Home Analysis Game Reviews Game 34 Scoring Chances: Blackhawks 4 vs. Maple Leafs 0

fuck you versteeg — CHICAGO, IL - DECEMBER 21: Patrick Sharp #10 of the Chicago Blackhawks reacts in front of goalie James Reimer #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs after David Rundblad #5 (not pictured) scored in the first period during the NHL game at the United Center on December 21, 2014 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Bill Smith/NHLI via Getty Images)

Game 34 Scoring Chances: Blackhawks 4 vs. Maple Leafs 0

Dec 21, 2014

A poor start for the Leafs saw Chicago hold them to only a single ES chance in the opening period, and a goal in the final second left Toronto a two-goal deficit to try and make up.

The Leafs were much better in the second period, at least until the last five minutes, when Chicago took control again. The third was similar, with Toronto having a good start, but not managing a breakthrough; when Chicago got a pair of insurance goals in under two minutes, the game was all but over.

Status	Overall			Even Strength			ES Close
Team	TOR	CHI	%	TOR	CHI	%	TOR	CHI	%
1	3	7	30.0%	1	6	14.3%	1	6	14.3%
2	6	10	37.5%	6	7	46.2%	0	0	-
3	10	6	62.5%	7	4	63.6%	0	0	-
Total	19	23	45.2%	14	17	45.2%	1	6	14.3%

The Leafs were ahead in ES chances once the first period was over, but that terrible first twenty minutes was too much to overcome. In the third, Toronto had out-chanced the Hawks 9-1 overall, and 6-1 at ES, before Chicago scored its two goals.

Club	St	P	Time	Osc	Note	Toronto						Chicago
TOR	PP	1	18:04	0	Van Riemsdyk deflects Phaneuf shot	42	81	21	3	4	34	19	81	2	4	31	-
CHI	PP	1	17:49	0	Keith drives	42	81	21	3	4	34	19	81	2	32	31	-
TOR	PP	1	16:43	0	Kadri deflects Rielly shot	43	19	71	44	51	34	16	28	27	32	31	-
CHI	ES	1	10:12	0	Toews from rebound of Oduya shot	26	43	81	3	4	34	19	81	20	4	27	31
CHI	ES	1	10:01	0	Hossa from Saad	42	71	21	3	4	34	19	81	20	2	7	31
CHI	ES	1	08:27	0	Saad from Toews	25	43	19	3	4	34	19	28	20	2	7	31
CHI	ES	1	08:16	0	Sharp drives	24	25	19	46	51	34	23	88	10	2	7	31
CHI	ES	1	07:47	0	Kane from Sharp	24	25	19	46	51	34	23	88	10	4	27	31
TOR	ES	1	00:29	1	Santorelli deflects Gardiner shot	24	25	19	4	51	34	65	13	29	2	4	31
CHI	ES	1	00:01	1	GOAL! Versteeg from Kane	42	71	21	3	4	34	23	88	10	2	4	31
TOR	ES	2	17:54	2	Kessel drives wide	42	81	21	44	55	34	23	88	10	2	7	31
TOR	ES	2	15:18	2	Clarkson wraparound	24	19	71	3	44	34	23	88	10	2	7	31
CHI	ES	2	14:47	2	Toews wide from Hossa	42	81	21	46	51	34	19	81	20	4	27	31
TOR	ES	2	13:38	2	Rielly from Winnik	25	26	43	44	55	34	16	42	28	5	32	31
CHI	ES	2	12:30	2	Rozsival drives	23	71	20	46	51	34	65	13	29	5	32	31
CHI	SH	2	11:30	2	Keith from Kane	24	26	3	4	34	-	19	23	88	10	2	31
CHI	SH	2	11:29	2	Toews from rebound of Keith shot	24	26	3	4	34	-	19	23	88	10	2	31
CHI	SH	2	11:29	2	Toews from rebound	24	26	3	4	34	-	19	23	88	10	2	31
TOR	ES	2	09:50	2	Kessel from giveaway	42	81	21	46	51	34	16	42	28	4	27	31
TOR	ES	2	09:13	2	Kessel drives wide	42	81	21	3	4	34	16	42	28	2	4	31
TOR	ES	2	08:05	2	Winnik deflects Gardiner shot post	25	26	43	44	51	34	65	81	29	2	7	31
CHI	ES	2	06:09	2	Kruger from loose puck	23	81	18	46	51	34	16	42	28	2	7	31
CHI	ES	2	04:02	2	Sharp deflects Keith shot	24	19	20	44	55	34	23	88	10	2	7	31
CHI	ES	2	03:16	2	Toews drives	42	81	21	3	51	34	19	81	20	2	7	31
CHI	ES	2	00:15	2	Smith wraparound	42	81	21	44	55	34	16	42	28	2	7	31
CHI	ES	2	00:13	2	Nordstrom from loose puck	42	81	21	44	55	34	16	42	28	2	7	31
TOR	ES	3	19:22	2	Santorelli from loose puck	25	26	43	44	55	34	16	42	28	2	7	31
TOR	ES	3	18:42	2	Kessel drives	42	81	21	3	4	34	19	81	20	4	27	31
TOR	ES	3	17:46	2	Holland wide from loose puck	24	18	19	46	51	34	23	88	10	2	7	31
CHI	ES	3	17:36	2	Kane drives wide	24	18	19	46	51	34	23	88	10	5	32	31
TOR	ES	3	15:56	2	Kadri from faceoff	25	26	43	44	46	34	16	42	28	2	7	31
TOR	ES	3	14:43	2	Panik from Holland	24	18	19	51	55	34	23	88	10	4	5	31
TOR	PP	3	12:31	2	Kessel wide from Bozak	42	81	21	3	4	34	19	81	2	4	31	-
TOR	PP	3	12:04	2	Clarkson from loose puck	43	19	71	44	51	34	16	28	7	27	31	-
TOR	PP	3	11:56	2	Gardiner from Rielly	43	19	71	44	51	34	16	28	7	27	31	-
TOR	ES	3	11:30	2	Clarkson deflects Kadri shot wide	43	19	71	44	51	34	23	81	20	2	4	31
CHI	SH	3	10:53	2	Sharp deflects Seabrook shot	26	42	46	51	34	-	19	88	10	2	7	31
CHI	SH	3	10:53	2	GOAL! Kane from rebound of Sharp shot	26	42	46	51	34	-	19	88	10	2	7	31
CHI	ES	3	08:38	3	GOAL! Toews drives	25	26	43	44	55	34	19	81	20	2	7	31
CHI	ES	3	03:44	4	Smith wraparound	25	43	21	3	46	34	16	42	28	4	27	31
CHI	ES	3	02:48	4	Seabrook from Versteeg	42	81	21	44	55	34	23	88	10	2	7	31
TOR	ES	3	02:08	4	Panik deflects Gardiner shot wide	24	18	19	46	51	34	23	88	10	5	32	31

Player-by Player data:

Player	Overall				Even Strength				ES Close
	For	Against	Diff	TOI	For	Against	Diff	TOI	For	Against	Diff
Phaneuf	5	10	-5	20:50	3	6	-3	17:27	0	4	-4
Franson	5	8	-3	20:23	3	4	-1	17:00	1	4	-3
Panik	3	2	1	11:56	3	2	1	11:56	0	0	0
Lupul	9	5	4	16:12	6	5	1	14:22	1	3	-2
Booth	0	2	-2	13:11	0	2	-2	12:41	0	0	0
Van Riemsdyk	6	9	-3	17:05	4	8	-4	14:49	0	2	-2
Smith	0	2	-2	13:18	0	2	-2	13:18	0	0	0
Holland	5	7	-2	15:34	5	4	1	14:25	1	2	-1
Santorelli	5	5	0	13:11	5	5	0	12:26	1	3	-2
Winnik	4	7	-3	15:25	4	2	2	13:50	0	1	-1
Bozak	6	10	-4	17:14	4	7	-3	14:00	0	2	-2
Kadri	8	4	4	14:04	5	4	1	12:14	0	2	-2
Rielly	10	5	5	19:15	7	5	2	16:38	0	0	0
Polak	4	9	-5	19:50	4	7	-3	19:29	0	2	-2
Gardiner	10	9	1	22:48	7	7	0	20:25	1	2	-1
Holzer	4	5	-1	16:58	4	5	-1	16:23	0	0	0
Clarkson	5	3	2	14:32	2	3	-1	12:54	0	2	-2
Kessel	6	8	-2	15:53	4	7	-3	13:58	0	1	-1
Reimer	19	23	-4	60:00	14	17	-3	53:39	1	6	-5

The reunited top line had a better night than they did when separated on Saturday, generating some offensive chances, but they were still pretty clearly out-chanced at ES. The second line, with Kadri, Santorelli and Winnik, were better; while their ES close numbers were still poor, that trio was able to finish even at ES overall. Peter Holland and Joffrey Lupul, who both had some of the toughest zone starts, also were solid after the opening period, and both ended up in the positive.

Phaneuf and Franson were given the hardest zone starts on the team, and it showed in the numbers, as they were the two worst Leafs in chances during that poor first period. While Franson recovered somewhat after that, not on for another ES chance against, Phaneuf ended up a -3. Roman Polak had some of the easiest zone starts on the team, but still ended up with poor numbers, finishing at a -3, like Phaneuf. It was another good night for Morgan Rielly, who was the best Leaf in chances, and one of the few regulars not on for an ES chance against in the first period. Jake Gardiner, returning to the lineup, also did well, ending up even in a team-high 20:25 of ES ice time.

Cumulative numbers this season:

Overall	Pos	#	Even Strength				ES Close
			For	Against	%	TOI	For	Against	%
Franson	D	32	184	174	51.4%	15:50	103	90	53.4%
Winnik	F	32	105	126	45.5%	12:21	58	53	52.3%
Kadri	F	34	165	181	47.7%	14:20	97	96	50.3%
Clarkson	F	34	133	146	47.7%	12:25	71	71	50.0%
Komarov	F	23	78	73	51.7%	12:32	39	40	49.4%
Panik	F	31	59	63	48.4%	08:32	35	38	47.9%
Phaneuf	D	34	197	225	46.7%	17:16	116	127	47.7%
Rielly	D	33	170	198	46.2%	15:32	86	102	45.7%
Bernier	G	25	334	401	45.4%	45:01	191	235	44.8%
Smith	F	19	32	36	47.1%	07:59	15	19	44.1%
Lupul	F	22	100	126	44.2%	14:01	51	65	44.0%
Santorelli	F	34	128	147	46.5%	13:35	64	82	43.8%
Gardiner	D	31	137	175	43.9%	17:05	71	92	43.6%
Reimer	G	13	160	204	44.0%	41:49	73	97	42.9%
Kessel	F	34	178	218	44.9%	14:24	97	129	42.9%
Van Riemsdyk	F	34	169	218	43.7%	14:42	93	126	42.5%
Bozak	F	34	166	201	45.2%	14:32	85	119	41.7%
Holland	F	34	98	142	40.8%	11:26	49	69	41.5%
Polak	D	24	100	150	40.0%	17:43	56	79	41.5%
Robidas	D	32	127	170	42.8%	15:13	61	105	36.7%
Booth	F	13	21	33	38.9%	09:33	10	19	34.5%
Holzer	D	12	47	78	37.6%	16:07	20	45	30.8%

David Booth’s numbers continue to go down, and he’s now chasing Holzer as the worst regular. Part of that is down to his relatively low usage, but he certainly hasn’t stood out since getting in the line-up.