Second-half turnaround has Bernier feeling good, excited to return next season

TORONTO – The dark cloud that lingered over Maple Leafs goaltender Jonathan Bernier early this season was like nothing he’d ever been through before.

Bernier knew his game was not in form and it rattled him. His confidence soured and his poor play seemed to snowball in the Toronto spotlight.

Head coach Mike Babcock didn’t hide his frustration and Bernier was even briefly banished to the minors.

“I never really went through this pain I guess,” a refreshed-looking Bernier said Friday after practice. “It was very painful. You come to the rink and you don’t feel (like) yourself. But I worked really hard to come out of it. I didn’t want to be the guy that just tosses in the towel and doesn’t work at it.

“I really (wanted) to prove to myself that I can come back from things like that. It definitely makes you a stronger player and stronger person that’s for sure.”

He managed to weather that early-season storm and has a respectable .922 save percentage since the start of January. He has a 4-2-0 record in his last six starts along with a .952 save percentage.

“Obviously he’s played at a high level this last while,” Babcock said. “He knows that. We know that. (He) feels good about himself, practises like that and that helps your team win.”

Bernier says that since the all-star break in late January, he has been able to find a level of consistency that was missing earlier in the season.

Goalie coach Steve Briere helped him make some tweaks to his game, notably in how he protects the goal on screens and rush plays. He’s tried to be more patient and not play as deep in the crease.

“Obviously things were not working out for me, I wasn’t playing the way I wanted to and I just kept working at it,” Bernier said of the turnaround. “When your confidence takes a hit the only way you can actually get back to the top is by working hard, feeling good in practice (like) you can save every puck and then you get one game, two games, and then it keeps building up.”

Entering Friday’s games, Bernier still ranked third-last in overall save percentage (.907) in the league. What his revival means for his future in Toronto is unclear.

Leafs general manager Lou Lamoriello acknowledged Bernier’s strong play in a recent interview, but hardly gave a strong endorsement when asked if he would be one of the team’s two goaltenders for the 2016-’17 season.

Bernier, 27, has one year remaining on a two-year contract he signed last summer.

“We have to get everything on a consistent basis,” Lamoriello said. “Right now he’s under contract so he is one of two goaltenders, but we have to get that consistency.”

The Leafs are not deep at the position.

Garret Sparks, 22, has struggled since he was recalled after netminder James Reimer was traded. Finnish goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo, also 22, recently signed a two-year entry-level deal but it’s unclear whether he’s ready to play in the NHL right away.

Bernier is excited at the thought of coming back as the Leafs continue to build around a group of young talent.

“I always believed I can be the guy here,” said Bernier. “Even sitting in the room and seeing those young guys I think it gives you a little jump in your game because you’re seeing these kids, they’re working hard, they have a lot of talent and you can see what can be done in the near future.”