Jonathan Bernier returned to the Leafs lineup last night and did not at all have the performance he wanted, or that Reimer wished for. At this point it's open season on speculation about what should be done. Trade him? Waive him if you can't? Is Sparks a real solution? Should we even care since The Leafs are a bottom rung team?

Leafs vs. Lightning recap: Inconsistent effort garners one point, but not two - Pension Plan Puppets
Much like Steven Stamkos, Leafs goaltending left a bit to be desired in a 5-4 OT loss.

Lightning rally through Toronto with 5-4 overtime win - Raw Charge
In a game fueled by outside distractions and determination from an injury-burdened lineup, the Lightning came back from a 3-1 deficit to pick up their third win in four games.

Bernier's winless blues continue - Article - TSN
It was another frustrating night in the crease for the goaltender who can’t seem to catch a break. Though not especially sharp and lacking that big timely save, Bernier most certainly wasn’t helped in some situations either. The Leafs made some mistakes, as Babcock put it afterward, and left the Lightning with some prime scoring opportunities.

Bernier struggles in return as Maple Leafs fall to Lightning - The Globe and Mail
Attention NHL schedule-makers: Mike Babcock is no fan of your six-day breaks. We know this because the Toronto Maple Leafs coach let us know several dozen times over the past six days.

The most hilarious moment of last night was this.

On Our Front Page

Should the Leafs pursue Steven Stamkos? - Pension Plan Puppets
Spoiler alert! Yes.

Kane’s point streak is not a heroic narrative of overcoming obstacles - Pension Plan Puppets
When prosecutors decided not to charge Patrick Kane following this summer's sexual assault allegations, it was not carte blanche to write puff pieces about his heroic ability to overcome obstacles in the form of a scoring streak.

Maple Leafs Prospects: Piccinich plays alone - Pension Plan Puppets
The World juniors start to take its toll on junior teams, and one prospect has already started his tournament.

Last Night's Other Games

Jeff Skinner has two hat tricks in two games, scoring 6 of the Hurricanes past 8 goals

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Is this a dirty hit to the head?

The way he looks right at the camera at the end is what makes it perfect.

Game Recaps

ReCat: Panthers Too Much For Islanders - Litter Box Cats
Roberto Luongo was spectacular in Florida's 5-1 win over the New York Islanders.

Devils Gut Out 2-0 Shutout Win Against Sabres - All About The Jersey
Cory Schneider was stupendous again as he stopped all 25 shots to lead the New Jersey Devils to a 2-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres.

Rangers Bounce Back With 4-2 Win Over Oilers At MSG - Blueshirt Banter
The Rangers finally got back in the win column tonight and defeated the Oilers by a final score of 4-2.

Ghost the hero yet again - Broad Street Hockey
Shayne Gostisbehere scored his third overtime game winning goal of the season, as the Flyers took down the Hurricanes by a score of 4-3.

Sharks snap skid over Canadiens - Fear The Fin
San Jose pulls off a big win to start its five-game road trip.

Kris Russell Fires One In, Flames Win 2-1 - Matchsticks and Gasoline
Firing on all cylinders, the Flames come back again to win in overtime against the Nashville Predators.

Wild dispatch Miller, Canucks in 6-2 drubbing - Hockey Wilderness
THREE! Count 'em three times. The Wild scored three power play goals en route to a dominating 6-2 win on home ice against former Northwest Division rival Vancouver Canucks.

Winner Winner, Roar Bacon for Dinner - St. Louis Game Time
The Blues powerplay helps steal a victory from the Jets. Wait, what?

Avalanche Beat Blackhawks 3-0 - Mile High Hockey
When the Avalanche and Blackhawks get together, hockey is just fun to watch.

Winning in Spite of Themselves - Defending Big D
The Stars didn't bring 60 minutes of effort, but their less-than-circumspect play was amply covered by the offense.

Other News

Just when did it become a fact Jon Cooper and Steven Stamkos have issues? - Raw Charge
It's repeated by the top-level media of hockey that a conflict exists between the head coach and the team captain. Where's the substance that confirms it?

Johnny Hockey? More like Johnny Overtime. - Matchsticks and Gasoline
Johnny Gaudreau isn't that far off from tying the record for most OT goals in a season

Penguins in no rush with rookie Sprong - Article - TSN
Sprong’s skill was never questioned. He has an NHL shot. He isn’t big, but also isn’t physically overmatched playing against men. The question marks for Sprong lie in his mental makeup. The Penguins believe he is learning in Pittsburgh, with both his teammates and a mentor in assistant general manager Bill Guerin.

Sullivan takes over Pens’ power play - Article - TSN
Head coach Mike Sullivan took over Pittsburgh’s power play as part of Saturday’s coaching change, hoping to spark the league’s 27th-ranked unit. Tocchet, whom Sullivan inherited, will now focus on the Penguins’ forwards and 5-on-5 pre-scouting assignments.

Trevor Daley requested trade before being sent to Penguins - Second City Hockey
The frustration between the Blackhawks and Trevor Daley went both ways before culminating with a trade Monday night.

Rob Scuderi trade creates more questions than answers for Blackhawks - Second City Hockey
The Blackhawks accomplished their goal of moving Trevor Daley, but took on another question mark in the process.

Canadiens goaltender Carey Price wins Lou Marsh Trophy - The Globe and Mail
The award is selected annually by a panel of sports journalists from across Canada and is named after the former Toronto Star sports editor.

Diamond diplomacy: The Quebec Capitales are making baseball history - The Globe and Mail
A baseball team in Quebec City is quietly making history with the first Cubans allowed to play legally in Canada and the United States in more than half a century since the U.S. embargo

LeBron greets Special Olympian, gives him shoes - Sportsnet.ca
Aaron Miller is a 16-year-old Newton, Mass., native who was born with severe brain damage that doctors said would paralyze him for life. Miller was honoured during halftime of Boston’s game against the Cavaliers for being named the MVP of a local Special Olympics event, and James took notice.

Martins Dzierkals, a third round pick by The Leafs in the last NHL Draft has impressed at the 2016 IIHF U20 Hockey Championships. Check out this goal he made for Latvia, tying Kazhakstan. PPP did not rank Dzierkals in our Top 25 Under 25. Many of you thought that we were wrong. What do you think now that we've had more time to view all the prospects? Vote in our new poll below!

Where does Martins Dzierkals fit in the Leafs prospect pool as of today?

He is a top 25 prospect.90
He is a top 15 prospect.51
There are definitely 25 better prospects.7
I still haven't seen enough of him to really know for sure.61
From The Branches