ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Randy Carlyle could barely contain his relief after the Winter Classic. The hype was gone along with the all-access HBO "24/7" cameras that followed the Toronto Maple Leafs everywhere for the past month. "Finally, yeah," said the Leafs head coach. "Its been a long three weeks, thats for sure, with whats gone on with our hockey club and the way weve played, the inconsistencies that weve played to and the microscope that weve been under." Carlyle and the Leafs are used to being under a microscope just by virtue of playing in Toronto. But an inside look at the stretch in which they lost seven of nine games turned up the pressure even higher. "There are lot of things that are going on inside that are hard to deal with when youre always constantly under a camera or a microphone (is) under you," Carlyle said. But after beating the Detroit Red Wings in a shootout in front of an NHL-record crowd of 105,491 freezing fans at Michigan Stadium, those trials and tribulations could feel like a distant memory. Led by goaltender Jonathan Bernier, the Leafs have won three games in a row and have added a little vitamin C to their game. "Weve talked a lot about consistency and making sure to work on our game to become more consistent," captain Dion Phaneuf said. "I feel that weve played some good hockey the last little bit. Were trying to keep building it because we know thats been something thats plagued us a little bit. We feel better about our game right now." A large part of that has to do with Bernier, who has stopped 181 of 190 shots put on him since relieving James Reimer on Dec. 21. Hes 3-0-2 in that time, and Carlyle acknowledged it would be "foolish" to turn away from him now. "Jonathan Bernier has come in and given us a chance and given us an opportunity in games, and thats what we are looking for," the Leafs coach said. Its not all Bernier because goals have to come from somewhere. In the Winter Classic they came from the top line of James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak and Phil Kessel. This was the second game with that trio reunited, as Bozak returned Sunday after missing almost a month with a strained oblique. Bozak had three assists in his first game back and then a goal and the shootout winner in the Winter Classic. "I think that I was able to play one game before, it was huge for me," Bozak said. "Definitely would have been crazy, just coming back into this game. So I think being able to play the one before really helped me a lot." Having Bozak back also helps the Leafs, in general. His chemistry with Kessel and van Riemsdyk is undeniable, and his presence shifts Nazem Kadri, Peter Holland and Jay McClement back into more comfortable roles down the lineup. "Tyler is a player that our coaching staff trusts, pretty simple," Carlyle said. "When coaches trust people, they put them in situations where you believe the player will get the job done." Carlyle went so far as to call Bozak a "model for the younger players to follow." "He gets inside, he wins his share of one-on-one battles, very strong in the faceoff circle, and hes got the hockey sense," Carlyle said. "The puck follows him around." Puck possession is one thing the Leafs could stand to improve on Saturday against the New York Rangers and beyond. They were outshot 43-26 by Detroit in the Winter Classic, as Red Wings coach Mike Babcock praised his team for holding on to the puck for much of regulation and overtime. But as the Leafs have done much of the year, they pulled out two points despite being badly outshot. Opportunistic offence and strong goaltending allowed them to reach playoff position early and hang on despite some struggles, so it was only fitting that helped them win the NHLs signature regular-season event. The Winter Classic represented the end of a difficult journey for the Leafs, who made the most out of the spotlight in the end. "It is a lot leading up to it. I think its tough on the players, its tough on the coaches," general manager Dave Nonis said. "But I also think that it created an atmosphere that made it more than just a game. I think both teams raised their level of play. I know our team did. I think thats the hardest weve competed for a long time. "When you look at over 100,000 in the building, its impossible not to play harder." Seeing how hard and well the Leafs played gave Nonis some fuel to be optimistic about the near future. "From our standpoint I hope its, I wouldnt say a turning point, but maybe the genesis of consistent games where we work hard for three periods," he said. Wholesale Vapormax 3 .Y. - Referee Ed Hochuli referred to replay official Tom Sifferman by his nickname Jungle Boy, which was heard on the in-stadium microphone during the Arizona Cardinals-Carolina Panthers NFC wild-card game Saturday. Cheap Vapormax . Hamilton signed offensive linemen Mike Filer, Joel Reinders, Landon Rice and Carson Rockhill. http://www.clearancevapormax.com/cheap-v...-clearance.html. "I was so nervous," Hadley said Sunday after winning the Puerto Rico Open for his first PGA Tour victory. "I did not eat well last night. Vapormax 2 Clearance . It was just business as usual for the Thunder at home. Durant scored 32 points and the Thunder beat the Bulls 107-95 on Thursday night for their eighth straight win. Fake Vapormax Flyknit . Lynn was tied for 16th entering the fourth round, six shots behind leader Paul Waring. He started with two birdies and added three more on his last five holes at the Oceanico Victoria course for an 18-under total of 266.It came from a counter attack and when the ball was crossed into the box with the perfect amount of weight behind it, he knew he had a chance. He drifted off the back of the centre-back, met the ball in the air, and powerfully headed his team into an unassailable 4-2 lead. Jurgen Klinsmann had arrived in the Premier League. What happened next would become one of the most iconic moments in the Premier Leagues history as the German international, along with his Tottenham teammates, celebrated the goal by diving onto the floor, as a way of mocking the stories about the striker being a notorious diver. Klinsmanns performance at Sheffield Wednesday, in the sunshine, on the opening day of the 1994-95 season is still today known as one of the leagues all-time great debuts. This past Saturday in the Premier League wasnt the opening day of the season but it certainly felt like it with many new players making their debuts, fresh off an international break, after the transfer window finally closed. Much like Klinsmanns signing in the mid 90s, the arrival of Mesut Ozil in England has similarly captured the attention of the entire country. Arsenal fans are not alone in the excitement of having this player in the Premier League. On August 20th, 1994, while Klinsmann was diving for fun, Ozil was a shy 5-year-old kid living in a relatively poor suburb of Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Nineteen years later, his debut drew parallels to the man who now coaches the United States. A number of great players have arrived in the Premier League when they are past their best, while others have reached elite level while playing in England. Very few have been at a world class standard when they arrived, generating a real buzz about their debut. Klinsmann was one and Ozil is another. Like his countryman, Ozil opened his Premier League career away from North London when he travelled to Sunderland on Saturday and, like Klinsmann, Ozil ended his day with a very good performance and a standout moment for everyone to remember. With Tomas Rosicky and Santi Cazorla missing through injury, Ozil was placed in the side with Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey, Mathieu Flamini and Theo Walcott as the five to play behind striker Olivier Giroud. Arsenal are very much a 4-3-3 side, with an attacking member of the midfield three often pushing further up to make it a 4-2-3-1 hybrid. However, with the intelligent Ozil in the side, along with a real lack of pressing from Sunderlands 4-4-2, Arsenal played a different shape than we are used to seeing from them (more on that shortly). To understand Arsenals different identity on Saturday, you just had to watch Ozil for the opening 10 minutes of the game, as he put on a clinic on just how to play as a creator behind a striker. Everything Ozil does well was on show in the first 10 minutes. His first two touches of the ball came in the opponents half but deep towards the right wing and immediately his ability to drift deep had an effect on Sunderlands positioning as a back four, with them slowly moving higher up the pitch. Already Arsenal had them where they wanted them and Ozils movement towards the right flank was on show again in the seventh minute when Walcott, after connecting well with right back Carl Jenkinson, needed an outlet as he drove into Sunderlands final third. There was Ozil, moving across the pitch as he does so splendidly, to receive the ball in space and continue the attack. Keeping the ball and finding space was the theme of Arsenals early attacks and with Ozil again driffting deep centrally, Wilshere picked up the ball on the left and used the German to play a quick one-two that opened up an alley that allowed him to drive deep into Sunderland territory.dddddddddddd. Much of Arsenals success this season has come from counter attacks deep in their own half. Their third goal at Fulham was a perfect example of this when all eleven players were in their half before an attack, led by Giroud, and finished by Lukas Podolski, exploded into the opponents half. In the eighth minute at Sunderland, Giroud again came deep to win a header that he sent towards Ozil, who allowed the ball to come across him before running across the halfway line and starting another attack. Sunderlands back four, petrified of the space between them and their midfield, again played high and almost got found out. Two minutes later they were exposed again. Ozil, in the centre circle, facing his own goal, received the ball and immediately centre-back Mobido Diakite charged into his back to pressure him. Ozil calmly slotted the ball back to Kieran Gibbs, and before the left back even received the ball, charged into space on the left behind Sunderlands right back Ondrej Celustka. Gibbs saw Ozils run and had time to set the ball up for his left foot before swinging it towards a sprinting Ozil, who now had the Sunderland defence in trouble. With Diakite out of position, Valentin Roberge was forced to close down the German, leaving space in the middle for Giroud to run into. Ozil took a brilliant touch, bringing the ball down on to the ground, had a quick glance across to see his strikers positioning, and then sent a perfect cross over for Giroud to finish it off. 1-0 Arsenal. Ossist number one of many for the 42 million pound man. Watch the match highlights here. It had taken just 10 minutes and Ozil had done damage on the right, in the centre and over on the left. With Sunderland playing with ineffective wingers, Arsenal went on to dominate possession in a 3-1 win and simply using their full backs, with Walcott on the right, to provide width. Flamini played as a solo pivot once Arsenal attacked, playing more passes to Ozil than any other player, giving Ramsey, Wilshere and Ozil the freedom to play very close to Giroud centrally. They were far from narrow, though, and actually had much more fluency in attack with the constant interchanging between the trio. (photo: fourfourtwo.com - Click For Larger Image) A true treasurer of the ball, you can see just how effective Ozil is with his vertical and lateral movement, putting together an outstanding passing efficiency from left to right in the two attacking areas for Arsenal. It was only one game, admittedly against an average side, but already it is clear that Ozil is exactly what Arsene Wenger needs as his side evolve into an impressive team on counter attacks from their own half and quick transitions. (photo: fourfourtwo.com - Click For Larger Image) Ozil is the ultimate space invader who will terrify defenders with his movement, finding space for himself like no other, and creating space for teammates to benefit from. Klinsmanns header and dive to celebrate made him an instant box office superstar in England, someone the public wanted to go and watch live. The ultimate space invader is going down the same path. Fitting, in 2013, its no longer about seeing just a pure goal scorer. It appears the IQ levels might just be rising off the field; Ozils arrival in the Premier League certainly guarantees it is rising on it. ' ' '