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ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Jonathan Bernier sported retro-coloured pads and a navy Maple Leafs toque atop his mask in a blustery Winter Classic at the Big House. “It was actually keeping me warm,” said Bernier with a sly grin of the extra insulation, “and I thought it looked good.” The 25-year-old remained a fiery difference-maker yet again for the Leafs on Wednesday afternoon. Bernier stopped 41 of 43 Detroit shots in front of 105,591 spectators at Michigan Stadium as his club won three straight for the first time since late October, edging the Red Wings 3-2 in the shootout. Bernier has, for the moment at least, snatched control of the Toronto crease. On Wednesday he became the first Leaf goaltender to start four straight all season and owns a scorching .950 save percentage in his past six games. “We look at it and say that Jonathan Bernier has come in and given us a chance and given us an opportunity in games and thats really what were looking for,” Randy Carlyle said after the historic tilt in front of a record crowd at the football stadium in Ann Arbor. “[But] we feel that James Reimer has done the same. Right now, [Jonathan] is on a little bit of a run and as long as he can continue to provide us with the level of goaltending that he has it would be foolish for us to look another direction.” Facing at least 40 shots for the seventh time already this season, Bernier had another busy, yet effective night. He may have been at his best in a windy second frame. With his team under siege and already trailing 1-0 on a goal from Daniel Alfredsson, Bernier first turned aside Daniel Cleary on a partial breakaway before stopping the scary duo of Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg moments later. “If we wouldve went down 2-0 there it wouldve been very difficult to come back given the condition of the ice,” said Joffrey Lupul afterward. The Leafs rallied on the efforts of their goaltender shortly after with James van Riemsdyk ending an eight-game dry spell with his 15th this season before the visitors moved ahead on a nifty redirection from Tyler Bozak. Detroit tied it with less than seven minutes to go in the final period before Toronto raked in the extra point in the shootout. The victory pushed the Leafs to 47 points on the year, one up on their Original Six rival. They have now registered at least a point in six consecutive games, turning the corner somewhat from a miserable stretch that began at the outset of November. As for Bernier, he continued whats been an excellent first half for Torontos goaltending. To proclaim him the Leafs No. 1 though after a strong string of starts would be unwise, especially in light of the stability Reimer has offered with a .924 save percentage in 18 starts this season. Carlyle is sure to continue rotating between the two while riding the hot hand when it emerges. “I know that there has been this constant ‘Whos number one? question hovering over our hockey club,” said Carlyle. “I know youre tired of hearing it and you think Im full of it when I say 1A and 1B, but thats what I believe in and I think competition for the position allows people to compete and bring the best out of them.” Five Points 1. Road to the Winter Classic Ends Carlyle was famously opposed to the all-encompassing presence of HBO en route to Wednesdays Winter Classic and couldnt have been happier to have it conclude on this day. “Its been a long three weeks, thats for sure,” he said, still sporting a ball cap atop his suit. “With whats gone on with our hockey club, the way weve played, the inconsistencies that weve played to and the microscope that weve been under you get to see a lot of it. Theres a lot of things that are going on inside that are hard to deal with it when youre always constantly under a camera or a microphone.” Just as those cameras from the 24/7 series exit, the Leafs have ever-so-subtly turned a corner, picking up points in six consecutive games. They have just two regulation wins though in the past 21 games – winning five shootouts – and were outshot 43-26 by the Red Wings on Wednesday. “The general feeling in the room was that we got through a really, really tough stretch in December with a lot of travel and a lot of games in a short period of time,” said Lupul. “And [we] probably didnt have the results we wouldve liked, but we kind of kept our head above water there and now were getting some bodies back in the lineup, getting more healthy and hopefully this is the turning point for us where we can kind of put something together.” 2. Wintery Conditions To combat the freezing of his blocker in the chilly conditions, Bernier employed unusual measures. “The trainer would give me hot-packs and I would just put [the blocker] in my pants as well, try to keep it warm.” Snow fell vigorously on the ice surface at the Big House from start to finish, a crew with shovels clearing the surface frequently. “I was watching them shovel it,” said Dion Phaneuf, who notched a pair of assists a day after signing a seven-year extension, “and you could see the piles by the time they done there it was this high coming off the ice [raises hand about a foot off the ground]. “The ice conditions were really good,” he continued. “The ice was real hard, but the snow on it made it difficult to keep the puck flat.” “Everyones hands and feet were a little cold,” added Lupul, “but other than that it wasnt too bad.” 3. Gleason Acquisition In looking to upgrade their defence on Wednesday, the Leafs swapped a player/contract in John-Michael Liles who didnt fit under Carlyle for one in Tim Gleason who promises to gain at least a more consistent look. “The decision was made to find a player that we felt was going to fit into our back-end more so than what [Liles] was,” said Carlyle. Like Liles, the 30-year-old Gleason has two years remaining on his contract after this season, carrying a slightly higher cap hit of $4 million annually ($3.875 for Liles). Describing the six-foot, 217-pound Gleason as “very competitive”, Maple Leafs general manager Dave Nonis said that the new addition would have to earn his ice. “It changes the look of our back end a little bit and I think it gives Randy some more options in terms of pairings,” said Nonis. “We just want him to make a contribution,” Carlyle said of Gleason, whose game strays toward the defensive side of things. “And his contribution wont be expected to be a power-play guy, it wont be expected to be an offensive guy, but a big strong guy that can move the puck.” Gleason, a left-handed shot, figures to be in a fight for opportunity on the Leafs third pair, battling the likes of Paul Ranger and Mark Fraser for a chance alongside 19-year-old Morgan Rielly. 4. Bozaks Hot Streak Though about a month passed in between – he missed 12 games with an oblique injury – Tyler Bozak continues to thrive amid a six-game point streak. Bozak, who scored in regulation and added the shootout winner, has tallied two goals and seven assists in that span. The 27-year-old played nearly 24 minutes against the Red Wings and won 14 of 24 draws. “Hes a reliable player,” said Carlyle. “And if we had a model for the younger players to follow, it would be Tyler Bozak as far as the confident player, not a big guy but he gets in the way, he gets inside, he wins his share of one-on-one battles, very strong in the faceoff circle, and hes got the hockey sense.” 5. Phaneuf Leadership Style Phaneuf was named the 18th Toronto captain at the just-ripe age of 25. Inked to a seven-year extension with the club three and a half years later, Carlyle believes time and experience has allowed Phaneuf to mature into the burdensome duties he assumes for the Leafs. “Dion was put in a situation at a very young age to be the captain of an Original Six team in a very intense market,” said Carlyle, shortly after the Phaneuf extension was officially announced. “I think Dion has softened his approach – not only the way he brings himself to the rink day in, day out – but I think to his teammates, to everybody around him, I think hes become much more accommodating. I think its a sign of maturity. “We all know the captaincy for an NHL team is a letter that you wear proudly, but when your team is not having success it becomes a pretty big item on your chest. People look to you as being the leader and positively or negatively – depending on if it goes well or not going well – you can get ripped apart for it or accolades for it. Those are the things that take place and I think as a young player it takes some maturing, not only just from a hockey player standpoint, but from the expectations that are put on you.” Matched up against Pavel Datsyuk and the Red Wings top line, the 28-year-old played nearly 28 minutes in the Winter Classic, notching his 12th and 13th assists this season. Bonus Point – U.S. Olympic Duties Phil Kessel and James van Riemsdyk were named to the American Olympic team following Wednesdays game. It will be the second go-around at the games for Kessel – who will also be joined there by his sister Amanda, representing the U.S. women – and the first for the 24-year-old van Riemsdyk. Stats-Pack .950 – Save percentage for Jonathan Bernier over the past six games. 4-0-2 – Record for the Leafs during a six-game point streak. 9 – Points for Tyler Bozak during a six-game point streak. 4 – Consecutive starts for Jonathan Bernier, the first time either he or James Reimer have started four straight all season. 2 – Goals for James van Riemsdyk in the past 12 games. JVR snapped an eight-game drought with 15th this season against the Red Wings. 28:24 – Ice-time for Dion Phaneuf on Wednesday, a game-high. 38 – Face-offs for Jay McClement against the Red Wings, the 30-year-old winning 45 per cent of the time. 1-6-4 – Record for the Leafs in their past 11 road games. Special Teams Capsule PP: 0-4 Season: 22% (6th) PK: 2-2 Season: 78.1% (27th) Quote of the Night “I was born and raised in Sudbury and spent 18 years in Winnipeg, so I know a little bit about cold weather. - Randy Carlyle, following Wednesdays blustery Winter Classic. Up Next The Leafs return home to host the Rangers on Saturday. Germany Jerseys . They wanna make t-shirts about it and sell them at our next hockey game..DB: Wow, they want to make t-shirts? That sounds pretty amazing.MS: Yeah, I was also on the Top 10, I was number 1 today, so that was pretty cool. Mario Gomez Jersey . Russia has spent about $51 billion to deliver the Sochi Olympics, which run Feb. 7-23, making them the most expensive games ever, even though as a winter event it hosts many fewer athletes than summer games do. http://www.germanysoccerpro.com/Marc-Andre-Ter-Stegen-Germany-Jersey/ .The Toronto Raptors guard, who will represent the Eastern Conference at the All-Star Game in New Orleans on Sunday, says he doesnt complain in the face of adversity "because I know this little girl is just happy for anything. Marvin Plattenhardt Germany Jersey . Patty Mills had 20 points, Tim Duncan had 11 points and 13 rebounds in limited action, and San Antonio rolled to a 110-82 victory over Milwaukee that kept the Bucks winless in the new year. Jerome Boateng Jersey . Vargas (8-3) allowed four singles and two walks while striking out five, allowing only two runners from a diluted Twins lineup to reach second base. Mike Moustakas and Jarrod Dyson hit RBI singles in the second inning against Kevin Correia (4-10), and that was all Vargas needed.INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- Although Juan Manuel Marquez rarely acts his age in the ring, the 40-year-old welterweight turned back the clock to a specific time and place while he battered Mike Alvarado. Under the spotlights, the smoke and the deafening cheers, Marquez was once again the king of the Forum ring, returning in grand style to the refurbished arena for one more celebration of his brilliance and longevity. Marquez won a clear unanimous decision over Alvarado on Saturday night, dominating in the Forums first boxing card in 13 years. "I wanted to give the public here a gift," the four-division champion said afterward while a pro-Marquez crowd roared its approval. "A gift that dignifies the history of this event and the history of the Forum. I wanted to make this fight a gift for the fans." Marquez (56-7-1) dismantled Alvarado with 12 rounds of technical brilliance and vicious power, knocking down Alvarado in the eighth round and bouncing back from his own ninth-round knockdown to finish strong, even staggering Alvarado right before the final bell. Judges Max DeLuca and Julie Lederman scored it 117-109 for Marquez, and Robert Byrd favoured him 119-108. The Associated Press also scored it 117-109 for Marquez, giving him 10 of the 12 rounds. Marquez improved to 13-0 at the Forum, the former featherweight prospects regular home during the late 1990s. Although he once lived in Anaheim, Marquez hadnt fought in California since his last Forum bout in 1999, and thousands of his local fans turned out to support arguably the greatest Mexican fighter of his generation. The win sets up Marquez for a fifth fight with Manny Pacquiao in the fall in Macau, if Marquez wants it. His knockout victory over Pacquiao in December 2012 was the crowning moment of his career, but the money might compel him to add a fifth chapter to their rivalry. "Well relax first," Marquez said. "I dont know at the moment, but any decision we make will be good for me, good for my family and good for the Mexican fans." Alvarado (34-3) never got rolling in his second straight defeat, struggling to land any major shots beyond the right that sent Marquez to the canvas. "It was a bad experience being in there with a legend," Alvarado said. "I was warming up a little bit too much beffore I started getting off.dddddddddddd It was on me, but it was a great fight." Marquez, who made $1.4 million, showcased the roots of his success against Alvarado, whose apparent fear of Marquezs famed counterpunching left him waiting for Marquez to clobber him. Marquez outlanded Alvarado in 11 rounds, connecting with 44 per cent of his 627 punches. His power shots were even more devastating, landing 57 per cent to just 34 per cent for Alvarado. Marquez was in charge from the opening rounds. With Alvarado sitting back and waiting, Marquez pounded him to the body and pulped the left side of his face, opening a cut under his eye in the middle rounds. "Thats the kind of fighter I am. I like wars," Alvarado said. "Thats how he exploited me, but thats how I fight." Marquez knocked down Alvarado with a counter right hand in the final seconds of the eighth, sending Alvarado sliding under the ropes and nearly off the canvas into the photographers. Alvarado recovered after the bell, and he knocked down Marquez with a double right hand early in the ninth, stunning the crowd. But the shot only seemed to enrage Marquez, who landed big combinations for the rest of the round. Alvarados face was swollen with damage under both eyes in the final rounds. Alvarado wobbled Marquez again in the 11th round, but Marquez kept his feet and finished to a standing ovation. Marquez took a split-decision loss to Timothy Bradley last fall in his first fight since his victory over Pacquiao, but he was back on top in the heralded return of boxing to the Forum, the former home of the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Kings. The Forum was a boxing hotbed for 30 years, hosting Muhammad Alis second fight with Ken Norton along with dozens of fight nights promoted by the late Lakers owner Jerry Buss. "It was a very entertaining fight, and the thing that really thrills me is its a great fight to come back to the Forum with," Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said. "So many years ago, there were so many nights at the Forum when we had fights like this." Alvarado hadnt fought since Ruslan Provodnikov stopped him last fall. Alvarado moved away from his native Denver to the Los Angeles area in preparation for this bout, determined to avoid the pitfalls lurking in his hometown. 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