Game 29 Scoring Chances: Maple Leafs 4 vs. Red Wings 1

Over the last couple of seasons, these types of games from the Leafs have been rare; they were the better team and carried the play against Detroit.

This season, they’ve been much more common, a testament to the improved depth and better possession play Toronto has had so far. The Leafs came out strong, having the better of the first half of the opening frame, but Detroit got back into it, levelling the score and finishing the period near even on chances. Unsurprisingly, Toronto had a great second period, as they’ve done all year, doubling up the Wings in chances, and getting a lead. An early goal in the third extended it and Toronto was able to hold on for the victory.

Status	Overall			Even Strength			ES Close
Team	TOR	DET	%	TOR	DET	%	TOR	DET	%
1	8	9	47.1%	7	8	46.7%	7	8	46.7%
2	14	6	70.0%	11	6	64.7%	11	6	64.7%
3	6	7	46.2%	3	7	30.0%	0	0	-
Total	28	22	56.0%	21	21	50.0%	18	14	56.3%

Toronto won the ES Close chances, and while Detroit did get level at ES after the third period, it was actually a solid defensive effort, as three of the Wings’ chances came on a single good shift. After one of their worst performances of the season in the last game, this was one of their better chance performances. It was a great bounce-back performance against a Red Wings team playing a back-to-back, the inverse situation of what Toronto faced last game.

Club	St	P	Time	TSc	Osc	Note	Toronto						Detroit
TOR	ES	1	16:48	0	0	Kessel drives wide	42	81	21	3	4	45	13	21	43	52	55	34
TOR	ES	1	15:38	0	0	Kadri drives	25	26	43	51	55	45	14	26	40	23	61	34
TOR	ES	1	15:23	0	0	Winnik deflects Holzer shot	25	26	43	51	55	45	14	26	40	23	61	34
TOR	ES	1	12:46	0	0	Rielly from loose puck	25	19	71	44	51	45	14	26	40	2	27	34
DET	ES	1	12:39	0	0	Jurco from loose puck	25	19	71	44	51	45	14	26	40	2	27	34
TOR	ES	1	12:00	0	0	Bozak from Rielly	42	81	21	12	44	45	15	93	11	52	55	34
DET	ES	1	08:25	0	0	Tatar from Helm	42	81	21	51	55	45	13	21	43	52	55	34
DET	ES	1	08:23	0	0	Helm from rebound of Tatar shot	42	81	21	51	55	45	13	21	43	52	55	34
DET	ES	1	06:33	0	0	Glendening deflects Ouellet shot wide	25	26	43	12	44	45	18	41	20	23	61	34
DET	SH	1	04:42	0	0	Nyquist from loose puck	24	26	3	4	45	-	14	43	93	40	55	34
DET	ES	1	04:18	0	1	Miller from loose puck	23	18	20	12	44	45	18	41	20	23	61	34
TOR	PP	1	03:33	0	1	GOAL! Van Riemsdyk deflects Kessel shot	42	81	21	3	4	45	41	20	52	55	34	-
DET	ES	1	03:09	1	1	Tatar from loose puck	42	81	21	51	55	45	13	21	43	52	55	34
DET	ES	1	02:59	1	1	Tatar drives	42	81	21	51	55	45	13	21	43	52	55	34
TOR	ES	1	02:36	1	1	Lupul drives	42	19	71	3	4	45	13	93	11	52	55	34
TOR	ES	1	01:47	1	1	Winnik from Santorellli	25	26	43	3	4	45	14	26	40	23	61	34
DET	ES	1	01:18	1	1	Zetterberg from loose puck	25	26	43	3	4	45	14	26	40	52	55	34
TOR	SH	2	19:12	1	1	Holland from Winnik	24	26	12	55	45	-	13	14	43	93	55	34
TOR	ES	2	15:18	1	1	Holland drives	24	19	71	51	55	45	13	15	43	2	55	34
DET	ES	2	15:03	1	1	Helm drives	24	71	21	51	55	45	13	21	43	2	55	34
DET	ES	2	14:16	1	1	Tatar from Anderson	42	81	21	12	44	45	18	21	41	2	27	34
TOR	ES	2	13:39	1	1	Booth from Panik	23	18	20	51	55	45	15	93	11	23	61	34
TOR	ES	2	12:45	1	1	Booth from loose puck	23	18	20	4	51	45	18	20	40	2	27	34
TOR	ES	2	12:40	1	1	Panik from rebound of Booth shot	23	18	20	3	4	45	18	20	40	2	27	34
DET	ES	2	12:07	1	1	Nyquist drives wide	25	26	43	3	4	45	14	26	40	52	55	34
TOR	ES	2	11:43	1	1	Kadri fron Winnik	25	26	43	3	12	45	13	21	40	52	55	34
TOR	ES	2	11:21	1	1	Winnik deflects Robidas shot wide	25	26	43	12	44	45	13	21	40	52	55	34
TOR	PP	2	09:35	1	1	Franson wide from rebound of Phaneuf shot	42	81	21	3	4	45	41	20	27	55	34	-
TOR	ES	2	08:46	1	1	Kadri from Gardiner	43	19	71	44	51	45	41	20	2	52	61	34
DET	ES	2	07:17	1	1	Ouellet wraparound	24	19	71	12	44	45	15	21	43	52	61	34
TOR	ES	2	05:43	1	1	Panik from Rielly	23	18	20	12	44	45	18	41	20	2	27	34
TOR	ES	2	05:31	1	1	Booth from Robidas	23	18	20	12	44	45	18	41	20	2	27	34
TOR	PP	2	04:10	1	1	Van Riemsdyk from Franson	42	81	21	3	4	45	18	20	27	61	34	-
TOR	ES	2	03:13	1	1	Bozak from rebound of Robidas shot	42	81	21	12	55	45	13	15	21	2	27	34
TOR	ES	2	02:10	1	1	GOAL! Panik drives	42	18	21	12	55	45	15	21	40	2	27	34
DET	ES	2	00:52	2	1	Cleary wide from Sheahan	24	19	71	51	55	45	15	11	26	2	52	34
DET	ES	2	00:46	2	1	Sheahan wide from loose puck	24	19	71	51	55	45	15	11	26	2	52	34
TOR	ES	3	18:18	2	1	GOAL! Rielly drives	24	19	71	3	44	45	15	93	11	2	27	34
DET	ES	3	17:23	3	1	Andersson wide from loose puck	24	19	71	3	51	45	18	41	20	52	55	34
DET	ES	3	17:18	3	1	Andersson wraparound	24	19	71	3	51	45	18	41	20	52	55	34
DET	ES	3	17:09	3	1	Andersson from Ericsson	24	19	71	3	51	45	18	41	20	52	55	34
DET	ES	3	13:45	3	1	Ericsson from Dastyuk	42	81	21	3	4	45	13	21	43	52	55	34
TOR	ES	3	08:52	3	1	Holzer from Lupul	43	19	51	55	45	-	15	21	55	61	34	-
TOR	ES	3	08:51	3	1	Bozak from faceoff	43	19	51	55	45	-	15	21	55	61	34	-
DET	ES	3	07:42	3	1	Datsyuk from Zetterberg	25	26	3	4	45	-	13	40	52	55	34	-
DET	ES	3	06:07	3	1	Kronwall drives	24	19	71	44	51	45	14	41	43	2	55	34
DET	ES	3	05:34	3	1	Franzen deflects Ericsson shot wide	24	71	20	3	4	45	13	93	40	52	61	34
TOR	PP	3	01:51	3	1	Clarkson drives	43	19	71	44	51	45	41	20	27	61	34	-
TOR	PP	3	01:49	3	1	Kadri from Gardiner	43	19	71	44	51	45	41	20	27	61	34	-
TOR	PP	3	01:49	3	1	Rielly wide from loose puck	43	19	71	44	51	45	41	20	27	61	34	-

The player-by-player data:

Player	Overall				Even Strength				ES Close
	For	Against	Diff	TOI	For	Against	Diff	TOI	For	Against	Diff
Phaneuf	9	9	0	24:35	6	8	-2	18:46	5	2	3
Franson	8	6	2	21:28	5	5	0	15:32	5	2	3
Robidas	8	4	4	14:54	7	4	3	13:58	7	4	3
Panik	6	1	5	08:47	6	1	5	08:47	6	1	5
Lupul	10	8	2	16:02	7	8	-1	11:45	4	4	0
Booth	5	2	3	10:37	5	2	3	10:33	5	1	4
Van Riemsdyk	7	7	0	17:15	4	7	-3	12:48	4	6	-2
Smith	5	1	4	07:37	5	1	4	07:37	5	1	4
Holland	3	10	-7	13:13	2	9	-7	11:22	1	4	-3
Santorelli	6	5	1	17:48	6	5	1	16:17	6	4	2
Winnik	6	5	1	15:55	5	4	1	13:41	5	3	2
Bozak	8	6	2	18:25	5	6	-1	13:58	5	5	0
Kadri	11	3	8	19:26	8	3	5	15:22	6	3	3
Rielly	10	6	4	18:09	7	6	1	14:50	6	5	1
Gardiner	12	12	0	22:14	9	12	-3	17:53	7	8	-1
Holzer	9	7	2	17:53	8	7	1	16:57	6	7	-1
Clarkson	8	10	-2	15:09	5	10	-5	10:52	4	5	-1
Kessel	6	6	0	16:13	3	6	-3	12:13	3	5	-2
Bernier	28	22	6	59:39	21	21	0	48:37	18	14	4

What’s been a consistent theme in the last couple of weeks is that Toronto’s offense has been successful without great play being required from the Kessel line, and tonight was similar. While Bozak was even at ES Close, both Kessel and JVR ended up in the negative, and they were surpassed in offensive performance by the Kadri line and, surprisingly, the fourth line. Richard Panik has had three or four games this season where he has been a real standout, and tonight was another, as his +5 was a team best. David Booth and Trevor Smith were also strong, both +4. Impressively for Smith and Panik, that came in less than ten minutes of ES icetime. The Kadri line was also strong, with all three members solid positives, and getting the better of their match-ups with Zetterberg. Peter Holland and David Clarkson had some of the tougher zone starts, and both ended up with bad numbers, Holland a team worst -3 at ES Close.

Korbinian Holzer got a lot of positive talk on the broadcast, which was a bit puzzling given how bad his numbers have been this season. Admittedly, he did have a solid night, ending up around even. More impressive was Jake Gardiner, who had the toughest zone start numbers on the team, but still ended up at almost even at ES Close. The top pairing of Phaneuf and Franson had a good game, though they were on for that tough Leaf shift in the third. Stephane Robidas also had nice numbers, though he had fairly soft zone starts.

Cumulative numbers this season:

Overall	Pos	#	Even Strength				ES Close
			For	Against	%	TOI	For	Against	%
Smith	F	14	25	25	50.0%	07:38	15	12	55.6%
Franson	D	27	154	139	52.6%	15:38	89	76	53.9%
Panik	F	26	50	51	49.5%	08:26	35	30	53.8%
Clarkson	F	29	114	118	49.1%	12:26	64	55	53.8%
Winnik	F	27	88	103	46.1%	12:01	51	45	53.1%
Kadri	F	29	139	151	47.9%	14:02	85	84	50.3%
Phaneuf	D	29	170	187	47.6%	17:11	107	109	49.5%
Komarov	F	23	78	73	51.7%	12:32	39	40	49.4%
Rielly	D	28	138	159	46.5%	15:07	78	81	49.1%
Lupul	F	17	70	88	44.3%	14:02	40	44	47.6%
Booth	F	8	15	22	40.5%	09:43	10	11	47.6%
Reimer	G	10	130	164	44.2%	42:23	65	76	46.1%
Bernier	G	22	285	334	46.0%	44:42	173	203	46.0%
Kessel	F	29	155	180	46.3%	14:28	91	110	45.3%
Polak	D	21	89	128	41.0%	17:41	56	69	44.8%
Bozak	F	29	141	165	46.1%	14:39	79	101	43.9%
Holland	F	29	77	112	40.7%	11:01	41	53	43.6%
Van Riemsdyk	F	29	143	185	43.6%	14:40	85	110	43.6%
Leivo	F	8	18	21	46.2%	07:33	11	15	42.3%
Gardiner	D	27	112	149	42.9%	16:48	60	82	42.3%
Santorelli	F	29	101	121	45.5%	13:17	51	73	41.1%
Robidas	D	28	112	141	44.3%	15:01	57	84	40.4%
Percy	D	8	26	41	38.8%	14:54	14	22	38.9%
Holzer	D	8	29	53	35.4%	15:46	14	33	29.8%

Big games for Panik and Smith, who are low-ice time and low-event players, sees them lift up to the top of the ES Close table. Nazem Kadri also cracks 50% as ES Close. Holzer enters the table, having met the GP requirement, and is dead last in both categories, behind Stuart Percy.