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With their long road trip in full swing, the Leafs got an important victory in their last pre-Christmas game, shutting out the Stars in Dallas.

Toronto did well in the first half of the game, finishing the opening period even in chances and ahead 1-0, and then dominating the first 15 minutes of the second, carrying the play and earning two more goals. After that, Dallas controlled the game, getting the bulk of the chances and putting Toronto under pressure. This mostly came at the end of each period; Dallas out-chanced the Leafs by a 6-1 margin in the last five minutes of the second, and by the same margin in the last seven minutes of the game. They couldn’t solve Jonathan Bernier, though, as he earned a 43 save shutout.

StatusOverallEven StrengthES Close
TeamTORDAL%TORDAL%TORDAL%
191340.9%9950.0%9950.0%
210952.6%8947.1%5183.3%
361233.3%2820.0%00-
Total253442.4%192642.2%141058.3%

The ES Close numbers show how effective Toronto was in the first half of the game, one of their better performances this month. The third period attack was to be expected from the Stars, and given that they never got close on the scoreboard, it doesn’t reflect too badly on the Leafs.

ClubStPTimeTScOscNoteTorontoDallas
TORES119:0500GOAL! Kadri from Van Riemsdyk438121344591831423332
DALES118:4510Ja Benn drives254321344591831433332
DALES116:3210Eakin post from Klingberg428119344516202133332
TORES116:2310Lupul from Kessel4281193464516202133332
TORES115:5610Winnik drives24267146514521387232432
TORES114:3310Kessel drives42811934459183142632
DALES114:0410Fiddler from Goligoski23182012444510223833332
DALSH113:5810Eakin deflects Seguin shot wide264234645-20909114632
DALSH113:2110Segin wide from Daley264234645-20909114632
DALSH112:1410Cole from Klingberg252134645-22398372332
DALES111:5910Cole deflects Klingberg shot wide2521344464522398372332
TORES108:2510Bozak from Kessel42811946514510223833332
TORES107:2510Santorelli drives2542214651459083212332
DALES107:0210Daley from Hemsky4281194651459183214632
DALSH105:1510Seguin post from Spezza264234645-20909114632
TORES104:0110Phaneuf from Kessel428135145-16723632-
TORES102:0310Bozak drives42812112444522911433332
TORES101:5610Bozak post from Van Riemsdyk42812112444522911433332
DALES101:4610Sceviour from Horcoff4381211244451022382632
DALES100:3510Eakin drives wide24267146514516203933332
DALES100:2010Roussel from Klingberg24712046514520217233332
DALES100:0610Spezza wide from Roussel24712046514590217233332
TORES217:2910Holland from Clarkson24267146514590217242432
TORES216:3510Kessel wide from Kadri4381465145-911433332-
TORES216:0510Polak from Holland242544645-911433332-
TORES214:5610Van Riemsdyk wide from faceoff25432146514510223833332
DALES213:4410Seguin post from Klingberg43182134459183143632
TORES213:3910GOAL! Van Riemsdyk from Kadri43182134459183143632
DALES210:4920Garbutt drives wide42811946514510163833332
TORPP209:3020GOAL! Bozak from rebound of Phaneuf shot4281213445201442432-
DALES209:2030Ja Benn from loose puck2543211244459183142632
TORES208:4430Smith drives23267146514590217233332
TORES207:0330Phaneuf from Kadri254321344590911462432
TORPP205:0530Clarkson drives43197144514510142432-
DALES204:2130Eakin wide from Klingberg23267112464520832133332
DALES203:5530Seguin from Demers232521344590911442432
DALES203:4330Seguin post from Demers254221344590911442432
TORES202:2830Bozak drives4281194651451020222632
DALES202:1630Fiddler from loose puck42811946514510223833332
DALES202:1030Fiddler from Klingberg42811946514510223833332
DALES202:0730Scievour wide from rebound of Fiddler shot42811946514510223833332
DALPP318:1730Fiddler drives4281213445213842432-
TORPP317:3030Kessel drives4281213445101463332-
DALPP317:2630Daley drives428121124445101463332-
DALES316:3330Seguin drives23252644464539912142432
TORES315:4130Gardiner from Van Riemsdyk42192146514591831433332
DALES312:2830Seguin from Spezza25432134451690912632
DALPP309:4530Roussel from Fiddler4281213445213863332-
TORPP309:3730Kessel drives wide4281213445213863332-
TORPP309:0130Phaneuf from Kessel4281213444516912432-
TORPP308:2830Franson from loose puck4281213445109163332-
DALES306:1530Seguin drives42811912444520909133332
DALES305:4530Spezza from rebound of Klingberg shot25264212464590911433332
DALES305:2330Seguin from rebound of Ja Benn shot25264312464590911433332
TORES305:0930Franson from loose puck2543214444522901433332
DALES304:5830Fiddler from Horcoff428119444451022382632
DALES304:5130Daley wide from loose puck2542211246451022382632
DALEN304:0430Seguin from Ja Benn254321446452090911436
DALES301:1940Cole from Fiddler237120125145103872243332

Player-by Player data:

PlayerOverallEven StrengthES Close
ForAgainstDiffTOIForAgainstDiffTOIForAgainstDiff
Phaneuf1113-223:3667-114:18541
Franson1010023:0367-115:14431
Robidas210-817:1029-714:24220
Panik12-104:0112-104:0112-1
Lupul68-213:1458-311:20321
Booth04-407:2804-406:0703-3
Van riemsdyk1414021:5399013:31642
Smith15-409:4415-409:4401-1
Holland33009:2733007:52330
Santorelli512-717:12510-514:51321
Winnik38-517:0735-213:19211
Bozak1417-321:26911-214:23725
Kadri77015:4766013:44431
Rielly58-313:4637-411:4523-1
Polak1119-822:491114-318:39853
Gardiner119219:47109117:43743
Clarkson45-113:2635-211:3223-1
Kessel1412219:0499013:40835
Bernier2534-960:001926-745:5614104

After some serious struggles of late, Tyler Bozak and Phil Kessel played really well tonight, as that pair were the driving force behind the Leafs‘ strong play in the first half of the game. While their defensive records after that were bad, they both ended up with +5 chance numbers at ES Close. James Van Riemsdyk also had a solid night. Mike Santorelli had good ES Close numbers, but was -6 as the Leafs tried to defend the lead. David Booth and Trevor Smith were fairly poor, both ending up at -4 at ES, despite playing limited minutes. Nazem Kadri finished at even, as did Peter Holland, as the Leafs showed some good strength down the middle.

Jake Gardiner had an excellent night, the best of the defencemen at ES Close, and the only one to finish in the positive at ES overall. Roman Polak, who typically has some of the worst numbers, was very good in the first half of the game as well, and while he was on for more Stars chances than any other Leaf, that’s mostly down to his high ice time and usage. Stephane Robidas had the toughest zone starts on the team, in his return to Dallas; he finished even at ES Close, but ended up the worst Leaf at ES overall, a -7. Dion Phaneuf and Cody Franson both had solid nights, both around even.

Cumulative numbers this season:

OverallPos#Even StrengthES Close
ForAgainst%TOIForAgainst%
FransonD3319018151.2%15:491079353.5%
WinnikF3310813145.2%12:22605452.6%
KadriF3517118747.8%14:191019950.5%
ClarksonF3513615147.4%12:24737449.7%
KomarovF23787351.7%12:32394049.4%
PhaneufD3520323246.7%17:1112113148.0%
PanikF32606548.0%08:24364047.4%
RiellyD3417320545.8%15:258810545.6%
BernierG2635342745.3%45:0320524545.6%
GardinerD3214718444.4%17:06789644.8%
LupulF2310513443.9%13:54546744.6%
SantorelliF3513315745.9%13:38678444.4%
KesselF3518722745.2%14:2210513244.3%
PolakD2511116440.4%17:45648443.2%
Van RiemsdykF3517822744.0%14:409913043.2%
BozakF3517521245.2%14:329212143.2%
ReimerG1316020444.0%41:49739742.9%
SmithF20334144.6%08:04152042.9%
HollandF3510114541.1%11:20527241.9%
RobidasD3312917941.9%15:126310737.1%
BoothF14213736.2%09:19102231.3%
HolzerD12477837.6%16:07204530.8%

Strong games see Bozak, Gardiner and Polak among the men moving up, while Booth continues to struggle, dropping below Holzer at ES to be the worst regular on the Leafs.