PHILADELPHIA – It was just like old times for Ron Hextall.
Sitting high above the ice at Wells Fargo Center, a familiar feeling washed over the new assistant general manager of the Philadelphia Flyers as he watched his former protégé steal the show for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
This was Jonathan Bernier’s debut for the Maple Leafs and Jonathan Bernier’s night. The rock-solid 31-save performance was something Hextall had witnessed regularly when both were with the American Hockey League’s Manchester Monarchs and that’s why the former Flyers goaltender believes whole-heartedly that Bernier can soon be a bona fide No. 1 in the NHL.
“I’ve watched him for how many years now, half a dozen years?” Hextall told sportsnet.ca during Wednesday’s 3-1 victory by Toronto. “He’s a good goaltender. He’s very talented, he’s got a great head on his shoulders and he works hard.”
There was no mystery as to why the Leafs were able to win a tough road game for the second straight night to start the regular season.
After watching James Reimer make 34 saves in Montreal on Tuesday, Bernier turned in his own impressive outing. Not only did he help Toronto weather an early storm — “They came out like a bat out of hell,” Leafs forward David Bolland said of the Flyers — but he also stopped a Wayne Simmonds penalty shot with 3.1 seconds remaining in the second period.
That left the game tied 1-1 heading to the final 20 minutes, where Bolland scored twice to send his team home with two points.
But it was the play of Bernier that had everyone talking afterwards. This was a statement performance given the circumstances. Just one day after enduring the disappointment of being passed over for the opening night start in his hometown, there was reason to wonder how he would fare in less familiar surroundings.
Once the puck dropped, you would never have known that the 25-year-old was still adapting to new teammates and a new opponent. He had faced the Flyers just one previous time in his career and that resulted in him being pulled after allowing six goals in less than two periods of work.
Philadelphia threw plenty at him again on Wednesday but he stood tall through seven penalty killing situations. In particular, Bernier did an excellent job of limiting his rebounds on shots that came through traffic.
“I found a way to feel good about myself quick,” he said.
Despite some defensive lapses in the opening games, the Leafs couldn’t have drawn up a better start to the season. The main reason they sent Matt Frattin, Ben Scrivens and a second-round pick to Los Angeles for Bernier in June was to bring in another goalie that could push Reimer.
There is a belief within the organization that the competition could benefit both men and it’s hard to argue with that premise so far. Even though the focus now shifts to which goalie gets the start in Saturday’s home opener against Ottawa — the guess here is Reimer — in the bigger picture the Leafs can be content in knowing that they have depth if either of them fall into a funk this season.
And if they don’t, well, that’s a good problem for Randy Carlyle to have.
“We needed our goaltender to keep us in the game,” the coach said after Wednesday’s victory. “He did that and we’re fortunate to have him.”
There was a lot of symmetry to the fact that it happened here. As the Kings assistant GM when Bernier was drafted 11th overall in 2006 and a former standout goalie himself, Hextall spent many hours having philosophical conversations about the position with the prospect.
At that point they were working towards a moment where Bernier was ready to play a game like this one in the NHL — although Hextall obviously thought it would be for his team. Today, the Maple Leafs goalie smiles when asked what those sessions did for his development.
“He was unbelievable for me,” Bernier said of Hextall. “Especially when I was in the minors, I didn’t see the end coming. He was positive all the time and I have a lot of respect for that guy.”
The chance to play big games is something he’s been yearning for. It’s why Bernier asked the Kings to trade him around the time they won the 2012 Stanley Cup and signed Jonathan Quick to a massive contract extension.
While it’s unclear how exactly things will play out with Reimer, there is no doubt in Hextall’s mind that the player is ready to handle whatever lies ahead.
Looking back, he believes that Los Angeles erred in keeping Bernier in the NHL for a couple games as a 19-year-old before sending him back to junior. According to Hextall, it only added to the impatience every young prospect feels about wanting a chance to play at hockey’s highest level.
Eventually, the patience paid off. There would be two years in the AHL and two more as Quick’s backup. Now when Hextall looks at his former pupil, he sees one of the most promising young goalies in the NHL.
“He’s obviously rebounded well,” said Hextall. “I think when we sent him back (to Lewiston) that year it took him a little bit of time to get a grasp of it. That was hard for him. That’s also another part of the growing process: You’ve got to accept disappointments and get better from them.
“And he did.”
It was there for all to see in his first meaningful game with the Maple Leafs.