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Toronto had a tough turn around, with the second game of a back-to-back coming against Washington. They had a terrible start, giving up a goal in the first minute of the game to fall behind.

They actually had a solid period after that, as they were the better team in the second half of the frame, and ended up even with the Capitals in chances. Since Washington generated three of those chances on one great shift, most of the period was dominated by the Leafs. The second period was similar, as Toronto had a solid period in chances, and other than one good Washington shift, the Leafs were the superior team. However, Ovechkin scored a second, and the Leafs were again behind and goal-less going into the final period. In an ongoing theme, Toronto did very little in the third, as they were badly out-chanced, slumping to another defeat.

StatusOverallEven StrengthES Close
TeamTORWSH%TORWSH%TORWSH%
16650.0%6650.0%6650.0%
29852.9%5645.5%2250.0%
33827.3%2433.3%00-
Total182245.0%131644.8%8850.0%

The Leafs finished even at ES Close, and were decent in chances overall, but generating just three chances in the third, when they entered the period still in the game, was another dismal showing.

ClubStPTimeTScOscNoteTorontoWashington
WSHES119:2700GOAL! Ovechkin drives431819355341986522770
TORES119:1901Kessel from Van Riemsdyk428121444634164225447470
WSHES113:5901Beagle deflects Niskanen shot1147204446348320902670
WSHES113:5701Beagle from rebound1147204446348320902670
WSHES113:5501Beagle from rebound1147204446348320902670
TORES112:2001Kadri drives4318194651341986522770
TORES109:4301Bozak from loose puck4281214446341986522770
TORES107:0401Polak drives wide11472046513421922065270
TORES105:5601Van Riemsdyk from Bozak428121124434164225447470
WSHES103:3001Wilson drives11472012443421924322770
WSHES102:2701Burakovsky from Ovechkin43181944463419865447470
TORES102:1101Lupul wide from loose puck43181944463419865447470
TORES219:3201Kessel drives428134434-198447470-
TORES218:4301Lupul wide from Gardiner241935134-169022770-
WSHES217:5901Beagle from Green4318193443483209065270
TORPP216:1701Van Riemsdyk post from Kessel42812135134202522770-
WSHES214:3001GOAL! Ovechkin from rebound of Orpik shot24472012463419865447470
WSHSH212:1402Ovechkin from Johansson1120445134-92428907470
WSHSH211:4002Ward deflects Carlson shot1120445134-92428907470
TORSH211:2702Bozak drives424731234-16214325270
TORES209:1502Holland from Panik2418125134-169065270-
TORPP208:3302Phaneuf wide from Bozak428121344342120447470-
TORPP207:3802Kessel from loose puck42812134434168322770-
WSHES206:3202Burakovsky from giveaway2447201246341986565270
WSHES206:2602Burakovsky from giveaway2447201246341986565270
WSHES206:1302Burakovsky deflects Green shot wide2447201246341986565270
WSHES204:2502Ovechkin drives wide4318194651341986522770
TORES204:1402Panik from Gardiner4318194651341986522770
TORES203:0702Sill drives1122673123483209065270
TORPP313:1802Panik post from rebound of Phaneuf shot43181935134192522770-
WSHPP312:5702Ward drives43181935134422522770-
WSHSH311:0602Ovechkin post from Carlson241834634-19208907470
WSHSH310:4802Ovechkin from Carlson241834634-19208907470
WSHSH310:4602GOAL! Johansson from Brouwer241834634-19208907470
TORES310:3703Van Riemsdyk drives wide42812144513416214222770
TORES309:0603Lupul from Kadri43181912463483209065270
WSHES308:4903Beagle deflects Brouwer shot wide431819124634832090445270
WSHES301:5004Brouwer wide from Johansson43181944463492209022770
WSHES301:4504Kuznetsov wraparound43181944463492209022770
WSHES300:4204Beagle from Backstrom114720351341983865270

Player-by-Player data:

PlayerOverallEven StrengthES Close
ForAgainstDiffTOIForAgainstDiffTOIForAgainstDiff
Phaneuf87126:0533018:06220
Jokinen27-514:1725-311:4214-3
Robidas56-121:2946-219:2412-1
Panik611-515:1657-211:3823-1
Lupul68-215:1557-212:44330
Booth111-1013:2419-812:3015-4
Van Riemsdyk70718:4440413:15303
Sill10107:3710107:37000
Holland27-514:4524-212:03110
Bozak90918:3750513:12404
Kadri58-314:5247-312:1623-1
Rielly810-224:0268-217:4456-1
Polak715-823:46712-522:04550
Komarov29-715:0819-813:2715-4
Gardiner85323:0462419:34303
Holzer01-100:3301-100:3301-1
Kozun10107:5510107:55000
Kessel80818:0950512:40404
Reimer1822-459:201316-347:38880

While it’s odd to say on a night the Leafs failed to score, the top line was actually the Leafs’ best, as they were effective defensively, a rarity this year. Washington didn’t manage a single chance against the top unit, with Tyler Bozak and Phil Kessel both finishing +4 at ES Close and +5 at ES overall. The Kadri line were given the toughest zone starts of the forwards, and while Kadri and Lupul were decent while the game was close, their numbers fell off in the third period. The real trouble spots, though, were Booth and Komarov, who had terrible chance numbers, both -4 at ES Close and game worst -9s at ES overall.

Korbinian Holzer was injured inside the first minute, on the play that led to the first Washington goal, forcing Horachek to juggle around his pairings. Roman Polak got hard minutes, and while he was able to do well while the game was close, he was on for a team worst 12 Caps chances, and finished -5. Jake Gardiner had the best game on the back end, managing a +4. Dion Phaneuf was even, and had a low event game, with few chances either way in his 18 ES minutes. Morgan Rielly got soft zone starts, but still finished in the negative, and Stephane Robidas was also negative, though only narrowly.

Cumulative numbers this season:

OverallPos#Even StrengthES Close
ForAgainst%TOIForAgainst%
WinnikF5821723847.7%13:1712711851.8%
KadriF6130231449.0%14:5618217251.4%
FransonD5530131548.9%16:1717818149.6%
ClarksonF5820421548.7%11:5610911149.5%
PanikF5714315647.8%09:46828848.2%
PolakD5327033444.7%18:0516718048.1%
RiellyD6233937647.4%16:4918720447.8%
GardinerD6029631948.1%17:3616718347.7%
BernierG4358667146.6%45:2835939847.4%
PhaneufD5127733345.4%17:0416518846.7%
LupulF3615319344.2%13:34869846.7%
KomarovF4413313948.9%11:54698046.3%
KesselF6333438146.7%14:5919823645.6%
BozakF6331436246.4%14:4817521644.8%
SantorelliF5721726045.5%13:5111814744.5%
SmithF39859846.4%08:36486243.6%
Van RiemsdykF6330138943.6%14:5118023743.2%
ReimerG2633041244.5%43:1116422342.4%
HollandF5313220239.5%11:197010140.9%
BoothF408411242.9%09:22456839.8%
HolzerD3412918341.3%14:437612038.8%
RobidasD5018425741.7%14:438615635.5%

It will be interesting to see who is moved from the Leafs on Monday. One of the names talked about is Korbinian Holzer, but his injury in this game looks like it may end any chance of moving him. While he’s improved in the last couple weeks, the German has been one of the worst Leafs in terms of chances this season. That’s partly down to getting hard minutes, but his performances haven’t been anything to get excited about. It would be great if the Leafs could turn him into any kind of asset, while also making room on the defence for a younger player like Granberg or Percy. While Holzer doesn’t have a lot of NHL experience, he’s no youngster, as he’s just turned twenty-seven. The  reported concussion has to throw a major kink in any trade plans.