LOS ANGELES—A worst-case scenario was playing out before the eyes of the Maple Leafs.

Jonathan Bernier, their No. 1 goalie, removed himself from Thursday’s game against the Kings after the first period with a lower body injury. The team announced he would not return.

His replacement, James Reimer, lay prone on the ice having taken a skate to the head from Jarret Stoll.

If Reimer couldn’t go, the question became, who would play net for the rest of the game?

“Funny you should ask,” said Reimer, who soldiered on for the win. “I had that conversation with somebody in Anaheim and we came to the conclusion that (Carl) Gunnarsson would be the one to go in net because his dad was a goalie.”

That kind of came as news to Gunnarsson. But he’d have done it.

“If no one else stepped up, I guess,” said Gunnarsson. “Talked to some of the guys, what do you do here? Who would go? Fortunately we didn’t have to go that route.”

Nazem Kadri also volunteered.

“I was sitting beside Bernier when it happened and I told him to take off his pads, I might have to put them on,” said Kadri. “I don’t know how well I’d do in there.”

Said Leafs coach Randy Carlyle: “Somebody would have to go. I know it wasn’t going to be me. We talked about (assistant coaches) Scott Gordon and Rick St. Croix, but they said no. It would be somebody. I asked Colton Orr if he ever played goal. He said no.”

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