Advertisement

While the score line was different, there was a lot similar between the Leafs’ back-to-back wins against the teams from Southern California.

Much like Sunday, the Leafs went out to a 2-0 lead, despite being out-chanced in the first two periods, and, also just like that game, Anaheim responded with a goal late in the second, putting some pressure on Toronto. The Leafs showed some good resilience with another great third period; despite holding a lead, they were even in chances. Of course, the difference was that they turned four of those chances into goals, making the final score pretty lopsided.

StatusOverallEven StrengthES Close
TeamTORANA%TORANA%TORANA%
171433.3%7943.8%7943.8%
271138.9%5935.7%2433.3%
39950.0%8947.1%00-
Total233440.4%202742.6%91340.9%

It was a busy game, with the most combined chances for a Leaf game since the game against Dallas. While the last two games have seen the Leafs broadly outplayed at ES in the first two frames, their solid third periods, against quality teams — and, in the LA game, on short rest — is a great sign. It’s a confidence defending the lead that has, over the past few years, been missing more often than not. It was also a rare night where the Leafs were not great on special teams, as they gave up a couple of chances while on the power-play.

ClubStPTimeTScOscNoteTorontoAnaheim
ANAES119:1000Kesler wraparound24197151554517213934531
ANAES117:1600Maroon from Jackman23182012444544181934531
ANAES116:5500Kesler drives2318201244451718394631
ANAES116:5100Kesler from rebound2318201244451718394631
TORES116:0200Kessel drives4281213445733674631
TORES114:4800Gardiner drives24197145145172114284731
TORES114:4700Santorelli from rebound of Gardiner shot24251945145152114284731
TORES114:4400Holland from rebound of Santorelli shot24251945145152114284731
TORES114:3800Gardiner wide from loose puck24251945145152114284731
ANAES114:0000Maroon from rebound of Smith-Pelly shot2526433444515121934531
ANAES110:0200Thompson wraparound wide2481211244454418194631
ANASH107:3700Palmieri from Lindholm2526125545-152139454731
TORES104:5200Van Riemsdyk wraparound4281215155451518194631
TORES104:4800GOAL! Bozak from rebound of Van Riemsdyk shot4281215155451518194631
ANAES104:3810Palmieri from Beleskey24197151554517213934531
ANASH103:1210Bourque from Getzlaf24263445-151714194531
ANASH102:4610Kesler drives242631245-151721394531
ANASH102:2810Getzlaf from Vatanen242631245-151721394531
ANASH101:5010Palmieri from Rakell2526125545-21673944731
ANAES101:2010Silfverberg wide from Smith-Pelly4281213445712334631
ANAES100:0110Kesler from rebound of Vatanen shot421971344515173934531
ANAES219:2010Rakell wraparound428121124445733674631
ANAES219:1910Rakell from rebound428121124445733674631
ANAES219:1410Silfverberg from Cogliano428121124445733674631
TORES217:3320Kadri wide from Winnik2526433445151214284731
ANAES215:3720Cogliano wide from rebound of Stoner shot4281215155457336734531
TORES215:2820Bozak wide from Van Riemsdyk42812112444517333934531
ANAES214:3820Kesler wide from Lindholm2419713445172139284731
ANAES214:3320Palmieri wraparound2419713445172139284731
TORES213:3420Smith from Santorelli2325264124544141832831
ANAES212:1120Silfverberg from loose puck231821124445733674631
TORPP211:4920Van Riemsdyk from Kessel4281213445151734531-
TORPP211:2920Kessel from Bozak4281213445151734531-
ANAPP210:2820Lindholm from Getzlaf4219213445712284731-
ANAES209:1920Smith-Pelly wide from loose puck25264334451512194631
ANAPP206:4720GOAL! Vatanen from Kesler4281213445151734531-
ANAES204:3421Palmieri wraparound24252651554515213934531
TORES203:1421Kessel deflects Robidas shot wide428121124445733674631
TORES200:2321Phaneuf wide from Winnik25264334451512194631
TORES317:5721Clarkson wraparound24197134451512194631
ANAES316:2121Kesler post from Palmieri4319515545-172164731-
TORES315:2321GOAL! Booth wraparound23182012444544141834531
ANAES315:0831Maroon drives25264334451533194631
TORES314:3231GOAL! Kadri drives2526433445153319284731
TORES313:2041Santorelli wide from loose puck2526421244457172134580
TORES311:5641Clarkson drives241971515545151433284780
ANAES311:2541GOAL! Kesler from Palmieri25264351554517213934580
ANAES308:5642Lovejoy from Beleskey2419711244451721394680
ANAES307:0442Silfverberg deflects Stoner shot wide241971344515143334580
TORES305:4742Van Riemsdyk drives4281211244454467194680
ANAES305:0342Getzlaf deflects Stoner shot wide42812112444515671934580
TORPP304:3742GOAL! Kessel drives4281213445151734580-
ANAES303:5852Rakell drives25264351554573367284780
ANAES303:2952Bourque drives wide252643444451512144680
ANAES303:2152Bourque from Getzlaf252643444451712144680
TORES301:4352GOAL! Kessel drives42812112444573367284780
TORES300:4562Holland from loose puck2419715155451544144680

Player-by Player data:

PlayerOverallEven StrengthES Close
ForAgainstDiffTOIForAgainstDiffTOIForAgainstDiff
Phaneuf813-520:3358-314:5523-1
Franson1312122:00109117:03624
Robidas714-720:13710-318:2817-6
Panik14-307:5614-307:5603-3
Lupul79-218:2578-116:30431
Booth13-206:3513-205:5803-3
Van Riemsdyk1010018:2278-114:3445-1
Smith24-206:4624-206:4603-3
Holland711-416:1178-115:18440
Santorelli810-216:4088014:59422
Winnik513-817:0158-314:2112-1
Bozak119218:2787114:3745-1
Kadri38-517:0838-515:26110
Rielly613-721:31613-719:4018-7
Gardiner87118:4887117:11633
Holzer49-517:0147-316:1123-1
Clarkson47-314:3547-313:1313-2
Kessel108215:4877013:1945-1
Bernier2334-1160:002027-751:41913-4

I’ve harped on it a lot recently, but one of the keys to the Leafs‘ great run of play has been their depth, as the top line, for the most part, hasn’t been pulling its weight at even strength. Tonight was more of what we’d expect from them, as not only did they generate a couple of goals, they also were the top offensive line in terms of chances. All three members also ended up close to even, though they were -1 at ES Close.

Mike Santorelli had a good game as well, the leading forward at ES Close. That came despite his regular line-mates, Kadri and Winnik, having relatively poor numbers. Kadri’s defensive chance numbers were pretty bad, although most of that came once the game was pretty much decided in the third. Peter Holland had a solid night in the middle, but the fourth line, typically pretty quiet, wasn’t great, getting clearly out-chanced despite limited minutes and soft zone starts.

Jake Gardiner had a strong night, as he had tough zone starts, but was offensively dynamic, and ended up tied with Franson as the best defenceman at ES Overall. You can forgive Gardiner’s defensive lapses when he helps generate the offensive shifts he did tonight, but too often this year we’ve seen only the lapses. Cody Franson, the best zone starts on the defence, had a strong game in that situation, finishing +4 at ES close, a team high. Part of these good numbers was one strong shift, where the Leafs generated a number of chances with both defencemen (Gardiner and Franson) on the ice. That explains why Phaneuf, Franson’s partner, was somewhat behind him. Stephane Robidas and Morgan Rielly were the weak point on the defence, with Rielly’s defensive numbers in particularly being real eyesores, he was a -7, and on for 13 Anaheim ES chances. Robidas was only marginally better.

Cumulative numbers this season:

OverallPos#Even StrengthES Close
ForAgainst%TOIForAgainst%
FransonD2917115452.6%15:47998454.1%
WinnikF299711346.2%12:16564853.8%
ClarksonF3112213248.0%12:25676351.5%
PanikF28535648.6%08:26353450.7%
KadriF3114816547.3%14:16919050.3%
SmithF16292950.0%07:39151550.0%
KomarovF23787351.7%12:32394049.4%
PhaneufD3118220347.3%17:1311312048.5%
LupulF198210444.1%14:07465346.5%
RiellyD3014817945.3%15:20809446.0%
BernierG2330536145.8%45:0018221645.7%
PolakD218912841.0%17:41566944.8%
KesselF3116519645.7%14:279612144.2%
ReimerG1114418543.8%43:42729144.2%
GardinerD2912416443.1%16:57698943.7%
SantorelliF3111313246.1%13:29597743.4%
HollandF318712640.8%11:13466143.0%
BozakF3115218145.6%14:418411242.9%
Van RiemsdykF3115320343.0%14:399012242.5%
LeivoF8182146.2%07:33111542.3%
BoothF10182640.9%09:17101540.0%
PercyD8264138.8%14:54142238.9%
RobidasD3012015643.5%15:11589438.2%
HolzerD10386835.8%16:12184031.0%

The fourth line all move down after a relatively poor game, meaning that Franson retakes the ES Close lead from Smith. Robidas’ numbers slip even further, as he drops below Percy at ES Close, down to under 40%.