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TORONTO – To get himself acclimated with the talents and potential of James van Riemsdyk, Randy Carlyle went to the tape. He looked back at the 2011 playoffs when the then-sophomore winger made the hockey world take notice with seven goals in 11 games for the Flyers, including three in the second round against Boston. "We saw that again last year in the playoffs for us," said Carlyle of the 24-year-old, who scored twice in a wild 6-5 win against Edmonton on Saturday night. "He made it difficult for himself because now were going to expect it every game." van Riemsdyk is showing definite star potential in his second season with the Leafs, now with five goals in the first six games this season. He is quickly raising his game to yet another level after an explosive 2013 which saw him tally 18 goals in 48 games before notching seven points in a first round loss to the Bruins. Improvements to his craft are noticeable, the first of which lies with a powerful set of wheels. "Big guys, a lot of times they dont look like theyre covering a lot of ground, but if he gets a step on anybody, hes big and strong enough in his body position that not many people catch him," Carlyle observed. Registered at an imposing 6-foot-3 and a sturdy 200 pounds, van Riemsdyk manages to chug along quite well for a big man. Thats due in part to the work hes put in with Leafs skating consultant Barb Underhill. Just this past summer, Underhill traveled to Connecticut to work with van Riemsdyk and fellow training partners Colton Orr and Martin St. Louis. Viewing video clips of van Riemsdyk alongside Underhill, it was St. Louis, the 2013 scoring champ, who noticed the hitch, one that both agreed required fixing. The adjustment "helped me become a little bit more explosive of a skater out there". In addition to his efforts with Underhill, van Riemsdyk also credited offseason training with Ben Prentiss, with whom hes worked alongside since the summer after his first NHL season with the Flyers. "Hes done a tremendous job with me every year since as far as just getting me more athletic, more explosive and more dynamic out there," said van Riemsdyk. Such explosiveness was evident when he charged hard around the Oilers net for the fourth Toronto goal, beating Devan Dubnyk with a wrap-around which proved akin to the one he scored two nights previous in Nashville. Earlier in the evening, it was a striking presence around the net that would yield results. Parked around the blue paint of the Edmonton goal, van Riemsdyk would deftly redirect the point shot of Cody Franson, his second marker on the power-play this season. "Hes very good at tracking pucks," Franson said of van Riemsdyk. "You see a guy like him coming across and you just try and put it in an area where he can get a stick on it. Thats one of his major talents is to be able to do that." "Hes good around that tight area of the net," Carlyle added. "For a big man, hes got soft hands." It was Carlyle who prodded the more consistent use of such skills in the early days of the 2013 calendar, the coach and player just becoming acquainted upon their landing in Toronto. "Obviously Im always a guy who likes to be around the net and thats where I have to get to if Im going to score goals," van Riemsdyk said. "Thats a place I like going. I know its not necessarily the easiest part of the rink to play on, but its fun getting in there and just digging at pucks and trying to bang them in." Consistent run on the man advantage, van Riemsdyk added, has proved beneficial not only toward developing chemistry with members of the top unit, but also to the "little nuances about being in front and positioning your body and being in a good spot to be able to get those rebounds". Running shotgun on a first line that includes Phil Kessel and Tyler Bozak, van Riemsdyk is getting plenty of opportunity for the Leafs, the kind he envisioned upon his disappointing exit from Philadelphia. van Riemsdyk is averaging nearly 22 minutes per game this season, adding increased responsibility on the penalty kill early on. The array of tools which made him so attractive to the organization in the summer of 2012, when they first acquired him from Philadelphia in exchange for Luke Schenn, are being realized in rapid order. van Riemsdyk is evolving into a star. Five Points 1. Incomplete victory The efforts have been neither pretty nor complete and yet the Leafs are 5-1-0 after six games, all this without David Clarkson from the outset (suspension) and regulars Nik Kulemin and Mark Fraser (injuries) more recently. A game of shinny with the Oilers on Saturday nearly ended in defeat. Instead, as they have throughout the first two weeks of the season, the Leafs managed to grind out a win, albeit it barely on this night. With just 31 ticks left in regulation and the home side down 5-4, it was Joffrey Lupul playing hero, the 30-year-old scoring his second of the game and fifth this season. Breaking loose for a 3-on-1 rush minutes later, Dave Bolland would bury his second game-winner of the season in overtime. "My teeth are going to be ground down by the 20-game mark if we continue to play the way we did tonight as far as exchanging chances and mistakes," Carlyle smirked afterward. As they have been at various points in the early stages this season, the Leafs were sloppy and error-prone against the Oilers, yielding a number of high-quality opportunities in critical areas. Jonathan Bernier rescued some of those miscues with terrific play in his previous four games – .971 save percentage – but he could not erase them once more on Saturday, yielding five goals on 31 shots. "It was a game of mistakes and each team seemed to capitalize on one anothers mistakes," Carlyle said. "The fortunate part for us is we were on the right end of it." 2. Bollands way A ready-made favourite of the head coach, Bolland added to his resume with another game-winner on Saturday. "To get the true read on Dave Bolland is when you come to practice," Carlyle preached shortly after the game. "He does every drill at the highest possible speed. He practices like a pro. Hes trying to make himself better every day. Some of our younger players could take notice to that." Carlyle said such a message has been imparted to the Leafs youth. "We have a motto," he continued, "that if your skill level is at one level and if your will or your ability to work doesnt match that skill level or exceed it, youre not going to get any better. Its guys like Dave Bolland that sell your program and help coaches in leading by example and showing the way." 3. Franson/Rielly Saturday proved a difficult night for the Leafs second pair of Cody Franson and Morgan Rielly. The duo was caught on the ice for four of the five Oilers goals. "It was just one of those nights where thats the way it was going," Franson said afterward. The 26-year-old made good on a rough night in some respect in overtime though, outmuscling Ryan Nugent-Hopkins for the puck in the defensive zone before springing the odd-man rush which would ultimately result in Bollands game-winner. 4. Eakins return A seventh round selection in 2007, Carl Gunnarsson first met Dallas Eakins when he was in charge of player development for the Leafs. Eakins had traveled to Sweden to watch Gunnarsson while he was still in the Swedish Elite League, offering tips and advice to the late round pick after games. The now 26-year-old would then play for Eakins when he moved to the bench for the organization as Marlies head coach in 2009. "He was a fair guy and thats all Ive heard from the guys thats been down there too," Gunnarsson told the Leaf Report. "If youve got that reputation I guess its just a matter of time before you get that job in the big league." Gunnarsson would play only 12 games for Eakins in the AHL that fall before joining the Leafs and never looking back. Upon his exit, the now Oilers coach had a simple message. "He told me he didnt want to see me again," Gunnarsson recalled. "And Dallas can keep a straight face too. I knew it was a joke, but still hes looking at me, Gunnar, get out of here I dont want to see you again. Just looking back at that, I take it as a good thing." Eakins spent eight seasons in the Leafs organization before landing the top job in Edmonton. He was an assistant coach at the AHL and NHL levels, the director player of development and finally the head coach with the Marlies. Saturday marked his return to Toronto. 5. Eakins return Pt. 2 Like countless others who played for him in Toronto, Eakins made an impact in just 16 games on Troy Bodie. The now 28-year-old was a Marlie late in the 2009-2010 season. "He made you want to play for him and want to win for him," Bodie told the Leaf Report. "And if you lost you felt bad; you honestly felt bad that you let him down. He just had that way about him. Its not a coaching style you see very often." "Whatever the players wanted he gave them rather than some coaches thinking I think this is what they need," Bodie continued. "He was really good at reading his players and seeing what they needed and catering to it." Stat-Pack 22 – Goals for the Leafs after six games, good for an average of 3.67, fourth-best in the league after Saturday. 21:59 – Ice-time for Paul Ranger on Saturday, a season-high. 1 – Career point for rookie David Broll, who helped set up Joffrey Lupuls first goal of the game. 8 – Points for Joffrey Lupul, who sits second in NHL scoring behind only Sidney Crosby. 6 – Points for Mason Raymond, including a pair of assists on Saturday. 6 – Points for Nazem Kadri in six games this season, including a goal and an assist on Saturday. .946 – Save percentage for Jonathan Bernier after yielding five goals on 31 shots against Edmonton. Special Teams Capsule PP: 1-3 PK: 3-4 Quote of the Night "My teeth are going to be ground down by the 20-game mark if we continue to play the way we did tonight as far as exchanging chances and mistakes." -Randy Carlyle following Saturdays 6-5 victory. Up Next The Leafs host the Wild at the ACC on Tuesday. Riley Ridley Womens Jersey . Ellis had a season-high 37 points and two key assists late, Dirk Nowitzki led a fourth-quarter rally with 14 of his 35 points, and the Mavericks spoiled Howards best offensive night in Houston with a 123-120 victory over the Rockets on Wednesday night. Brian Urlacher Bears Jersey . The punch happened in the fourth quarter of Milwaukees 116-102 loss to the Kings on Wednesday when the two players became entangled while battling for rebounding position. http://www.bearsfootballpro.com/Authenti...t_Bears_Jersey/. Observant Muslims avoid food and liquids from dawn to dusk during Ramadan but can, and often do, skip it if travelling or doing hard physical labour. Some devout Muslim athletes choose to fast during training or competition, but it can create selection difficulties for the coaches in team sports. Mitchell Trubisky Bears Jersey . Lisicki beat South African Chanelle Scheepers by a 7-5, 7-6 (7-1) margin. Next up for the Wimbledon runner-up will be Slovenian Polona Hercog, who outlasted Czech Petra Cetkovska 6-4, 5-7, 6-1. David Montgomery Bears Jersey . - Aroldis Chapman, with two black eyes, has returned to the Cincinnati Reds clubhouse four days after being hit in the face by a line drive.SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Just because the Sacramento Kings were familiar with Tyreke Evans didnt mean they could stop him. The former NBA Rookie of the Year made a memorable return to Sacramento, scoring a season-high 25 points and adding 12 assists to help the New Orleans Pelicans snap a four-game losing streak with a 113-97 win over the Kings on Monday night. "I know they have no shot blockers, so I was attacking every chance I got," said Evans, who made 7 of 14 shots and hit 11 of 12 free throws after coming off the bench. "Im quick enough to take it to the basket. Thats what I do best. I wanted to be aggressive." Known for his slashing style of play and his uncanny ability to get to the rim in four seasons with the Kings, Evans stayed true to his game, bypassing perimeter shots in favour of going to the hoop. He also added six rebounds and three steals. "He got wherever he wanted to go. Nobody could keep in front of him and thats how he gets to the rim," Kings coach Michael Malone said. "If our guys didnt think he would try to come into this arena and get off, then I question their IQ. He played here and hes going to come here and try to show everybody what were missing. And he did." Evans averaged 17.5 points in his four seasons with the Kings. He joined the Pelicans in the off-season as part of a three-team trade and subsequently signed a four-year, $44 million contract. The Pelicans pulled away in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Kings 36-23 to salvage their only victory on a five-game road trip. Evans was a major factor in the second half, scoring 13 points. "I just told the guys that this is just about us getting stops and our defence had to prevail in the fourth quarter and I thought it did," New Orleans coach Monty Williams said.dddddddddddd DeMarcus Cousins had 24 points and 14 rebounds for the Kings, who committed 22 turnovers in losing for the sixth time in eight games. Isaiah Thomas had 21 points and Marcus Thornton had 19. Rudy Gay made 2-of -12 shots and scored 11 points. "First of all, we didnt get stops," Kings guard Isaiah Thomas said. "Secondly, we didnt dial in on that end of the floor and he made every play. He scored, he passed, and he did what he wanted." Anthony Davis had 21 points and 11 rebounds for New Orleans. Jrue Holiday had 17 points and 10 assists, and Eric Gordon also had 17 points. Ryan Anderson, who grew up in the Sacramento region, had a difficult evening trying to contain Cousins at the defensive end. Anderson went to the bench with five fouls at the 8:17 mark in the fourth quarter. The Pelicans leading scorer missed 3 of 9 shots and had eight points. NOTES: Shaquille ONeal sat courtside next to Kings majority owner Vivek Ranadive and Hall of Fame player Chris Mullin, who works in an advisory role with the team and frequently attends home games. ONeal is one of Sacramentos minority owners. . Pelicans starting centre Jason Smith missed his second consecutive game with a bruised bone in his right knee. Smith, who is on the inactive list, had started the teams first 24 games. . Cousins had it going early for the Kings, getting 12 points and seven rebounds in the first quarter . . Alexis Ajinca played 13 minute and fouled out in the fourth quarter. ' ' '