Despite taking blow to head, James Reimer says he is good to go for Leafs

TORONTO - The first goaltender out on Toronto's practice rink Friday morning was the University of Toronto's Michael Nishi.

His Varsity Blues teammate Brett Willows was summoned as an emergency backup Thursday night for the game against Carolina after Leafs starter James Reimer was forced to leave just 32 seconds in when teammate Josh Leivo accidentally clipped him in the head with his knee.

Jonathan Bernier took over and finished the game, yielding a freak final goal in a 3-2 loss.

It's not the first time Reimer has suffered a blow to the head.

Two seasons ago, he missed time due to concussion-like symptoms that were later linked to a neck problem, when he was hit by Montreal's Brian Gionta in October 2011.

He was sidelined for more than a month and finished the season on the sidelines after taking a shot in practice in late March 2012 and experiencing a return of the concussion-like symptoms.