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In their first game back since the All Star break, the Maple Leafs showed the type of defensive effort that new coach Peter Horachek has been looking for.

While their offensive struggles continued in New Jersey, they had one of their best defensive games of the season. They held the Devils to only three ES chances in the first two periods and the game was up for grabs heading into the final twenty minutes. James van Riemsdyk put them ahead in the third, and they seemed well placed to hold the lead, until a bad icing was followed by a shot from Larsson finding its way through. Still, the Leafs made it to an extra period, breaking a six game pointless streak. They had a couple of good chances there, but the game ended up in a shootout, and it was a 7th straight Leaf defeat.

StatusOverallEven StrengthES Close
TeamTORNJD%TORNJD%TORNJD%
16275.0%1150.0%1150.0%
29469.2%4266.7%4266.7%
36460.0%3442.9%2340.0%
440100.0%40100.0%40100.0%
Total251071.4%12763.2%11664.7%

Toronto had ten minutes of power-play time, and weren’t able to get a goal with the extra man, despite a raft of chances. That failure cost them a win in a game in which they otherwise played well and were the odds-on favorites in Canadian sports betting.

ClubStPTimeTScOscNoteTorontoNew Jersey
NJDES119:0500Elias wide from Havlat43478145545199265635
TORES113:3200Panik deflects Franson shot wide2318204514516152023235
TORPP106:3400Kessel from Bozak42438121514514165635-
TORPP105:3000Van Riemsdyk wide from Kessel42438121514514165635-
TORPP105:2000Van Riemsdyk post from rebound42438121514514165635-
TORPP105:0500Bozak from Kessel42438121514514165635-
TORPP105:0000Bozak from rebound42438121514514165635-
NJDSH101:2600Zajac from Zidlicky2642465545-1992026235
NJDES219:2900Zajac from Havlat43478145545199265635
NJDSH216:4000Havlat wide from Zajac25264845-1992026235
TORSH216:3000Santorelli drives2526465545-1992026235
TORES215:5400Kadri deflects Rielly shot wide434771444645814265635
TORPP214:3800Van Riemsdyk from Kessel42438121514515235635-
TORPP214:3800Bozak from rebound of Van Riemsdyk shot42438121514515235635-
TORPP214:2900Santorelli from Franson24257144445141673235-
NJDSH211:1000Havlat from Tootoo2326465545-1992026235
TORES209:3900Santorelli drives252644651458141652235
TORES208:3100Komarov post from Kessel434781444645814165635
TORES203:5600Van Riemsdyk from Rielly42712144464514212023235
NJDES202:5400Josefson deflects Larsson shot wide427121451451615205635
TORPP200:3000Van Riemsdyk from Bozak42438121514514165635-
TORPP319:1000Van Riemsdyk from Franson428121451458235635-
TOREN316:1800Van Riemsdyk from Kadri424321446-14682735-
NJDES311:5400Ruutu deflects Larsson shot2425264446451615205635
NJDES311:3200Greene from Elias434781444645199265635
NJDES310:5700Zidlicky from Gomez4271214514514216823235
TORES308:1100GOAL! Van Riemsdyk drives42712144464514216823235
TORES307:0110Winnik drives wide42812145145199265635
TORPP306:2410Kessel from Gardiner42812145145141663235-
NJDES304:4510Cammalleri drives24254344445818232635
TORES300:0011Kadri deflects Gardiner shot wide434781515545142196735
TORES404:4311Kessel drives438145145-14195635-
TORES403:5511Kessel wide from Kadri4381515545-142322235-
TORES402:5711Rielly drives4221444645-142322235-
TORES400:5911Kadri drives437145145-8266735-

Player-by Player data:

PlayerOverallEven StrengthES Close
ForAgainstDiffTOIForAgainstDiffTOIForAgainstDiff
Franson96324:1555017:10440
Granberg01-109:4500007:20000
Panik10106:2910106:29101
Booth10107:1410105:19101
Van Riemsdyk1521317:4142210:46321
Smith11009:2310107:53101
Holland12-118:1502-215:1001-1
Santorelli33017:5712-115:35110
Winnik24-219:2811015:22110
Bozak1531219:3242211:39321
Kadri1541120:2064214:43633
Rielly63324:3253220:56523
Polak84424:1862421:30624
Komarov33012:5433010:36330
Gardiner1721526:4972517:47624
Holzer34-117:0322013:39220
Clarkson52316:0342213:37422
Kessel1531220:1953212:57431
Bernier24101464:43127548:431165

Leo Komarov returned, as did Peter Holland, but the most effective of the forwards was Nazem Kadri, who ended up a +3 at ES Close. Holland actually ended up in the negative in his fifteen minutes, not on for a single Leaf ES chance. This may be down to having the hardest zone starts on the team, although Kadri’s were not much easier. Phil Kessel had a solid game, as did Van Riemsdyk and Bozak, with all three excellent on the power-play, along with Kadri. Komarov ended up even in his return to action, and the bottom two lines were quiet.

Roman Polak had a great game, as despite having the hardest zone starts on the defence, he ended up a +4, tied with Jake Gardiner for the best number on the team. Morgan Rielly has seen his minutes go up under Horachek, and tonight was another example, as he was a +3 in 20 ES minutes, and had a spectacular shift in overtime. Korbinian Holzer and Petter Granberg both drew into the lineup, Granberg for his first game of the season, and both ended up even, though the Swede played sparingly. Cody Franson also ended up at even, as the defence looked solid without Dion Phaneuf.

Cumulative numbers this season:

OverallPos#Even StrengthES Close
ForAgainst%TOIForAgainst%
WinnikF4717318748.1%13:04928352.6%
KomarovF301029352.3%12:13545350.5%
KadriF4723124948.1%14:4613713949.6%
FransonD4725727548.3%15:5815015549.2%
ClarksonF4918719848.6%12:239710348.5%
BernierG3547956346.0%45:1729133246.7%
PhaneufD4826731745.7%17:0516018346.6%
GardinerD4621725246.3%17:0911914145.8%
RiellyD4825229945.7%16:0813315945.5%
PolakD3919425143.6%17:5411413745.4%
KesselF4926831945.7%15:0815719045.2%
LupulF2612014844.8%13:46657945.1%
PanikF449310646.7%08:58556745.1%
BozakF4925429646.2%15:0113617144.3%
SantorelliF4918722645.3%13:519812543.9%
SmithF33708246.1%08:43395043.8%
Van RiemsdykF4924032342.6%14:5614119142.5%
ReimerG1924131043.7%42:4311216440.6%
HollandF3910616139.7%11:34568340.3%
RobidasD3814519642.5%15:077211837.9%
CarrickF10122334.3%06:21111936.7%
HolzerD208011441.2%15:33437536.4%
BoothF27427236.8%08:58254535.7%

Komarov has been one of the best Leafs this season in chances, and his return bodes well for the forward depth that’s been so poor over the last couple of weeks. After starting the season poorly, Jake Gardiner — who played a whopping 26 minutes tonight in Phaneuf’s absence — has gradually climbed up the rankings, and is now the #2 defenceman in terms of ES overall chances, behind Franson.