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The Clarkson-free Leafs had a strong first twenty-five minutes, out-chancing the Flyers and opening up a 2-0 lead on a pair of goals from the top line.

The rest of the second period was all Philadelphia, as they dominated the chances, 10-1, but couldn’t find a way past Jonathan Bernier. The Leafs started the third by widening the lead even further, but faced some penalty problems, as the Flyers had a number of chances on special teams, including a pair of power-play goals. Bernier stood strong, though, and the Leafs earned their first back-to-back wins of 2015.

StatusOverallEven StrengthES Close
TeamTORPHI%TORPHI%TORPHI%
17463.6%5362.5%5362.5%
221115.4%2722.2%1150.0%
37943.8%5362.5%00-
Total162440.0%121348.0%6460.0%

The first period was solid for the Leafs, and by the time the Flyers started taking over the game, the score was no longer close. Toronto’s problems in the third were almost all down to special teams, as they had a solid final twenty minutes at even strength.

ClubStPTimeTScOscNoteTorontoPhiladelphia
TORES118:0700Booth drives wide11472012514510182584772
TORES113:5700Kadri drives4318193554517281284772
TORES113:1200Sill deflects Gardiner shot wide22246712514536767851572
PHIES112:4900Voracek from loose puck428121444645142493325572
PHIES112:2600Couturier from loose puck428121444645142493325572
TORPP108:2000Van Riemsdyk deflects Lupul shot wide42811921345142485572-
TORPP107:4500Jokinen from Kadri114318445145767851572-
TORES106:1800Lupul wide from Panik431819444645101893325572
PHISH103:3500Voracek from Schenn244734645-101728931572
TORES102:2500GOAL! Kessel drives4281214451452576785872
PHIES101:5710Schultz wide from Giroux43181935545172812325572
PHIES218:1110Giroux wide from Simmonds42812144554517281281572
TORES214:2710GOAL! Bozak from Van Riemsdyk42812144464514249353272
PHIES213:3420White wide from Giroux43181912514525281284735
PHIES213:0320Umburger deflects Schenn shot wide43181912514510182584735
PHIES209:4820Bellemare from Rinaldo42812144554536767851535
PHIES207:2820Raffl deflects Streit shot43181946554517281283235
PHIES206:3820Del Zotto from Voracek4318193554528931251535
PHIEN205:4720Giroux drives4318193554510182528515
PHISH205:0720Voracek from Streit2447465545-101728933235
PHISH205:0620Simmonds from rebound of Voracek shot2447465545-101728933235
PHISH205:0020Schenn deflects Streit shot2447465545-101728933235
TORES203:2420Komarov from Kessel478118445145289312325535
PHIES200:3620Simmonds deflects Del Zotto shot wide4318193554517281251535
TORPP318:3820GOAL! Phaneuf from Kessel42812135145142485535-
PHIES317:4930Voracek wraparound431819515545182893324735
PHIES315:2830Vandevelde from loose puck43181935545762893154735
TORES314:2030Sill from loose puck222467444645101825475535
TORES311:5430Phaneuf from Panek43181935545141724324735
PHISH309:3530Giroux from Streit2420125545-101728933235
PHISH308:5030GOAL! Giroux from Del Zotto471934645-101728153235
TORES308:1231Lupul deflects Polak shot43181944464514182451535
PHIES307:2231Schenn wide from loose puck11472035545101728325535
TORSH306:4931Booth from Komarov472034645-101728933235
PHISH306:3131Giroux drives472034645-101728933235
PHISH305:3331GOAL! Schenn from rebound of Streit shot4720125545-101728933235
TORES305:0832Van Riemsdyk drives42812112514576281251535
PHIPP303:5932Bellemare from Van de Velde11431935145767885535-
PHIPP303:5432Bellemare from loose puck11431935145767851535-
TORES302:4032Komarov from Holland244720444645102893324735

Player-by-Player data:

PlayerOverallEven StrengthES Close
ForAgainstDiffTOIForAgainstDiffTOIForAgainstDiff
Phaneuf511-625:2825-313:19110
Jokinen23-113:2511008:30101
Robidas34-115:5532113:22202
Panik69-317:2658-315:12211
Lupul512-720:1448-415:27211
Booth34-114:1621109:50101
Van Riemsdyk54116:2334-111:3423-1
Sill20207:0620207:06101
Holland35-212:2630308:43101
Bozak54116:1034-110:3223-1
Kadri511-618:0948-415:21211
Rielly84418:4874315:46330
Polak69-322:5453215:39220
Komarov48-414:4431209:13101
Gardiner75216:0153213:16303
Holzer215-1318:2229-714:5212-1
Kozun20206:4120206:41101
Kessel64215:2744010:4223-1
Bernier1624-860:001213-143:01642

It wasn’t a spectacular game in terms of chances for the top line, despite their offensive showing, but they were able to hold their own. The same couldn’t be said of Kadri’s line, which did well early, but were heavily out-chanced as the Flyers took over the game. Kadri and Lupul were the worst forwards on the team in chances, -4 at ES. Jokinen, Booth and Komarov got the team’s most difficult zone starts, and did well in them, Komarov managing to be a +2. The fourth line, with new addition Zach Sill, was also good, generating a couple of chances in the minutes they earned, and, just as importantly, not being on for a Flyers chance. They were also the only forwards to finish with positive ES Corsi on the night.

Korbinian Holzer got some praise from Ray Ferraro during the game, but the numbers don’t really show much positive. He was the team’s worst player at ES overall, on for nine Flyer chances and a -7. He did get difficult match-ups and zone starts, but Phaneuf, with similarly tough minutes, was only -3, and Stephane Robidas, who had a similar zone start percentage, finished in the positive, one of his better nights this season. Rielly and Gardiner also both finished in the positive, with Gardiner having a hot start, +3 at ES Close, a team high.

Cumulative numbers this season:

OverallPos#Even StrengthES Close
ForAgainst%TOIForAgainst%
WinnikF5821723847.7%13:1712711851.8%
KadriF5929730349.5%14:5918016851.7%
FransonD5530131548.9%16:1717818149.6%
ClarksonF5820421548.7%11:5610911149.5%
PanikF5513714348.9%09:39808448.8%
PolakD5125831545.0%18:0316117448.1%
RiellyD6032836447.4%16:5018219748.0%
KomarovF4212612749.8%11:50677447.5%
BernierG4257165746.5%45:2735639447.5%
GardinerD5828631547.6%17:3716418247.4%
LupulF3414618144.6%13:34839446.9%
PhaneufD4926932245.5%17:0116118446.7%
KesselF6132437946.1%15:0319223445.1%
SantorelliF5721726045.5%13:5111814744.5%
BozakF6130435646.1%14:4916921444.1%
SmithF39859846.4%08:36486243.6%
Van RiemsdykF6129338543.2%14:5317523542.7%
ReimerG2531739644.5%43:0015621542.0%
BoothF387610043.2%09:12436241.0%
HollandF5112719639.3%11:196810040.5%
HolzerD3212417741.2%15:077411738.7%
RobidasD4817424941.1%14:378415335.4%

Daniel Winnik was the Leafs‘ top forward at ES Close, and with him gone, the lone Leaf forward above the 50% mark is Nazem Kadri. In fact, with Clarkson being traded as well, three of the Leafs‘ top four players at ES Close this year are no longer on the roster. Last year, Clarkson was a black hole of chances, draining them from any line he was on. This season, he was much improved, and had a great start. While his offense never really materialized, he was at least able to hold his own in a third line role. Of course, that was nowhere near enough of a contribution, given his contract, and the deal will free up minutes and cap space for players who may be able to produce more.