Maple Leafs’ Jonathan Bernier will face the Los Angeles Kings for the first time since he was traded to Toronto last summer. But the buzz is that Ben Scrivens will likely sit in favour of rookie Martin Jones.

Bernier was in the home goal at the start of the Maple Leafs’ skate Wednesday morning, which typically indicates the starting netminder.

Bernier was sent to the Leafs on June 23 for goalie Scrivens, forward Matt Frattin and a future second-round draft pick.

The Kings arrived in the early morning hours after beating the Montreal Canadiens 6-0 Tuesday night.

Scrivens, who has replaced injured Jonathan Quick as the No. 1 netminder, sports the league’s best save percentage and is tied for the league lead in shutouts with three.

However, the Kings have discovered an emerging star in rookie Jones, who has two straight shutouts.

His last shutout came Tuesday night when the Kings blanked the Montreal Canadiens 6-0.

Bernier started the Leafs’ 5-2 loss to the Bruins on Sunday.

Both goalies acknowledged the significance of the game and that motivation will not be a problem.

“It’s just natural to want to do well … we joke as players amongst ourselves and the guys usually say, `hey, that’s the team that didn’t want you,’” said Leafs defenceman Mark Fraser, who has faced his former New Jersey Devils several times since becoming a Leaf regular last season.

“And most of the times that’s not the truth, but regardless of why they let you go, you want to erase that and show them they are missing out on something.”

Bernier and Scrivens will be experiencing the pressure of facing their former teams for the first time in their respective careers.

Scrivens has emerged as “The Professor” in Los Angeles, a quote machine whose obvious education (he studied at Cornell University) is attracting new waves of followers and media coverage on the west coast.

Scrivens also said he “never really wanted to leave Toronto,” a quote which is a tell tale factor in a players performance against his former team.

Leafs defenceman Cody Franson said that while players always want to perform well against their old teams, it’s increasingly rare that a player has a true enemy in his former locker room.

“I wouldn’t say you go out there and want to show this guy or that guy that they are (jerks) or anything like that,” said Franson, a former Nashville Predator.

“There’s always different situations with different teams, they trade you, they don’t like you, they have a numbers game … and I’ve been fortunate in my relationships with Nashville, they were always good. But you still want to impress the coaches and management, the people who had control over you, and show there’s still a lot more in you.”

Sometimes, as Fraser recounts, a player can try too hard against his former team.

Sometimes, as Fraser recounts, a player can try too hard against his former team.

“Yeah, I have, well … maybe,” Fraser said.

“There was a time last year when I got pulled into the coach’s office, in the second intermission against the Devils. I made two bad pinches and basically I was told, or lets say I was given a stern warning, not to let it happen again.”

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Fraser did in fact have a great third period after his meeting with Randy Carlyle, and learned a valuable lesson in his development.

“The next day he (Carlyle) was happy with how I responded,” Fraser said.