There are a growing number of critics who claim Maple Leafs goaltending coach Francois Allaire is stifling the development of the club’s young netminders by turning them into stationary robots designed to do nothing more than have pucks plunk off them.
For those of you who subscribe to that theory, James Reimer disagrees with you.
In fact, the young Leafs goalie credits some advice given to him by Allaire at the team’s 2009 training camp as a key to his success.
“He told me to play deeper in my net,” Reimer said of the Maple Leafs goaltending coach. “He said that I’m such a big guy, I could still cover the net without having to come out so far.”
Given that he is 5-3 with a 1.96 goals-against average and .941 save percentage with the Leafs, the advice has paid huge dividends for Reimer, so much so that he will get the start against the Buffalo Sabres at the HSBC Arena on Saturday night.
