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    12/07/2018 6:23 am

    TORONTO – Among the many stars, fleeting paparazzi and widespread shimmer of the Hollywood scene was sheer anonymity for the former backup goaltender of the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Bernier was but a blip on the glitzy California radar, but now in his first season in Toronto, he finds himself squarely in the spotlight. One half of the Leafs standout goaltending tandem, the 25-year-old has raced out to a quick start with the new opportunity, posting a .933 save percentage in his first 10 games. Born 30 minutes outside of Montreal in nearby Laval, Quebec, Bernier knows a thing or two about the intensity and pressures of a furious hockey market. Speaking to the Leaf Report on Thursday afternoon, he detailed his adjustment to life in the spotlight, life with a new team and goalie coach, and starting on a regular basis. What follows is an edited transcript of that conversation. LR: Im wondering what the difference is off the ice in coming to Toronto. Youre coming from a place in L.A. where its not the same intensity as here. Whats that been like, that process of coming to a hockey market per se? BERNIER: Its definitely an adjustment because in L.A., youd be out on the street and no one knows who you are. Even the greatest players, [Anze] Kopitar and Dustin Brown, theyll maybe get recognized once in a while. [But] here, you have a good game, next day you go out for breakfast or whatever and everyones happy for you. People are very respectful and thats the one thing I found right away is theyll come and say congrats or good game, but theyre very respectful and thats a great thing. LR: Did the first time it happened catch you off guard? BERNIER: I heard about it [before I came here]; guys told me about it. And obviously coming from a big city like Montreal as well, I knew how [their players] deal with the fans outside the rink so I was expecting that a little bit. LR: So just going back to L.A., you could go out to dinner and walk down the street and just nothing? BERNIER: Nothing. Id say after the Cup [in 2012], people kind of knew who we were [in the area] where we lived, but if wed go downtown or Hollywood, theres no chance. LR: So whats the strangest thing that someones said to you here? BERNIER: I havent got any good stories yet (laughs). LR: Do you like the change? BERNIER: Yeah, its a good change. I think it keeps you focused on hockey. You dont want to have a bad game because then the next day, youre going to hear about it (laughs). LR: You understand the market in Montreal, how do you think the two are similar? BERNIER: I think theyre very similar. The [cities are] both supporting the team. I think for me though speaking French and being in Montreal, I think itd be a lot harder just because you have two sessions of media pretty much (laughs). LR: When a player comes to this kind of market, what are the adjustments required just to be ready for that kind of stuff? BERNIER: I found there is pressure, but pressure, you put that on yourself. If you dont really focus on whats going on on TV and radio and internet, I dont find [that it adds pressure]. Maybe [thats] because right now were having success – we have a good record – but maybe if it would be the opposite, maybe Id say a different thing. But so far I havent found that its that hard. Like I said, you just put pressure on yourself so its all about how much pressure you want to put on you. LR: Well, I would imagine it doesnt really change your focus. Your focus would have to be the same regardless. BERNIER: Yeah, exactly. I think even in L.A., among the guys, we were putting that much pressure on ourselves and the GM and coaches. Its kind of the same way here. We try to stay away from the media pressure and just focus on ourselves and our team and just make sure were ready every game. LR: You told me last week about the focus thats required mentally playing more often. Has it helped? Does it help you be a better goalie when you know youre playing more often? BERNIER: You mean from the pressure? LR: No, just in terms of your preparation in being ready to play. I would imagine in some situations in L.A., its difficult when you go a couple weeks and you havent played and youve got to get back in there and play well. Has it been like you thought it would be? BERNIER: I think its easier mentally just because the reason is youre happy and you dont get off into negative thoughts and things like that. So I think if you stay positive and just keep working hard, then youre having fun. I think as a hockey player or any sport, if youre having fun, usually youll have success. I think that was the thing in L.A.; sometimes I was getting frustrated in not playing. But at the same time, here, its fun. We have a great group of guys, were winning right now and its a big snowball. LR: And I can imagine the worst thing is if you had an off-night and you dont get to start for a while its just got to burn you? BERNIER: Yeah. And thats something that I had to learn my first year is not to worry about the result of the game, more focusing on my game. Because then you start worrying if you dont win, then youre not going to play for another two, three weeks and you have to think about that loss. I think I got better [at that] as the years went along. That was something I was really focusing on was just focusing on myself and not the result. LR: Has there been any adjustment working with a different goalie coach? Has he changed things? BERNIER: No. Rick [St. Croix] is really good. Hell just try to give me some tools, but at the same time, its not something that hes going to say you have to do this. Hes just going to let me know hey if you want to do this in a game or in practice, work on that and if you feel comfortable do it. But the one thing I really like is I think he watched a lot of video and probably heard about my style and he adjusted to that. He knows when I feel comfortable with my depth and things like that. Obviously its still new, but were starting to get a good chemistry between him and I. LR: So is that your depth in the net? BERNIER: That was just an example. It can be how I played the puck, make quicker decisions or things like that. But I can tell that he watched video and saw when I was on my game what I was doing right. LR: And thats what James [Reimer] told me, I remember last year, that Ricks not the kind of guy whos going to say you have to do this, hes going to look at what you do and say we can do this. BERNIER: Exactly. 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Forward Bright Dike scored the games only goal in the 85th minute on a foggy night in Bradenton, Fla.Maybe its time the San Francisco 49ers look behind them and not toward the top of the NFC West.A fourth straight trip to the playoffs, let alone to the conference championship game, looks even less likely after a costly trip across the bay to play the Raiders. Oakland stunned its more successful neighbour 24-13, and now the Niners (7-6) are much closer to the bottom of their division than the top.With wins by Arizona (10-3) and Seattle (9-4), San Franciscos odds of taking the division are shrinking. And with St. Louis moving to 6-7 with a second straight shutout, the 49ers also could be caught by the Rams.I dont know if shocks the word Im going to use, linebacker Aldon Smith said. Were a competitive team, were a good team and every week we go out I expect for us to win. So I wasnt expecting the result.Derek Carr threw three touchdown passes and completed 22 of 28 passes for 254 yards. He completely outplayed counterpart Colin Kaepernick as the Raiders (2-11) won their second straight home game surrounding last weeks 52-0 loss at St. Louis.Kaepernick went 18 for 33 for 174 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Five sacks gave him a league-high 43 this year.Im giving everything I have every time I step on the field, Kaepernick said. I have to play better. I havent played well.The weekend began with Dallas beat Chicago 41-28 last Thursday night, improving the Cowboys to 9-4. Chicago is 5-8.On Monday night, its Atlanta (5-7) at Green Bay 9-3).___SEAHAWKS 24, EAGLES 14Russell Wilson threw two touchdown passes, ran for another score and visiting Seattle stifled Philadelphias high-powered offence.Richard Sherman and Co. held the Eagles to 139 total yards, the fewest under Chip Kelly.Its all about matchups, and we matched up pretty well with them, star cornerback Sherman said.Pete Carroll was the winner in his first NFL matchup against Kelly. In the coaches only other meeting, Kellys Oregon Ducks beat Carroll and USC 47-20 on Oct. 31, 2009.The Eagles (9-4) host Dallas with first place in the NFC East at stake next week.CARDINALS 17, CHIEFS 14Kerwynn Williams rushed for 100 yards two days after being elevated from the Arizona practice squad and the host Cardinals rallied. Arizona won a crucial call reversal when it challenged that tight end Travis Kelce fumbled deep in Cardinals territory late in the fourth quarter.The NFC West leaders went ahead when Drew Stanton threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Jaron Brown in the third quarter.Jamaal Charles scored two first-half touchdowns on a 63-yard run and 18-yard pass from Alex Smith, but the Chiefs (7-6) were shut out in the second half.RAMS 24, REDSKINS 0The Rams have back-to-back shutouts for the first time since 1945, giving them their first winning streak of the season.Jared Cook caught two touchdown passes, Tavon Austin returned a punt 78 yards for a score, and the defence allowed 206 total yards.The visiting Rams sacked Colt McCoy six times. He suffered a neck injury on the sixth sack just before the two-minute warning, so Robert Griffin III finished the game in his first appearance since getting benched two weeks ago. Griffin was sacked once during his brief stint.The Redskins (3-10) dropped their fifth straight.PATRIOTS 23, CHARGERS 14At San Diego, Tom Brady threw a 69-yard touchdown pass to Julian Edelman midway through the fourth quarter, and the Patriots (10-3) won for the eighth time in nine games. It clinched their 12th straight 10-win season for the second-longest such streak in NFL history.The Patriots spent the week in San Diego following a loss at Green Bay in order to cut down on late-season travel. It certainly seemed to pay off for the defence: San Diego (8-5) was shut out in the second half.New England went ahead 16-14 on Stephen Gostkowskis 38-yard field goal with 10:34 left. Brady faked a handoff and hit Edelman on a slant at about the 45 on the touchdown. Edelman broke two tackles and was gone.BRONCOS 24, BILLS 17At Denver, C.J. Anderson ran for three touchdowns and the Broncos overcame a rare unsteady outing by Peyton Manning.Mannings streak of 51 straight games with a touchdown throw — three shy of Drew Brees NFL record — ended. Yet, despite three turnovers, the Broncos (10-3) won their third straight game since changing from a pass-oriented attack to a run-heavy approach.Manning finished 14 of 20 for 173 yards with two interceptions. His top receiver, Demaryius Thomas, was held to two catches for 11 yards, and tight end Julius Thomas (ankle) was active but didnt play for the third straight week.Buffalo is 7-6.COLTS 25, BROWNS 24At Cleveland, Andrew Luck threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to T.Y. Hilton with 32 seconds left, rallying Indianapolis (9-4).Before Luck connected with Hilton, Colts running back Daniel Herron picked up 2 yards on fourth down to keep the drive alive. Luck, who threw two interceptions and spent the day being harassed by an energized Browns defence, then fired his second TD pass to Hilton.The Colts trailed 21-7 in the third quarter, but stormed back behind Luck, who finished 24 of 53 for 294 yardss.ddddddddddddThe Browns (7-6) got two defensive touchdowns, but Clevelands offence, led by struggling quarterback Brian Hoyer, couldnt do enough.RAVENS 28, DOLPHINS 13Baltimore played more than 17 minutes before picking up a first down, then overcame a 10-point deficit to win.The visiting Ravens rallied with consecutive touchdown drives of 97 and 75 yards, and added the clinching score after a favourable replay reversal.A gamble by coach John Harbaugh in the third quarter helped. The Ravens made a first down on fourth-and-1 in their territory, jump-starting the TD drive that put them ahead.The victory gave Baltimore (8-5) a significant edge over Miami (7-6) in the AFCs scramble for a wild-card playoff berth.STEELERS 42, BENGALS 21Roethlisberger threw three touchdown passes, including a 94-yarder to rookie Martavis Bryant in the fourth quarter that was the longest play from scrimmage this season.The win turned the AFC North into a wide-open race as the Steelers (8-5) caught up and ran away with 25 points in the fourth quarter.For division leader Cincinnati (8-4-1), it was a second straight lopsided home loss to a division rival. The Bengals fell to Cleveland 24-3 before going on the road and winning three straight to take control of the division.LeVeon Bell had another big all-around game, running for 185 yards, catching six passes for 50 yards, and scoring three touchdowns.PANTHERS 41, SAINTS 10Cam Newton passed for three touchdowns, appeared to incite a scuffle with frustrated New Orleans after he went over the pile for another score, and the visiting Panthers ended a six-game skid.Jonathan Stewart added a 69-yard touchdown as the Panthers (4-8-1) pulled closer to NFC South leader Atlanta (5-7).Newtons jawing and Superman celebration of his 2-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter drew a shove from linebacker Curtis Lofton. That ignited a scrum that eventually went into a tunnel beyond the end zone.Panthers tight end Brandon Williams was ejected for punching Cam Jordan, but Carolina kept rolling.New Orleans (5-8) lost its fourth straight home game to drop a half-game behind Atlanta.LIONS 34, BUCCANEERS 17At Detroit, Matthew Stafford threw for 311 yards and three touchdowns — including one off a fluky deflection late in the game. The Lions (9-4) trail first-place Green Bay by a half-game in the NFC North.Tampa Bay (2-11) was finally eliminated from playoff contention — the NFC Souths mediocrity could only keep the Bucs in it for so long. They turned over the ball three times in the second quarter against Detroit and never led.Calvin Johnson had eight catches for 158 yards and a touchdown for Detroit, which snapped a nine-game losing streak in December.TEXANS 27, JAGUARS 13Arian Foster ran for 127 yards and a touchdown, and the Texans won consecutive games for the first time since Week 2.Fosters 1-yard run on the second play of the fourth quarter gave visiting Houston (7-6) a comfortable cushion in what had been a back-and-forth game.After quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick got stuffed on third down, the Texans lined up for a field goal before calling time out and deciding to go. Foster started right and looked like he would be stopped for a loss, but he eluded a tackle, cut back the other way and high-stepped into the end zone.The Jaguars (2-11) led 13-10 at halftime, but did little after the break.VIKINGS 30, JETS 24, OTJarius Wrights 87-yard touchdown reception from Teddy Bridgewater in overtime gave the host Vikings the win.After forcing the Jets to punt to start the extra period, the Vikings faced third-and-5. Bridgewater was blitzed and threw high on a bubble screen to his right. Wright jumped, made an off-balance grab, slipped by Jaiquawn Jarrett and outran defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson the rest of the way.Former Vikings receiver Percy Harvin had a 35-yard touchdown reception and a 47-yard kickoff return while finishing with 124 yards on six catches. But he hurt his ankle on a hard hit by Josh Robinson late in the fourth quarter and didnt return. This was his first game in Minnesota in more than two years after playing his first 3 1/2 seasons with the Vikings (6-7), who beat the Jets (2-11) for the first time in eight matchups since 1975.Nick Folks fifth field goal tied the game at 24 with 23 seconds left in the fourth quarter.GIANTS 36, TITANS 7Eli Manning threw for 260 yards and a touchdown, and the Giants snapped a seven-game skid.New York (4-9) won for the first time since Oct. 5 with two rookies having big games. Odell Beckham Jr. set a team rookie record with his fourth game with 100 yards receiving this season: 11 catches for 130 yards and a TD. Andre Williams ran for a season-high 131 yards, including a 50-yard TD.Tennessee (2-11) lost its seventh straight and for the 11th time in 12 games with a performance that had the home fans booing and even a handful wearing paper bags over their heads. 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