In his 500th career game, James Reimer was determined not to let NHL scoring history happen on his watch, especially not against Auston Matthews, who he jokingly accused of taking his old No. 34 without permission. Reimer managed to stall Matthews’s pursuit of his 70th goal, stopping the Leaf sniper’s 10th shot on goal.
Acknowledging Matthews as the league’s top scorer at the moment, the 36-year-old Reimer remarked, “Luckily for me, I was able to get in front of a few.”
Despite Matthews scoring a power-play goal with assists from Mitch Marner and Morgan Rielly, Reimer’s performance evoked memories of his early days with the Leafs, when he often kept struggling teams in the game.
Reflecting on his journey, Reimer noted the significance of playing his 500th game in the same building where he started his career. He recalled both the lows and highs experienced during his time with the organization and expressed gratitude for the opportunity.
Despite the milestone, Reimer’s focus remains on helping Detroit in their push for a playoff spot.
