TORONTO – The workload is rising again. And like the near entirety of last season, Jonathan Bernier and Torontos goaltending tandem is up to the task. Bernier turned down 40 Anaheim shots Tuesday night as the Leafs rolled to their sixth straight victory and 10th in the last 12 games (10-1-1). Despite the stunning string of success over the past month, head coach Randy Carlyle wisely noted that his team has slipped recently. Theyve allowed an average of 37 shots in the past nine games, but have had the goaltending and mighty offence to hold strong. Leaf goalies have combined for a superb .939 save percentage since Nov. 29. Bernier has carried that bulk of that workload, mustering a .936 mark himself in his last seven starts, yielding two or less in five of them. Obviously the shot totals got to get down, said Nazem Kadri following a 6-2 win over the West-leading Ducks, but the way Bernies been playing, hes got those so I dont think were too worried about that. Bernier did most of his damage in the early going. He turned down 30 of the 31 shots he faced over the first two periods, including a pair on Ryan Getzlaf on a late first period Ducks power play. Later, after the Leafs pounced for their second goal, he made a fine save on Ryan Kesler. He made some big stops for us early in the hockey game, Carlyle said. It seemed like wed weather a little bit of a storm, wed get a chance and wed score so it made us feel good about ourselves. And he was the main reason that we put ourselves in a position to win the hockey game. Berniers counterpart, Frederik Andersen didnt fare quite as well. Making his 19th straight start in goal, Andersen was pulled after the fourth Toronto goal, one that saw Kadri outwait Ducks defender Mark Fistric, before firing the puck into the upper reaches of the Anaheim cage. The Leafs would add two more goals after that, burying Anaheim in the third. Theyve scored in crazy bunches during the past month, scorching with 49 goals during the 12-game run (or more than four per game). Thats kept the recent slippage in overall performance in the background, but has Carlyle rightfully concerned no less. Now I feel that we are slipping, he said of the teams recent play, which has included wins over powerhouses from Detroit, L.A. and now Anaheim. We have to get back to that more energetic, more stop-and-go, more straight-line hockey. Carlyle felt his team lacked energy and a forceful forecheck against the Ducks, who often bullied their way to long stretches in the Toronto zone. But we won, said Carlyle, in a triumphant mood. Bernier, meanwhile, has turned things around after a so-so start to the season. Tuesdays 40-save performance pushed him up to a .922 save percentage after 22 starts, good for ninth-best among regular NHL starters. His .932 mark at even-strength is also back at the superb level he managed in his debut as a Leaf last season. The worst shot suppression team in the league a year ago, the Leafs are fourth from the bottom so far this year, yielding nearly 34 per game. Five Points 1. Killer Instinct The Leafs are an astounding 14-0-0 when they score first this season, one of only two teams with an unbeaten record (Montreal being the other). Toronto is also a coinciding 13-0-0 when leading after two periods. Up 2-1 after 40 minutes on Tuesday, the Leafs scored a pair in the first five minutes of the third; that highlight marker from Kadri and the first of David Booths Toronto tenure. I think were getting much better when we have the lead, said Bernier. We keep playing hard. And I think last year maybe we would stop playing and they would come with a lot of speed. There were times last year when we went into games with the lead in the third period when we didnt have that killer instinct that we have today, addedJoffrey Lupul, scoring his seventh of the year early into the middle period. The Leafs were actually 27-9-4 last year when they scored first – good for only 19th best overall – and 26-1-2 when leading after two periods. 2. Top Line Torontos top line has been a constant source of production on the power play all year, but has sputtered at even-strength over the past month, spending long stretches in the defensive zone. í think it starts in the offensive zone, Carlyle said before Tuesdays game. I think that, at times, theyve been a one-and-out [offence]. Theyre a rush line that has to try to develop more of a puck-possession game in the offensive zone. I think thats more important than anything. Its 200 feet away from their net. Theyve got to find ways to maybe stop up and not take the bad angle shot and get two guys caught or three guys caught. I think that theyre quality players that will find a way to do that, he concluded. I just think right now theyre in a little bit of a dry spell. And indeed, the trio of Phil Kessel, Tyler Bozak, and James van Riemdsyk had a much better night in that regard against the Ducks. The line came up with three of the six Toronto goals – including a pair at even-strength – sustaining more frequent stints in the offensive zone. Carlyle gave them lighter competition, however, matching the trio up against the Ducks youth-infused third unit of Andrew Cogliano, Rickard Rakell and Jakob Silfverberg. In my mind, they should have a good night if theyre playing up against the youth of Anaheim right now, said Carlyle. Kessel had two even-strength points in the victory, equaling the mark he had in the previous 11 games (minus empty-netters). The 27-year-old, who also led his team in possession against the Ducks, has six goals in the past eight games and leads the Leafs with 34 points in 31 games. 3. Studying Getzlaf Drafted by the Ducks in 2009, Peter Holland only suited up in 29 games with the club, but he got a brief, up-close look at Ryan Getzlaf. Hes continued to study Anaheims captain since then, even watching video of about five of his games so far this year. Just trying to take little bits and pieces from his game and try to incorporate it into my own, says Holland. His patience with the puck is top of the league, for sure. He just seems to know where the quiet areas of the ice are and he can hold onto the puck for a couple extra seconds before he makes a pass. The game slows down for him. Holland says Getzlafs presence on the ice is incredible and hes doing what he can to work some of the aforementioned tactics into his own game. Im trying to, yeah, said the 24-year-old. Its a lot easier said than done obviously, but just watching the way he handles the puck and distributes it is something special to be honest. Holland, who had an assist in the victory, split the matchup against Getzlafs line on Tuesday night – Kadris line being the other – spending the other half of the evening opposite the equally challenging unit fronted by Ryan Kesler. 4. Home Ice The Leafs now have a league-high 14 wins at home – while playing the most games – taking full advantage of a comfy early schedule. Theyll play 17 of their next 22 on the road though, a huge mountain to climb with the World Juniors coming to the ACC for the latter stages of December. Its going to be a different challenge, for sure, said Lupul. Its weird, at the start of the year it seemed we were more comfortable playing on the road than at home and now we obviously have a good thing going here. Toronto has a plus-17 goal differential at home versus a plus-4 mark in just 10 games on the road. 5. 100 Morgan Rielly crossed the 100-game plateau last week in Detroit, a feat celebrated by his teammates. Its obviously a pretty cool moment, he said later of the recognition. Riellys sophomore season hasnt been all ups though. Hes endured the predictable swings of a young defender in the league. But of late, the 20-year-old has been more actively involved in the play, finding something of a groove. I think so, he agreed. [But] I think its just a matter of trying to be consistent. Ive had times where I think Ive played well and Ive been happy with it and I think the coaches have been happy with it as well. But its about doing that every night. You cant do it in spurts, youve got to be consistent and thats what Ive got to work on. For Rielly, the key to that consistency is the asset that made him a top-5 pick: his skating. I think youve got to be involved in the play and youve got to try to make a difference, he said. You cant be a passenger. Youve got to help this team in each way you can, whether its carrying the puck, whether its playing defence, blocking point shots; youve just got to do what you can and try to help the team. Rielly played more than 21 minutes against the Ducks. He and partner, Stephane Robidas, struggled at times with the size and strength of their Western Conference opponents though. Stats Pack 17 – Even-strength points for Nazem Kadri this season, third-best on the Leafs. .936 – Save percentage for Jonathan Bernier in his past seven starts. 7-2-1 – Leafs record against the West this season. 49 – Goals in the past 12 games for the Leafs. 37 – Average shots allowed by the Leafs in the past nine games. 14-7-0 – Leafs home record. Special Teams Capsule PP: 1-3 Season: 21% PK: 2-2 Season: 84% Quote of the Night Youve gotta like it. - Randy Carlyle, upon being informed that the Leafs were 14-0-0 when scoring first. Up Next The Leafs visit the Hurricanes on Thursday night. Keston Hiura Brewers Jersey . - Jerome Verrier scored the winner 8:24 into overtime and Louis-Phillip Guindon stopped 46 shots as the Drummondville Voltigeurs edged the host Val-dOr Foreurs 4-3 on Friday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoff action. Brent Suter Brewers Jersey . Only it wasnt the extended right pad of his old teammate Jonathan Bernier early in the final frame, it was James Reimer, who stole a night that was supposed to belong to the former King. https://www.cheapbrewers.com/1059y-orlando-arcia-jersey-brewers.html . TSN was honoured with several awards, with Rod Smith and James Duthie sharing the win for Best Sports Host for SportsCentre and the NHL: Season On The Brink coverage, respectively. Tyrone Taylor Jersey . - The Washington Redskins have signed free agent offensive lineman Mike McGlynn. Taylor Williams Brewers Jersey . Watching them over the past year - and in some cases, two years - has given us a starting point for this seasons Craigs List.MEXICO CITY - Mexican World Cup players may be asking: Wheres the beef? The Mexican players are being banned from eating beef, a move aimed at avoiding positive doping tests from meat contaminated with the performance-enhancing drug clenbuterol. Coach Miguel Herrera said Wednesday he had told his players more than a month ago not to eat red meat. During the 2011 Gold Cup, five Mexico players tested positive for clenbuterol, a muscle-building drug. The Mexican Football Federation eventually cleared the players of doping. The World Anti-Doping Agency accepted what it termed "compelling evidence" that meat in Mexico was contaminated with clenbuterol and produced the positive tests. "Our training centre has determined, based on what happened in the past, that red meat shouldnt be eaten," Herrera saiid.dddddddddddd. Mexican authorities have acknowledged that the drug, which is banned in the sports world, has been used in the country to fatten cattle. Defender Miguel Ponce, who was left off the original 23-man team, said he had been eating some red meat. He was added to the team recently to replace injured midfielder Juan Carlos Medina. "I ate a few tacos, but I hope there is no problem," Ponce said. "From now on Ill follow whats been requested." Mexico plays its first match at the World Cup in Natal against Cameroon on June 13, faces Brazil on June 17 in Fortaleza in its most difficult game in Group A, and will then play Croatia on June 23 in Recife. Brazil is the clear favourite to win the group and advance to the knockout stage. Second place in the group seems wide open. ' ' '