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TORONTO - It was very early in the Maple Leafs tenure of Jonathan Bernier and he had noticed that his new goaltending coach, Rick St. Croix, was lingering quietly in the background, doing his best to thoughtfully calibrate an assessment without much interference. "At one point, I told him Rick, You need to tell me things that you see that Im doing wrong," Bernier recalled in conversation with the Leaf Report. "Some goalies dont like to get judged or anything like that, but I like to know where Im at in my game. I like when the goalie coach will push me to get better." No single aspect of the Leafs season at the midway point has been quite as reliable, and at times brilliant, as that of the goaltending. And the quiet, driving and highly influential presence behind the recently found success is the 58-year-old St. Croix, now in his second season with the team. Between Bernier and 25-year-old James Reimer, the Toronto tandem ranks fourth in the NHL with a .924 save percentage - after finishing seventh-best last season - and third-best with an even stingier .942 mark at even-strength - of critical importance considering the bloated number of shots the team has allowed this season. Years of futility, which plagued the Leafs crease following the departure of Ed Belfour (see table below), are finally being forgotten under St. Croix, who captured a Stanley Cup with Belfour in Dallas in 1999 and found later success with the Vancouver and Winnipeg organizations. "He really understands the position because he played it," Reimer told the Leaf Report of St. Croix, who played in the NHL with the Leafs and Flyers, "and thats really valuable." The goalie coach is equal parts teacher, motivator and therapist, a sounding board for the games most solitary position, a leaning post in times of turmoil and success. "A goalie coach is a resource to help the goaltender in his area of need and it might be off the ice, it might be on the ice, it might be just going post to post, it might be how he reads the game, maybe its stuff related to flexibility," said St. Croix, shortly after he replaced Francois Allaire as the teams goaltending coach in the fall of 2012. "Im a resource to help them become a better version of themselves." He has found quick success in that regard where his predecessor could not. Dubbed at one point by former Leafs President and GM Brian Burke as "the best goaltending coach on the planet," Allaire, who owns two Stanley Cup rings, never found much success during his three years in Toronto. His rigid style of goaltending - a blocking approach that was highly successful in the slower pre-lockout era - rarely translated into fewer goals against with the Leafs. It also allowed for little in the way of creativity or athleticism. [Allaire is currently working as the goaltending coach for the Avalanche, where has rediscovered considerable early success with Semyon Varlamov and former Leaf Jean-Sebastien Giguere.] St. Croix, in definite contrast, employs a considerably more accommodating approach to the position, a hybrid style that is dependent on accentuating the strengths of the individual. "I think with his style of coaching maybe theres more flexibility in there, a little less rigidity," said Reimer, an Allaire loyalist who is careful not to compare the two coaches. "You can play around with stuff a little bit more maybe [under St. Croix]. Maybe it allows you to be a little bit more athletic." "Its all your style of play and hell see your game and see those little things that will affect your game and itll be different than what he might tell Bernier in essence." Bernier, who worked with the highly lauded Bill Ranford previously in Los Angeles, agrees that St. Croix is "pretty open on techniques" and will advise, rather than demand, his goaltender on potential tweaks for game situations. "He wont change my style, wont change my position - thats who I am," said Bernier, whose .938 even-strength save percentage ranks behind only Ben Bishop among regular NHL starters this season. Unlike Allaire, who could be unyielding in his approach to goaltending, St. Croix is intent on molding the shape of the individual to a better version of itself. Reimer, who finished eighth in the NHL in save percentage last season, his first with St. Croix, and sits 12th this season, concedes that his goalie coach has "just allowed whatever it is that makes me good to rise to the top per se". "Its like a skilled player being able to make a few mistakes," Reimer explained of the increased flexibility being afforded under St. Croix, who was not made available to be interviewed for this story. "If you tell him as soon as he gets across the red line that he has to dump the puck youre going to take away a bit of his [talent]. He might be a solid player and he might still be great, but when you allow [him] to cut back or toe-drag every now and again then something [special] comes out. With Ricky, I think maybe thats what its allowed me to do." Goaltender and goalie coach meet after every game to review that nights work, determined to assess the good and bad on video. St. Croix, in such situations, is looking not just at the individual goals allowed but at the bigger picture, intent on finding tendencies and trends that may need strengthening. "If you let in a goal here," Reimer said, "you look at it and say, Was it a freak thing? Did you do something wrong? And if it was, is it because we havent practiced it or is just because you made a mistake? Either way you work on it." Prior to games, he and the two goaltenders will assess the incoming opponent, trying to better understand how they generate offence and what situations may be on deck that night. In addition to the teaching and advisement is the equally important role of motivator and therapist. "Its funny that you say that because I think thats the biggest thing for a goalie coach," said Bernier. "Hes almost a therapist in a way just because hes there for you mentally and keeps you positive. You dont want to be too high or too low and hes there to help you find that right level of emotion." Bernier needed such a pick-me-up from St. Croix earlier in the year, the losses piling up in rapid succession for the Leafs despite continued performance in goal. And because he has a history of playing the position at the NHL level, St. Croix carries a certain credibility for his two young netminders, an understanding of the often solitary life in goal. "You can say stuff to him because hell understand," said Reimer, "whereas if you said it to somebody else [they] would be saying Oh my goodness, youre thinking that? but in the goalie world thats just normal." A big believer in the role of a goaltending coach, Bernier actually approached Leafs VP of Hockey Operations, Dave Poulin, early in the season and requested that St. Croix be with the NHL club more often. "I think its important as a goalie to have a goalie coach," Bernier said, "and talk to someone about [goaltending], bring your confidence up. He helps you to get that routine in your game and in practice which is really good. "Hes been really good mentally to keep me positive … And working on little things he sees in my game. I think more and more were going to get adjusted to each other, more comfortable. I think were making a big step." A look at the considerable leap in Toronto goaltending under St. Croix in the past two seasons. Season Save Percentage 2013-14 .924 2013 .917 2011-12 .901 2010-11 .907 2009-10 .896 2008-09 .887 2007-08 .897 Air Max 270 Wholesale . The Redskins announced Monday that the quarterback who led the team to the Super Bowl championship in the 1987 season will serve as a personnel executive. Clearance Air Max 270 . Mesoraco hurt his hamstring while scoring from second in Friday nights 5-4 loss at Atlanta. Chapman was hit by a line drive during an exhibition game on March 19, breaking his nose and a bone above his left eye. The left-hander looked strong while throwing 43 pitches in batting practice before Saturday nights game against the Braves. http://www.wholesalenikeshoesclearance.com/cheap-max-plus-shoes.html . The game got off to a less-than-ideal start for the Jets as Oliver Ekman-Larsson found a wide open net from the slot and opened the scoring for the Coyotes a lead in the first period, but Olli Jokinen answered back just over half a minute later. Wholesale Air Max 97 . - Mike Zimmer has brought a demanding style to the Minnesota Vikings. Air Max 95 Clearance Sale .200. His solution to his hitting woes was business in the front and a party in the back."That would be a mullet," Norris says. WINNIPEG -- Ondrej Pavelec couldnt have asked for a better return after a two-game absence. Pavelec made 41 saves as the Winnipeg Jets shut out the Nashville Predators 5-0 on Friday with the help of a four-goal first period. It was Pavelecs first shutout since March 12, 2012, 11th of his career, and came after he was replaced by Al Montoya the past two games. "I didnt play a few days so I felt a little bit nervous," Pavelec said. "I just wanted to help the guys get the win. That was my goal today and so Im happy we get the win." It was only Winnipegs (7-9-2) second win in its last six games, as Montoya backstopped the Jets to a 4-2 victory over Detroit on Monday and then a 4-1 loss in Chicago on Wednesday. Bryan Little, Olli Jokinen and Eric Tangradi scored for Winnipeg in the first 8:23 of the opening period, followed by Devin Setoguchi making it 4-0 at the 16:45 mark of the first period. The first-period barrage was the most goals the Jets have scored in a period since March 1, 2012, when they recorded five against Florida. Fans at the MTS Centre gave the Jets a standing ovation as they left the ice for the first intermission. The Predators, coming off road wins against Colorado and Los Angeles, move to 8-6-2. "I give a lot of credit to Pavelec," Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. "I mean, to me, if we can get through that first period 3-0, I believe we have a chance to come back. Not saying we wouldve, but we have a chance to get back in the hockey game. "I thought the killer goal in that game was the fourth goal." Little added his second goal of the game, and 10th of the season, midway through the third period to make it 5-0. "I think we just kept it simple," said Little, who leads his team with 15 points. "We came out really hard, which was great." Andrew Ladd, playing in his 550th NHL game, and Blake Wheeler each had a pair of assists and Jokinen added an assist to go with his goal. Jokinen wasnt over-excited about the victory. "Its good we scored four goals in the first period, but it was far from a complete game," said a subdued Jokinen. "The last 40 minutes was not the way we should play. We take two points and we can be happy, but theres no reason to plan the parade on Portage Avenue." Tangradis slight redirection of a Dustin Byfuglien point shot sent goalie Carter Hutton to the bench in favour of Marek Mazanec at 8:23 of the first.dddddddddddd Mazanec, called up from Milwaukee of the AHL on Nov. 5 and playing in his first NHL game, turned aside 21 of the 23 shots he faced. Hutton stopped five of the eight shots he faced in 8:23 of work. Nashville is without veteran netminder Pekka Rinne, who was placed on injured reserve Oct. 24 with whats now being reported as an E. coli infection in his hip. When asked about the report, Trotz said he hasnt talked to Rinne about that. "I know that the doctors are still working with him and hes on schedule," said Trotz. That schedule was "when he was supposed to return," which had been about six weeks. Winnipegs scoring began with an unexpected move by Little that earned him his team-leading ninth goal. After picking up a rebound in the slot off a shot by Ladd, Little moved to the face-off circle with his back to Hutton, but then spun around and fired the puck past the netminder at 3:02. Jokinen scored his third of the season with a close wrist shot at 6:47 off a pass by Evander Kane, but he wasnt over-excited about the victory. Byfugliens blast from the point caught a bit of Tangradi as he was screening Hutton. Mazanec entered the game and Setoguchi scored on his teams 11th shot of the night after Jokinen won the faceoff and passed the puck to his teammate in front of the net. "Hes a battler," Trotz said of Mazanec. "Hes a young man who has a lot of talent. Still has to learn to play goal. It was a good night for him to go in for us." Littles second goal couldnt miss as Mazenec was stretching back across the front of the net to follow the rebound off a Ladd shot, but Little fired the puck over his body at 9:53 for the 5-0 gap. Nashville was 0 for 4 on the power play and Winnipeg 0 for 3. The fans gave the Jets another loud standing ovation during the final minute of the game. "A night like tonight well take the 5-0 game, but it wasnt necessarily a clinic, but well take the win," Jets coach Claude Noel said. "Weve had enough heartache for a while, well take one of these." Winnipeg hosts San Jose on Sunday, while Nashville continues its season-long, seven-game road trip with the fifth stop Sunday in New Jersey. ' ' '