Game 67 Scoring Chances: Islanders 4 vs. Maple Leafs 3 (OT)

After a terrible game on Saturday, the Leafs had a strong response, with one of their best first periods in a while.

They had the better of the chances, and were rewarded in the last couple of minutes when David Booth scored. The Islanders were much better in the second, and after Peter Holland managed a goal to double Toronto’s lead, New York made a real push to get back into the game. The Islanders had four of the first five chances in the third, along with a goal, but James Van Riemsdyk gave Toronto some insurance. That didn’t last, as the Islanders had two goals in thirty seconds to bring the game back level. Both sides had a few chances for winners late, with the Islanders coming close a couple of times in the final minutes, but the game went to overtime. The extra frame was pretty quiet, but in the final thirty seconds it was John Tavares getting the winning goal, completing the comeback.

Status	Overall			Even Strength			ES Close
Team	TOR	NYI	%	TOR	NYI	%	TOR	NYI	%
1	8	4	66.7%	5	3	62.5%	5	3	62.5%
2	5	10	33.3%	5	8	38.5%	4	5	44.4%
3	5	14	26.3%	5	12	29.4%	2	3	40.0%
4	0	2	0.0%	0	2	0.0%	0	2	0.0%
Total	18	30	37.5%	15	25	37.5%	11	13	45.8%

After that solid first period, the Leafs were out-chanced 22-10 at ES, and gave up fourteen chances in the third, which goes to show how effective their efforts to defend the lead were. They also allowed twelve of the last fifteen chances, a truly terrible showing.

Club	St	P	Time	TSc	Osc	Note	Toronto						NY Islanders
TOR	PP	1	16:39	0	0	Rielly drives	42	81	21	3	44	45	51	86	14	55	30	-
TOR	ES	1	15:53	0	0	Lupul from Gardiner	24	19	33	51	45	-	18	91	3	44	30	-
TOR	ES	1	15:26	0	0	Erixon wide from Lpul	24	19	2	33	45	-	12	29	2	55	30	-
NYI	SH	1	14:36	0	0	Bailey from Leddy	18	20	2	8	45	-	12	27	51	91	2	30
NYI	ES	1	13:08	0	0	Kennedy from giveaway	23	47	20	3	51	45	26	29	40	3	44	30
TOR	ES	1	11:04	0	0	Sill post from Kozun	15	22	67	2	51	45	53	15	17	2	55	30
NYI	ES	1	10:45	0	0	Strome drives	15	24	18	3	51	45	18	51	86	11	55	30
TOR	PP	1	09:30	0	0	Bozak from rebound of Phaneuf shot	42	81	21	3	44	45	53	14	44	30	-	-
TOR	PP	1	09:11	0	0	Phaneuf from Kessel	42	81	21	3	44	45	53	14	44	30	-	-
NYI	ES	1	06:50	0	0	Visnovsky from Hickey	24	18	21	2	51	45	12	27	91	11	14	30
TOR	ES	1	03:25	0	0	Sill from Kozun	22	67	21	2	44	45	12	27	91	11	14	30
TOR	ES	1	01:37	0	0	GOAL! Booth drives	23	19	20	2	44	45	18	51	86	2	55	30
NYI	ES	2	18:43	1	0	Strome drives	42	81	19	2	44	45	18	51	86	2	55	30
TOR	ES	2	16:19	1	0	Van Riemsdyk drives wide	24	18	21	3	51	45	12	27	91	3	44	30
NYI	ES	2	15:59	1	0	Strome wide from Nielsen	23	47	20	2	44	45	18	51	86	2	55	30
TOR	ES	2	15:46	1	0	Lupul post from Kessel	42	81	19	2	44	45	18	51	86	2	55	30
NYI	ES	2	14:03	1	0	Martin from Hamonic	15	22	67	2	44	45	53	15	17	3	44	30
NYI	ES	2	10:15	1	0	Tavares from Bailey	24	18	19	3	51	45	12	91	17	2	55	30
NYI	ES	2	10:10	1	0	Tavares from rebound	24	18	19	3	51	45	12	91	17	2	55	30
TOR	ES	2	09:36	1	0	Panik drives	24	18	21	3	51	45	12	27	91	3	44	30
TOR	ES	2	09:33	1	0	GOAL! Holland from rebound of Panik shot	24	18	21	3	51	45	12	27	91	3	44	30
NYI	SH	2	07:10	2	0	Lee deflects Tavares shot wide	22	20	2	44	45	-	12	27	51	91	2	30
NYI	SH	2	06:23	2	0	Visnovsky wide from rebound of Boychuk shot	22	20	2	44	45	-	12	91	86	11	55	30
NYI	ES	2	05:36	2	0	Nelson wraparound	42	81	19	33	51	45	26	29	40	3	44	30
NYI	ES	2	05:32	2	0	De Haan from rebound of Nelson shot	42	81	19	33	51	45	26	29	40	3	44	30
NYI	ES	2	03:43	2	0	Leddy from Nelson	24	19	44	51	45	-	26	29	2	11	30	-
TOR	ES	2	01:39	2	0	Phaneuf from Bozak	42	47	3	44	51	45	91	15	17	3	11	30
TOR	ES	3	18:47	2	0	Kessel from Nozak	42	81	19	3	51	45	12	26	91	14	55	30
NYI	ES	3	18:39	2	0	Bailey wide from Tavares	42	81	19	3	51	45	12	26	91	11	44	30
NYI	ES	3	18:28	2	0	GOAL! Kennedy from Tavares	42	81	19	3	51	45	12	26	91	11	44	30
NYI	ES	3	17:09	2	1	Lee from Visnovsky	24	18	21	3	51	45	18	27	29	11	55	30
NYI	ES	3	14:04	2	1	Nelson from loose puck	42	81	19	3	51	45	18	27	29	44	55	30
TOR	ES	3	13:54	2	1	GOAL! Van Riemsdyk drives	24	18	21	3	51	45	12	26	91	3	14	30
NYI	ES	3	13:34	3	1	Bailey wide from giveaway	24	18	21	3	51	45	12	26	91	11	14	30
TOR	ES	3	13:25	3	1	Van Riemsdyk drives	24	18	21	33	51	45	12	26	91	11	14	30
NYI	ES	3	12:09	3	1	Visnovsky from Grabner	42	81	19	2	44	45	51	40	86	3	11	30
NYI	ES	3	12:07	3	1	Kulemin from rebound of Visnovsky shot	42	81	19	2	44	45	51	40	86	3	11	30
NYI	SH	3	10:03	3	1	Bailey from loose puck	23	47	3	8	45	-	12	27	51	91	3	30
NYI	SH	3	10:02	3	1	GOAL! Nielsen from rebound of Bailey shot	23	47	3	8	45	-	12	27	51	91	3	30
NYI	ES	3	09:43	3	2	Clutterbuck from loose puck	15	22	67	8	33	45	53	15	17	3	44	30
NYI	ES	3	09:32	3	2	GOAL! Cizikas deflects Hamonic shot	15	22	67	8	33	45	53	15	17	3	44	30
TOR	ES	3	08:01	3	3	Holland drives	24	18	21	2	44	45	53	15	17	11	44	30
TOR	ES	3	07:30	3	3	Rielly drives	23	47	20	2	44	45	53	15	17	11	44	30
NYI	ES	3	06:23	3	3	Tavares from Bailey	24	18	21	3	51	45	12	26	91	14	55	30
NYI	ES	3	02:33	3	3	Cizikas wraparound	23	47	20	3	51	45	53	15	17	14	55	30
NYI	ES	3	00:01	3	3	Kennedy from loose puck	42	47	18	2	44	45	12	26	91	3	55	30
NYI	ES	4	02:20	3	3	Nelson drives post	24	21	3	44	45	-	27	29	3	44	30	-
NYI	ES	4	00:22	3	3	GOAL! Tavares from Kennedy	18	19	33	44	45	-	26	91	3	55	30	-

Player-by-Player data:

Player	Overall				Even Strength				ES Close
	For	Against	Diff	TOI	For	Against	Diff	TOI	For	Against	Diff
Brewer	7	10	-3	23:04	7	7	0	19:45	7	5	2
Phaneuf	9	14	-5	25:47	6	12	-6	19:47	3	7	-4
Granberg	0	5	-5	14:18	0	2	-2	10:27	0	0	0
Lindstrom	1	4	-3	06:22	1	4	-3	06:22	1	2	-1
Panik	6	10	-4	17:38	6	9	-3	15:49	4	7	-3
Lupul	5	12	-7	16:00	5	12	-7	15:17	4	4	0
Booth	2	6	-4	16:35	2	3	-1	13:49	2	3	-1
Van Riemsdyk	10	5	5	19:41	7	5	2	16:17	5	3	2
Sill	2	5	-3	08:31	2	3	-1	06:38	2	1	1
Smith	2	5	-3	14:58	2	3	-1	12:35	2	3	-1
Holland	8	9	-1	20:17	8	9	-1	19:17	6	6	0
Erixon	3	5	-2	14:40	3	5	-2	13:31	2	1	1
Bozak	6	9	-3	18:13	3	9	-6	14:14	1	2	-1
Rielly	9	11	-2	25:49	6	9	-3	20:42	5	6	-1
Komarov	2	6	-4	17:10	2	4	-2	14:05	1	4	-3
Gardiner	9	15	-6	26:23	9	15	-6	25:15	5	7	-2
Kozun	2	3	-1	05:42	2	3	-1	05:42	2	1	1
Kessel	5	8	-3	18:55	2	8	-6	14:59	1	1	0
Bernier	18	30	-12	64:38	15	25	-10	54:21	11	13	-2

After a terrible night against St. Louis, James Van Riemsdyk was much improved, as the only Leaf player to finish above even in chance differential at ES. It might have helped that he was able to escape Phil Kessel and Tyler Bozak, who had terrible numbers again, despite having the most favourable zone starts of any forwards. Bozak and Kessel were -6, while Joffrey Lupul, put on that line, was the worst defensive forward, on for 12 Islander ES chances. With Nazem Kadri out of the lineup, Peter Holland had a much more substantial role, and did well with it, on for a lot of chances and finishing even at ES Close. The fourth line was a bit of a highlight, with Zach Sill and Brandon Kozun both +1 in ES Close chances.

With Polak and Robidas both out for the season, the Leafs defence suddenly looks very different, with Erixon, Brewer and now Granberg drawing in. The two Swedes were given the easiest zone starts on the team. Granberg wasn’t able to turn that into any offense, but was on for just two Islanders chances in his ten minutes, which wasn’t bad, given some of the other numbers on the back line. Erixon also ended up doing pretty well, finishing above even at ES close. Of course, with those two guys getting relatively easy minutes, the other defencemen suffered. This ended up hurting Jake Gardiner, who played 25 ES minutes, had very defensive zone starts, and was on for 15 Isles chances, a -6 at ES overall. Dion Phaneuf, who had even tougher zone starts, also finished at -6. Eric Brewer was the bright spot on the back line, as he was a +2 at ES Close, tied with Van Riemsdyk for the best on the team.

Cumulative numbers this season:

Status	Overall			Even Strength			ES Close
Team	TOR	NYI	%	TOR	NYI	%	TOR	NYI	%
1	8	4	66.7%	5	3	62.5%	5	3	62.5%
2	5	10	33.3%	5	8	38.5%	4	5	44.4%
3	5	14	26.3%	5	12	29.4%	2	3	40.0%
4	0	2	0.0%	0	2	0.0%	0	2	0.0%
Total	18	30	37.5%	15	25	37.5%	11	13	45.8%

Robidas and Polak’s injuries mean that the Leafs‘ best and worst regular defencemen at ES Close will not play again this year. That leaves Toronto with just three defencemen who have been regulars all season, which means we should see a lot of Brewer and Erixon. In extremely small samples thus far, both are on a similar level to Robidas, just short of 40% at ES. Brandon Kozun managed to get above the GP threshold to make his debut on the table. He does it in dead last, as in his limited minutes he’s been one of the most out-chanced players on the team. That’s harsh on him, as it mostly comes down to a couple of bad games very early in the year, particularly the opener against Montreal, when he played a season high 12 ES minutes. Since his recent recall, he’s been much more effective.