NASHVILLE, TENN -- One of the differences between Peter Horachek and Randy Carlyle: Horachek will gladly say who the starting goalie is.

Carlyle was superstitious about that. Didn't want to say it out loud. So you had to check what goalie worked out in the Maple Leaf end of the ice, what goalie left the morning skate first, and what goalie led the team on to the ice before the game.

Tiresome, really.

Now the goalies are free to talk about their starts.

Jonathan Bernier , however, doesn't like to talk on game-day. Sometimes he will. Not usually, though.

But on Monday he was talkative.

He said he feels responsible for the team's lack of success of late.

"I put the blame on myself," said Bernier. "As a goalie, you can steal games. I feel like I haven't done that for my team lately. I have to be better."

It was an interesting comment. Ed Belfour used to steal games and was proud of it. The goalies that followed -- with Andrew Raycroft and Vesa Toskala at the top of that list -- repeatedly said goalies couldn't steal games. They didn't like the premise of "stealing games."

Then along came James Reimer, who stole a ton of games, and was proud of it. Last year, Bernier did the same thing. This year, not so much.

"You want to do that (steal games) every night," said Bernier. "Sometimes it doesn't work that way. You don't have the bounces. As a goalie, that's part of your job. You've got to find a way to stay in games for your team."

The Leafs will have a call to make on Bernier, who had as bad a January as any other Leaf. He's a restricted free agent, and will be looking for a raise. The Leafs have to decide if he truly is their No. 1 going forward.

GOT A QUESTION? I have answers. Let's put them all together for Friday's mailbag. Email me at askkevinmcgran@gmail.com or tweet me at #askkevinmcgran

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

Read more about: