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WINNIPEG – As an early afternoon practice wrapped in the blustery Manitoba capital of Winnipeg, Maple Leafs head coach Randy Carlyle ambled over to James Reimer, stretching just outside the visitors crease, and offered a quick word. He, the 25-year-old Toronto backup net-minder and Manitoba native, would be making just his fourth start in the past 16 games against the Jets the following evening. It was the word of opportunity for Reimer, who has fallen into the role of backup, outmatched in recent weeks by Jonathan Bernier, his Quebec counterpart. "Its been," said Reimer in conversation with the Leaf Report, pausing briefly to choose his words, "its been an interesting year. Thats maybe the best way I can describe it." More than eight months after he steered the Leafs into their first playoff appearance in nine years and Reimer is no longer the no. 1 guy in Toronto. Bernier has wrestled hold of that mantle for the time being, earning the bulk of starts since the middle of December – 32 on the year compared with 21 for Reimer. Challenged, doubted, and dissected often throughout his 127-game NHL career, be it through summer trade talk for Roberto Luongo, deadline trade talk for Miikka Kiprusoff or a concussion that badly derailed his first full season, Reimer has managed to overcome a series of different hurdles in his tenure as a Leaf, but maybe nothing quite like this. Bernier is not a rumoured threat, nor a nagging injury to bypass, but a feisty challenger itching to prove himself in the spotlight. And thus far, the 25-year-old has taken full advantage of the opportunity hes been granted in Toronto, sitting amongst the top-10 in league save percentage (.925), while eventually establishing himself as the Leafs undeclared no. 1 starter. The looming challenge for Reimer is to snatch the job right back. And he plans to fight for it. He has not and has no intention of asking for a trade out of Toronto despite circumstances (Bernier trade, a proven track record) that might have led others in his situation to stray down that path. "Your end goal is to be the guy and you want that, but youve got to focus on everyday what I need to do so that that can happen," said Reimer. "Its like I want to win the Cup, but its not like every day I hit the ice Im going to win the Cup. I want to win the Cup, but when I hit the ice its what do I need to do to be the best I can be. And if you focus on that everyday then eventually the Cup will come. "Same with this (situation). Its obviously something you want. Its something you really want. But youve got to focus on a lot smaller goals." Those goals start with making full use of the opportunities he gets, however infrequent, and reshape a race that is likely far from over. One such opportunity presented itself earlier this week in Denver, Reimer propelling the Leafs to an unlikely 5-2 win over the Avalanche with 35 big saves. And now another opportunity looms against the Jets on Saturday evening, his club looking to avenge a 7-1 loss in Dallas two nights earlier. Reimers only real control in the matter of playing time is performance. And though he started with a bang in October – a gaudy .949 save percentage in six games – that performance has dipped downward (albeit with little help in some situations) with Bernier proving the more reliable and consistent of the two. "Thats exactly the way you approach it," Reimer said of earning more starts with performance. "You try not to look ahead. You try not to say Id like to get 10 out of 12 (starts) or 10 out of 20, or whatever, three out of seven, whatever it may be. "To me, when I get the nod I want to go out there and play my heart out." This is unfamiliar terrain for the Morweena native, that of the NHL backup. Though he very briefly battled with Ben Scrivens at the outset of last season, Reimer has quickly defined himself as a viable starter in the league, finishing 2013 with eighth best save percentage while steering the Leafs to a near-first round upset of the Bruins in the playoffs. He owns an impressive 63-38-15 career mark with a sturdy .915 save percentage. Falling into the role of second fiddle, thus, has been a challenge, mostly in the mental arena. "Its 105 per cent mental, I think, this game," said Reimer. "Its all about trying to be in the right mindset and trying to stay positive and knowing that when you have the extra time to work on stuff thats what youve got to do. Youve got to work your butt off so that when you get the nod youre as prepared as you can (be)." His longer-term future in Toronto remains murky at best. Reimer is a restricted free agent this summer with Bernier locked up for another year. In theory, the organization could opt to keep both – though Reimer holds arbitration rights and would seem to hold a pretty good case for a good raise – but more than likely one will be gone by next fall, if not sooner. Both want and have earned the right to start. The choice will ultimately belong to general manager Dave Nonis, who brought Bernier into the fold from Los Angeles in his first big splash as the Maple Leafs boss last summer. Reimer wants to stay and wont ask to go. But he also wants to play and intends to fight to do so. "I feel like Im becoming a better person for it or at least I hope so," he said of the experience this season. "I feel like Im battling and grinding and trying to do everything I can. As far as I know if youre doing that then thats all you can do." Louisville Jerseys From China . 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Crawford hit his slam off Pirates starter Edinson Volquez to give San Francisco a four run lead in the fourth and they never looked back. Brandon Belt had three runs batted in as well. Bumgarner pitched all nine innings and allowed just four hits.NEW YORK -- New York Knicks point guard Raymond Felton was arraigned on two felony weapons possession charges in Manhattan Criminal Court on Tuesday. The arraignment followed an early morning arrest after a lawyer for his wife turned in a loaded semi-automatic handgun allegedly belonging to the basketball star to a police precinct, claiming she no longer wanted it in their home, authorities said. Wearing a black sweatshirt with a peace sign and other symbols on it, Felton was seemingly upbeat as he appeared before Judge Diana Boyar, nodding affirmatively after he was ordered to stay away from his wife, Ariane Raymondo-Felton. He did not enter a plea, which is common for this stage in the case. "Mr. Felton has no interest in having contact" with her, one of his lawyers, James Walden, told the judge. Court records show she filed for divorce from Felton last week. Felton was released on $25,000 bail and was ushered into a black SUV following his arraignment. Under the terms of his bond, Felton can travel to games, bail bondsman Ira Judelson said. Prosecutors said they were told Felton stored the Belgian-made FN Herstal model handgun in the home from August through February. A lawyer for Feltons wife, a student at Fordham University School of Law, dropped off the weapon at a stationhouse on Manhattans upper West Side on Monday evening, shortly before tipoff of the Knicks game against the Dallas Mavericks at Madison Square Garden, police said. The gun had 18 rounds of live ammunition in its magazine, which can hold about 20 rounds, prosecutors said. He was charged with criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree and criminal possession of a firearm. The firearm charge is punishable by up to four years in prison. The weapons charge is punishable by up to seven years in prison. The section under which he was charged concerns having a large-capacity ammunition magazine. Police had arrested Felton on charges that included a mid-level weapons-possession charge that can entail having a loaded gun outside ones home or business or having a loaded gun with the intention to use it against someone. The DAs office didnt comment on why prosecutors chose the charges they did; its not uncommon for charges to change between arrest and arraignment. Investigators reached Felton by contacting the director of security at Madison Square Garden after his wife made a statement to detectives Monday night, police said. Feelton turned himself in at 12:50 a.ddddddddddddm. Tuesday, not long after the Knicks buzzer-beater loss to Dallas, police said. The former University of North Carolina star made no statement after he arrived at the precinct with a lawyer, police said. A Knicks spokesman has said the team had no immediate comment. An attorney for Raymondo-Felton didnt comment. The Knicks had no game scheduled Tuesday. Felton had eight points and seven assists Monday in the Knicks 110-108 loss to Dallas. The Knicks brought the point guard back for a second stint in New York in July 2012, opting to let Jeremy Lin leave, and Felton helped the Knicks win the Atlantic Division last year. But he has had a disappointing season, averaging 10.4 points and shooting 40 per cent while missing 16 games with a series of injuries. He has been frequently criticized by fans as the Knicks have fallen to 21-36. NBA spokesman Tim Frank said the league was monitoring the case. It could fine or suspend Felton, but usually waits until after the legal case has been resolved. The league did break from that policy to suspend Gilbert Arenas for the remainder of the season after he brought guns to the Washington Wizards locker room during the 2009-10 season. He was eventually sentenced to 30 days in a halfway house. Felton is not the first pro athlete to run afoul of New Yorks strict gun laws. Plaxico Burress was a New York Giants wide receiver when he was arrested in 2008 after accidentally shooting himself in a Manhattan nightclub. He served two years in prison. Fighter Robert Guerrero was arrested at John F. Kennedy Airport last year after he presented a locked gun box containing an unloaded handgun during check-in. He pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and was ordered to pay a $250 fine and complete 50 hours of community service. In other high-profile cases, multiplatinum-selling rappers Lil Wayne and Ja Rule both were arrested in Manhattan, separately, on gun-possession charges in their vehicles after leaving the same concert they had both played in 2007. Both pleaded guilty to attempted gun possession charges; Lil Wayne spent about eight months in a city jail; Ja Rule served most of a two-year prison sentence. Felton is set to earn $3.8 million next season and has a player option that would pay him $4 million in 2015-16. The Knicks could attempt to void the contract, but that would likely be challenged by the players association. 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