.

[Sensi-Bill]

Have to agree with Jonesy (Keith) on Versus, Kulimen was instigator, having thrown two deliberate, gloves-on lefts that nailed Gleason in the face and had Gleason rightly assume he was in a fight and thus the right to Kulimen's chin.
Having watched numerous replays, also have to agree Refs went overboard on penalties to a player (Gleason) who was merely defending himself.
Must be Gleason's history of fighting majors (28) compared to Kulimen's (0).
Also telling was Phaneuf being lightly held against boards by Cole and yapping at Gleason, with no real effort to get any nearer than three feet.
Jones: "There's Dion Phaneuf. He wants to negotiate. I don't know why he doesn't drop his gloves and try to stick up . . ."
Brian Engblom: "I mean it's not a sucker punch by Gleason, absolutely. Kulemin gets in there, everybody's involved in the fight, so Gleason certainly has the right to come and give him that uppercut. I mean he hit him right on the button. Kulemin had no idea where he was going after that. He ended up running into the end boards, trying to get off the ice afterwards. And, it's right, I mean where Toronto had some pretty fought guys out there. Beauchemin was out there. Phaneuf was out there. And nobody really got in to help him there, so you know there's nothing wrong with what Gleason did.
Jones: "I think they (Refs) missed a call. I think without question you can give Kulemin a five-minute major, if you want. There's two punches by Kulemin. We saw Ben Eager get a four-game suspension for punching Colby Armstrong with his glove on. So just because your glove is on doesn't mean you're not fighting. In this case Kulemin was clearly fighting. He should have had a five-minute major --- along with Tim Gleason who made him pay."
I confess I don't know what happened to create the kerfuffle along the boards, but, while I don't usually listen to Jones and Engblom, let alone agree with their opinions, I have to say that having watched the numerous replays a few times, I pretty much have to agree with their analysis.
Punch someone twice in the face, even with a gloved hand, and you ARE instigating, and you in a fight and the other guy does deserve to defend himself, even if it takes but one solid shot in return.
I think the Refs made their calls more on reputations involved than what really happened.
And I think there was no need for Kulemin's teammates to jump in. It was a fair, if devastating, punch that felled the instigator and though Kulemin was hurt, he was not only well out of danger after the lunch --- Gleason didn't pursue it any further --- and he was the instigator of his own misfortune.
Anyway, that's how the ex-players on Versus saw it, and from the visual evidence, I can't disagree with it.
I'm not trying to cause trouble, and I DO feel bad for Kulemin biting off more than he could chew, but just thought I'd give an outside view, for what it's worth.
Now I have to get caught up on the comments since I've been so busy with the remote making sure Igot things word-for-word accurate.

[moe green]

It doesn't matter anymore. we have no D. We are pathetic. So what if we score. no more false hope. I'm tired of caring. Bum = Wilson. He has no idea what he is doing. either that of this team is pathetic. In either case: Booooo.

[moe green]

So can you call your goaltending good if you allow five regularly? Seriously. You gotta blame Jiggy for some of this!

[Vinay Menon]

Mike Brown on the PP... driving the net. 5-4. Buckle up.

[moe green]

are u wathcing this slow motiuon power play?

[moe green]

anyone still here... anyone still care?

VM Replies: Everybody is baking brownies as Brownie scores. What are the odds? They are going to tie this up, I can feel it.

[moe green]

Hey who called this 6-5 Leafs? OMG a stupid penalty. can u believe this game? of course you can. I hate them so very profoundly! Would have been 6-5 Leafs if not for the stupid penalty.

[Boo Who?]

Hang in there moe!! We're going down swingin'.

[waffles2010]

@Sensi-Bill, wish I could disagree with u, but I can't. Hope Kulemin is ok, but its a good lesson. Don't antagonize someone who may be willing to punch you really hard in the face.
@Boo, love that word sashay. Love it even more when a lady can do it. Damn, thats good.

[moe green]

Anyone disagree with this statement: The NHL is the worst officiated professional league in the world? SO that weak penalty costs us another sure goal.

[Sensi-Bill]

Thanks Alecia.
I can't believe I actually LIKE our Guardian!
(g)

[Vinay Menon]

Where did I put my cast iron skillet?

[Boo Who?]

Jesus, take the wheel...

No, the hell with that, donuts for everyone!!

[moe green]

Well Goodnight sweet princes. And by princes I of course mean assclowns. This is the final nail. Like I said, i have nothing but hate for this season. This mess is Ron Wilson's. How can you call yourself a coach after this mess. I would be ashamed.

[Alecia]

Quite a game results in quite the frustration. UUUUGGGGHHHH.
Not sure what is more frustrating, watching a game where the Leafs tried as hard as they could for nothing or watching stupid calls be made one after another?

Thanks Refs!!

[moe green]

Boo, swinging or not, must we always go down.

[TimB]

Just starting to feel my extremities.Lysol Lemon Squares anyone??

[moe green]

Are we this bad, is Wilson this crappy, are our goalies thi sweak - or all of the above. It's a serious question.

[moe green]

I have been watching hockey for years and the officiating has always been terrible. They rarely miss an offside, but penalties. They rarely get it right. Many games are decided by the refs. Many.

[waffles2010]

How long do you think Vinay will let us talk about going down? lol

VM Replies: I didn't want to draw attention to the recurring phrase.

[Sensi-Bill]

Don't agree about the officiating being the worst anywhere, in general, not having seen tonight's game.

[moe green]

Bill, more often than not the calls are arbitrary.

[moe green]

Big deal, now they're gonna play Reimer. Who cares now. I'd actually like them to finish the season with Gustavsson now. Seriously, what is the point of playing Reimer? This team is a frustrating mess.

[moe green]

It doesn't so much matter that its teh worst Sens-ibill, it's that it's terrible. Too many missed and phantom penalty calls every night.

[Boo Who?]

Holy Bad Word.

I'm going to distract and content myself with laughing at all the other guardians that have been revealed thus far. Like the Predator. Who looks less like a sabretooth and more like a really pissed off walrus. He likes country music and swings from the rafters of the Grand Ole Opry. The Lightning actually looks pretty cool. As does the Flame. Still mad about Woody the Giant Maple (bleep).

VM Replies: Apologies, Ms. Boo. I had to bleep the last word there.

[moe green]

I am officially not watching tomorrows game. I think I'm still married. That sorta youngish woman coming out of the shower wearing a towel looks strangely familiar. Oh and who cares about the all-star game. I couldn't stand watching Kessel out there.

Once again, nicely done Burke and Wilson. And thanks.

[Sensi-Bill]

So, many say they really only hate the team when the effort isn't there.
Apparently tonight they gave pretty good effort, against a strong team, and came up a bit short.
And they're getting dumped on and people are despairing, sliding into a depression recognized elsewhere as the typical Maple Leaf Blues.
Come on guys.
In the playoffs in only their (sort of) second season? Let's be reasonable. Let's cut them the slack a young, just-starting-out collection of players not only deserve, but this team has EARNED on its better nights.
Sorry, but you DO tend to get too high over a win and too low over a loss.
Yeah, I know, you don't need an "outsider" coming in and spouting off at you. But think of it as a friendly rival not affected by Leaf mania, giving an honest evaluation as a bit of a pep talk.
So pour the symbolic, virtual-only poisons down the drain, keep your collective chin up and make some celebratory treats because your bunch of youngsters, with a few still-new-to-this-team veterans, played a solid team strong and DIDN'T get blown out 6-1 or 7-1 like some a certain aging team in Ontario.
Accept what is, 18 months into a five-year rebuild and stop beating yourselves, and your team, up with every little setback. This team, or ANY team at this stage of development, is NOT going to win more games than it loses. That's just the reality of hockey, especially in today's era of parity.
OK, OK, I'll stop. But I DO believe more realistic expectations and patience that lasts more than a few games at a time would really help around here.
I may cheer for amines team, but you never see me gloating here. And I don't like seeing you guys suffer like this, especially when if you stop and think about it, there's less need for it than you realize.
For goodness sake, in the holy name of Turk Broda, BUCK UP you magnificent poor bastards, and basgardesses. (g)
And don't expect me to do this all the time. (wg)

VM Replies: *Begins slow clap*

[Sensi-Bill]

"amines" = "another"

[Boo Who?]

Thanks Bill! We needed that.

@ VM - My bad, my bad. 'Woody the Giant Maple Bleep' still totally captures the essence of what I was trying to say.

[Rooney]

@Sensi-Bill, well put.

@VM, forget Deerhunter for our boys. How about a Canadian classic? "The days grow shorter and the nights are getting long. Feels like we're running out of time. Every day it seems much harder tellin' right from wrong. You got to read between the lines. Don't get discouraged, don't be afraid, we can make it through another day."

Go Leafs Go!

[no moe green]

Sens-ibill: You speak wisdom. But it's been years. And they've lost 5 of 6. And the defense isn't that young. Would you mind waiting seven years for your Sens to make the playoffs? How about ten? Would that be okay? Easy to say when it's not really your team. I was patient with the Hawks and Pens too. I wish they were still rebuilding.

But you are right Sensible Bill, the rebuild is sorta only a couple years old. But imagine if you will that we were having this same conversation five years from now. Guess what, we have and are. It's like an episode of the twilight zone with these dinks! Burke could easily be gone and we could be mopping up his mess next. It's called Leaf history. Groundhog day. You get what I am saying.

[Alecia]

*applause*

Well said Sensi-Bill!!!
Slightly too much melodrama going on in here.

I am just happy that there's another game tomorrow.

[Robert]

What! None of this makes any more sense than the game tonight. I keep telling you camel jockeys, we have the horses. There is enough talent on the two teams to be very competitive. I tried to pay special attention to Tomas tonight whom most of you don't care for, okay. How many hits does Lindstrom throw for Detroit? After the loss, Mr. Wilson, who apparently coaches this team, throws his guys under the bus!

Between he and BBurke I think we have a couple of high priced yankee losers. As I have said all along, we have the horses - in the two teams. The boys played well tonight, they may not have won, but they did all they could. If we choose to revolt, let us get Peddie to change the whole top end. There is lot of talent down here at the bottom!

[hoofheartz]

If anybody here doesn't think that Giguere wasn't directly responsible for that loss they are seriously delusional. A floater from the blueline from that well known sniper McBain and that goal that Sutter scored could have been stopped by a TIMBIT if he had taken one step away from his crease. Still no games stolen by a Leaf goaler but plenty lost by those very same sieves. AAAAARRRRRGHHH!!!!!!! I CAN'T FREAKIN' STAND IT ANYMORE!

[Sens-ible Bill]

Moe
Seven years?
Yeah. Though I'd obviously prefer something shorter, in perhaps the five-year range.
AND if they not only showed effort and progress along the way but rebuilt in such a way as to, once they made it back to the playoffs, be strong enough to continue making the playoffs AND legitimately compete for a Cup.
Ten years? No.
I and my fellow fans would demand success --- no doubt with our wallets being our main weapon --- before that.
But don't forget how loyal and supportive we were during the long rebuilding process once the Senators re-entered the league as an expansion team.
And, as I thoroughly expected all along, our patience and support help build to a couple of President's Cups and a decent showing in a Stanley Cup finals.
I really do believe the hot-and-cold, hot-and-cold, hot-and-cold winds that consistently blow through Leaf Nation have contributed to the Leafs' lack of significant success over the past four decades. (Heck, we non-Leafs fans have been counting on that.) (g)
As I've tried to point out, I am convinced it's the lack of patience long-term, and the flashes of impatience short-term, that have helped keep this franchise in a state of flux for so long.
That and the fact there is no real consequences --- especially financial --- for MLSE if the team continues to flutter in the mediocre-to-half-decent range.
This whole MLSE thing strikes me a bit weird. Yes, they would gain more revenue with a playoff run. And I seriously think they would like to get the team back to that level. But here comes the weird part. I am not so sure that MLSE would welcome an actual Cup win by the Leafs.
Firstly, on the basis that that would not significantly increase revenue from tickets and merchandising and such, since they are already near maximum no matter what.
Secondly, though it may sound crazy, I am starting to lean a lot more towards the theory of: "Why win the Cup when, after the honeymoon, it would just leave fans wanting another one in less than 43 years?"
I think every franchise has to start over, or at least retool in a significant way, every so often. So I will support my team if the rebuild takes a few years. But I will demand more, if it goes on too long without success.
Somewhere along the line, someone has to convince MLSE to make a serious effort at rebuilding and stick with it to see it through, no matter how long it takes.
Starting and stopping (abandoning?) rebuilds over and over again just means you never get to what is supposed to be the promised land.
The Sens are terrible right now and need rebuilding/retooling. But given how they do things and stick with it as best they can, and their history of eventual success, well that is what keeps me confident that even if we don't make it back to the playoffs before Toronto --- though I wouldn't rule it out either --- we will still win our next Stanley Cup before Toronto does.
And if we don't, well, as consolation, I will no doubt feel happy for you guys after so many false starts and failed attempts over the decades.
But don't ever doubt my loyalty to my home team --- GO SENS, GO!

[no moe green]

In response to Go Leafs, Go, I respond Where Leafs, where?

[bitterleaffan]

Minor league conditioning lasts a maximum of two weeks, so this move would also appear to put a timetable on Gustavsson departure from the Leafs. It's going to be easier to move him if he's in game shape rather than press box shape.