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TORONTO – Jonathan Bernier values his sleep a lot more these days. D.J. Moore Jersey . Not only is Bernier facing a mighty barrage of shots once more in his second season as the Leafs No. 1, but as a new dad, hes prone to the typical restless nights of most young parents. What’s he more familiar with though is that busy workload as Toronto’s top dog in goal. No starter in the league faced more shots on a nightly basis than the 26-year-old last year – 34 per game at even-strength – and after all too brief respite, he’s facing a whole bunch more again this fall. The Leafs have won six straight and 10 of 12 on the strength of their goaltending and an absolutely scorching offence, but they’ve surrendered an average of 37 shots in the past nine games, reverting all too recently to a formula that led to disaster last spring. “We’re still very much a work in progress,” head coach, Randy Carlyle urged. “It’s a game of mistakes and we’ve got to cut down on some of the mistakes that we’ve been making as of late.” Long the backup to Jonathan Quick in L.A.’s stingy system, Bernier has gotten used to the drastically different challenge of a heavy workload in Toronto. His routines have changed, if not dramatically then slightly to accommodate the requirements of starting just about every night under such strain. The purpose of practice, for example, has changed. Bernier no longer relies upon bucket after bucket of pucks to stay sharp. Instead it’s more about management, of his body and the details of his game. On Wednesday morning, hours after he faced 42 shots in a 6-2 win over Anaheim, Bernier took to the ice at the team’s practice facility 10 minutes or so before the 11:45 a.m. session got underway. He wanted to work on a couple different things, namely stick shots and belly shots. And rather than linger after the practice, as he would’ve as the backup, Bernier exited just a few short minutes after its conclusion, requiring the extra rest more than the extra shots. “I still go out there and want to work on details,” he said. “[But] when you play a lot you don’t need to practice as much obviously, you get your reps in the game. It’s just to stay sharp on little details.” Additionally, Bernier has opted out of most morning skates, preferring to save the added wear on his body. It’s all part of the adjustment he’s made to playing regularly in the league. Bernier started more games as a Leaf last year than he did in the entirety of his three full seasons as the Kings backup. Perhaps most importantly, he faced more shots a year ago (1,787) than he did in all those L.A. years combined. He’s on pace for 58 starts this year and an even greater number of shots than last season. “I think the most important thing for me is rest. I like to have a two and a half hour nap [on game-days], especially maybe with the baby now I really take advantage of it,” Bernier says with a wide grin. “But that’s something to me that when I feel good I feel rested I feel sharp.” His baby boy, Tyler, has altered that equation slightly too. “It changes your life I guess,” said Bernier. “It takes a little while to get adjusted but right now I feel I’ve gotten into a routine a little bit.” The numbers reflect that. Bernier endured some “early season woes” as Carlyle described them recently, but he’s been locked in since the end of November, compiling a mighty .936 save percentage in his last seven starts. He’s done this just as the workload has picked up. Scoring more than four goals per game has helped mask some deficiencies for the Leafs in recent weeks, including familiar possession troubles that have led to some busy nights for Bernier and tandem partner, James Reimer. Jonathan Bernier Shots Faced Year Starts Shots Against 2010-11 22 652 2011-12 13 383 2013 12 306 2013-14 49 1787 2014-15 22 695 That’s what led Carlyle to observe that his team was “slipping” following the game Tuesday against the Ducks, trending away from the structured game that’s shown itself here and there in the past month. After the Leafs were blown out by Nashville in mid-November the club had a look at the stingiest shot suppression teams in the league, saw Minnesota leading the pack and made it a goal to hit their mark – 25 shots or less – nightly. They came close in three games thereafter, holding Tampa, Detroit and Pittsburgh under 30, but have since reverted to the troubling form of last season in many instances. At a team meeting before practice Wednesday the group talked again about pushing the shots against back under 25. They’ve held opponents under 30 just nine times in 31 games and are yielding 34 shots per game, fourth-most in the league. “I don’t think the last two games we’ve been very solid,” Bernier said, “but at the same time when you score that many goals you can allow yourself to make a few more mistakes.” A restricted free agent next summer, Bernier’s contract will be among the many of intrigue for the Leafs. Hes quickly made the case of his capability as a quality starter, but just how good he is and can be is still being determined. The short-term results are encouraging though. Only Carey Price, Tuukka Rask, Semyon Varlamov and Sergei Bobrovsky have a higher save percentage than him since the start of last season – the latter two falling off some this year. And Bernier trails only Varlamov and Rask with a 62 per cent quality start percentage in that same short span*. Being a starter and busy one at that appears to suit the Quebec native just fine. *(Courtesy of the Hockey Abstract’s Rob Vollman, a goaltender qualifies for a quality start when he stops at least the league average number of shots or plays as well as a “replacement level” goalie while yielding two goals or less.) DaNorris Searcy Jersey . PAUL, Minn. Rashaan Gaulden Panthers Jersey . Louis Blues were workmanlike, methodical and -- most of all -- effective on Monday night. http://www.shoppanthersonline.us/panthers-ian-thomas-blue-jersey/ . With the Pirates in the thick of the race in the NL Central, the timing couldnt be better. Liriano struck out a season-high 11 in seven innings to win consecutive starts for the first time this season and Pittsburgh beat the San Francisco Giants 3-1 on Tuesday night.BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres have narrowed their general manager search to four candidates, including Bruins assistant GM Jim Benning and Senators assistant GM Tim Murray, a person familiar with the process told The Associated Press on Tuesday. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the Sabres have not revealed their list of candidates to succeed Darcy Regier, who was fired in November. The search is led by newly hired team president Pat LaFontaine. The finalists are still being interviewed, and no timetable has yet been set for when the position will be filled, the person said. The two other finalists were not revealed. Candidates linked to the job include Pittsburgh Penguins assistant GM Jason Botterill and Toronto Maple Leafs assistant GM Claude Loiselle. Benning, a former NHL defenceman, spent 12 seasons as a Sabres scout, including eight as the teams director of amateur scouting before being hired by the Bruins in 2006. In Buffalo, Benning had a hand in the Sabres drafting the core of the team that lost the Eastern Conference finals in 2006 and 07. It was a group that included goalie Ryan Miller, forwards Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville and defenceman Brian Campbell. Murray is in his seventh season as the Senators assistant general manager. He began his NHL scouting career with Detroit in 1993, and is the nephew of Senators general manager Bryan Murray. Murray has also spent time as a scoout with Florida, Anaheim and the New York Rangers. Dontari Poe Jersey. LaFontaine has been patient in conducting his search since taking over after the Sabres fired both Regier and coach Ron Rolston. The purge happened after the Sabres got off to a franchise-worst start and stuck at the bottom of the NHL standings with a 4-15-1 record. LaFontaine was initially offered the GMs post by Sabres owner Terry Pegula, but instead turned it down because he felt he didnt have enough experience. LaFontaines first move was bringing back former Sabres coach Ted Nolan to serve as interim coach with the chance to retain the job once a new general manager is in place. Under Nolan, the Sabres (12-26-4) have gone 8-11-3 and have won five straight at home entering their home game against Carolina on Tuesday night. Though still last in the standings, the Sabres general managers job is considered attractive because the team has stockpiled high draft picks as part of a youth movement that began under Regier last season. The Sabres could have as many as two first-round and three second-round selections in this years draft. The Sabres also have a solid group of prospects in their farm system. They include defencemen Rasmus Ristolainen and Nikita Zadorov, who were both drafted in the first round in June. 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