Wilson Warns Against "Pissing" on Scrivens

By HOWARD BERGER

ST. LOUIS (Nov. 11) - After his hockey club applied a clamp to what seemed like a near-fatal hemorrhage, Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson turned to a coveted theme.

Having chosen Ben Scrivens to start in goal for last night's game against the St. Louis Blues - mainly because someone had to man the position - Wilson teed off on reporters in the wake of a 3-2 shoot-out victory at the Scottrade Center in which Scrivens rebounded from embarrassing performances on home ice against Boston and Florida. 

“Everybody, you know, they build a statue, they knock it down and piss on it, and now they will be out there building it again,” Wilson snarled, referring to the rave reviews accorded Scrivens after prevailing in his first NHL start last week in Columbus. That Scrivens and goaltending partner Jonas Gustavsson came unglued in the losses to the Bruins and Panthers (by an aggregate 12-1 count) provided last night's decision the aura of a coin-flip. “You have to be reasonable," the coach continued. "[Scrivens] is a young kid; if he starts [against Ottawa on Saturday], hopefully he's a little more focused.”

When asked if Scrivens will indeed get the nod, Wilson replied, "Why not phone his mom and find out?" - a derisive reference to a column in Thursday's Toronto Star, in which Dave Feschuk spoke with Marlene Reimer, the mother of Leafs injured No. 1 goalie James Reimer. In the article, Mrs. Reimer all but confirmed what the Leafs have refused to admit: that her son sustained a concussion when his helmet-mask was dislodged in a goal-mouth collision nearly three weeks ago with Montreal's Brian Gionta. Wilson did not take kindly to Feschuk calling the parent of his starting netminder, though the Leafs coach understands he has no authority over such matters. Of course, were the hockey club more transparent about injuries and ailments, close relatives may not need to be consulted.

Whatever the case, you could sense the relief in the visitors' dressing room after the shoot-out win over the Blues - Toronto's third consecutive road triumph. Phil Kessel scored the lone goal in the penalty-shot phase, while Scrivens thwarted Alex Steen, T.J. Oshie and Matt D'Agostini.

It's possible that defenseman Mike Komisarek could be sidelined after getting slashed in the wrist by veteran Jason Arnott of the Blues. The pain was severe enough for Komisarek to be sent for an X-ray; the hockey club will be quite relieved if he did not sustain a fracture.

Now, please enjoy my photo-review of the Leafs victory here in St. Louis:

A CORNER-VIEW (ABOVE) FROM THE SCOTTRADE CENTER PRESS BOX DURING THE PRE-GAME WARM-UP THURSDAY NIGHT.

THOUGH THE CROWD WAS ANNOUNCED AS A SELL-OUT (19,150), NEITHER THE END-ZONE SEATS NOR THE PRIVATE LUXURY BOXES WERE FULL. THE ABOVE PHOTO WAS TAKEN PRIOR TO THE GAME.

THE ST. LOUIS "BLUE-NOTE" (ABOVE) CONSUMES CENTER-ICE AT THE CLUB'S HOME ARENA AND REMAINS ONE OF THE CLASSIC LOGOS IN ALL OF HOCKEY.

THE LEAFS JOFFREY LUPUL EMERGES (ABOVE) FROM THE ST. LOUIS NET, WHERE HE FOUND HIMSELF AFTER A SCRUM IN THE OPENING PERIOD. BLUES GOALIE JAROSLAV HALAK WAITS FOR THE GOAL TO BE PLACED BACK ON ITS MOORINGS.

HAD PHIL KESSEL BEEN AT A SLIGHTLY BETTER ANGLE (ABOVE), HE LIKELY WOULD HAVE SCORED IN THE SECOND PERIOD LAST NIGHT. INSTEAD, THE PUCK HOPPED OVER HIS STICK AND INTO THE CORNER. KESSEL, HOWEVER, DID COME THROUGH IN REGULATION TIME, AND NOTCHED THE LONE GOAL IN THE SHOOT-OUT.

NOT UNLIKE MOST ARENAS IN THE NHL, REPORTERS HAVE A BIRD'S-EYE VIEW FROM THE PRESS LOCATION (ABOVE) AT THE SCOTTRADE CENTER.

IT WAS QUITE A BOUNCE-BACK FOR ROOKIE BEN SCRIVENS (ABOVE), WHOSE WORK-LOAD AGAINST THE BLUES INCREASED AS THE NIGHT WORE ON.

JAROSLAV HALAK STRETCHES (ABOVE) BENEATH A SPOT-LIGHT JUST PRIOR TO THE THIRD PERIOD.

THE BLUES AND THEIR FANS CELEBRATE (ABOVE) THE GAME-TYING GOAL BY PATRIK BERGLUND WITH 1:56 LEFT IN REGULATION TIME. BERGLUND WHIPPED A REBOUND PAST SCRIVENS, WHO HAD NO CHANCE ON THE PLAY.

SCRIVENS MADE THE MOST OF HIS OPPORTUNITY IN THE SHOOT-OUT - DENYING ALL THREE ST. LOUIS PLAYERS, INCLUDING FORWARD T.J. OSHIE (ABOVE).

PHIL KESSEL GATHERS IN THE PUCK AT CENTER-ICE (ABOVE) ON HIS WAY TO FOOLING HALAK WITH THE ONLY GOAL OF THE SHOOT-OUT.

BEN SCRIVENS - RELIEVED THOUGH HARDLY EUPHORIC - WALKS OUT OF VISITORS' DRESSING ROOM (ABOVE) AFTER HIS POST-GAME SESSION WITH REPORTERS.

DOWNTOWN LIGHTS REFLECT OFF THE GATEWAY ARCH JUST PAST 11 P.M. HERE IN ST. LOUIS, WITH THE HISTORIC OLD COURTHOUSE BUILDING TO THE LEFT IN PHOTO.