The San Jose Sharks were simply looking for insurance for first-year starter Martin Jones when they acquired goaltender James Reimer from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for goaltender Alex Stalock, forward Ben Smith, and a conditional fourth-rounder in the 2018 NHL Draft.
However, early in his tenure with San Jose, Reimer has been far better than the Sharks could have anticipated.
Reimer had recorded five wins in seven starts with a .927 save percentage prior to Tuesday’s game against the Minnesota Wild in which the former Maple Leafs goaltender continued his exceptional play with 29 saves and a shutout.
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Here’s a game-by-game look at how Reimer has done since the trade from Toronto:
Game 1 (Mar. 5 vs. Canucks): Reimer looks shaky in Western Conference debut, allowing three goals on 25 shots in 4-2 loss.
Game 2 (Mar. 8 at Oilers): The Manitoba native shakes off the jitters and dominates Oilers with 31-save shutout in 3-0 victory.
Game 3 (Mar. 15 vs. Bruins): Facing an old Atlantic Division foe, Reimer makes 21 saves on 23 shots to pick up his first home victory as a Shark on his 28th birthday.
Game 4 (Mar. 20 vs. Coyotes): The strong play continues for Reimer as he recorded his second shutout with San Jose in a 3-0 win over Arizona.
Game 5 (Mar. 24 vs. Oilers): Reimer looks more like an Oilers goalie as the Sharks netminder struggles, allowing five goals on 21 shots to the team at the bottom of the Western Conference standings in a 6-3 loss.
Game 6 (Mar. 29 at Canucks): The veteran goalie fares much better in his second start against Vancouver, making a couple of huge saves (23 in total) in 4-1 win for the Sharks. For Maple Leafs fans, 4-1 is a scary score.
Game 7 (Apr. 2 at Predators): Against his toughest opponent since going to San Jose, Reimer lives up to the challenge, making 28 saves and stopping all three shootout attempts in a 3-2 win over Nashville.
Game 8 (Apr. 5 at Wild): The Wild have no answer for Reimer, who recorded 29 saves and his third shutout with San Jose on Tuesday in a 3-0 win.