Game 16 Scoring Chances and Zone Entries: Leafs 2 vs. Predators 1 (SO)

After two fairly defensive periods to open the game, things were pretty wild in the final period, with both teams racking up chances.

Nashville went ahead on the power-play, but the lead was short-lived, and for the second straight game the Leafs survived to a shoot-out. This time, they earned the win, concluding an excellent road trip.

Nashville were dominant in terms of possession, and while that doesn’t really show in the chance numbers until the final period, they did dominate the neutral zone throughout. That included far more controlled entries than the Leafs managed, with a gap of almost 20% in that stat.

Team	Chances	1st	2nd	3rd	OT	ES	ESClose	ESCh%	NZEnt%	ContEnt	OppContEnt
Tor	14	3	6	4	1	11	9	44.0%	47.0%	29.1%	47.2%
Nsh	19	3	4	8	4	14	13	56.0%	53.0%	-	-

The two sides traded chances early, but the third was a real problem for the Leafs, who were holding on in the last ten minutes. Nashville closed regulation with six of the last seven chances, and dominated the chances in the overtime (albeit with an extra man for part of it) as well.

Period	Time	ST	SO	Team	How	State	T1	T2	T3	T4	T5	T6	O1	O2	O3	O4	O5	O6
1	17:17	0	0	Nsh	Wilson wide from Ribeiro	ES	3	16	19	26	34	51	3	5	15	33	35	63
1	17:10	0	0	Nsh	Wilson from Smith	ES	3	16	19	26	34	51	3	5	15	33	35	63
1	11:13	0	0	Tor	Lupul from rebound	PP	19	21	34	43	47	51	6	9	14	19	35
1	08:30	0	0	Tor	Lupul from rebound	ES	16	19	26	34	44	46	6	11	19	20	35	59
1	06:39	0	0	Tor	Bozak deflects Rielly shot wide	ES	2	15	23	34	42	46	4	14	18	35	57	84
1	02:08	0	0	Nsh	Salomaki wide from Ribeiro	ES	3	15	23	34	42	51	4	14	15	20	35	63
2	19:33	0	0	Tor	Bozak drives	ES	3	15	23	34	42	51	4	14	15	33	35	63
2	12:12	0	0	Nsh	Hodgson from loose puck	ES	19	34	42	46	51	56	3	5	11	19	20	35
2	10:53	0	0	Nsh	Sissons from loose puck	ES	23	34	42	43	46	51	6	35	51	57	59	84
2	10:51	0	0	Nsh	Sissons from rebound	ES	23	34	42	43	46	51	6	35	51	57	59	84
2	10:10	0	0	Tor	Lupul drives	ES	2	16	19	26	34	44	4	9	12	14	18	35
2	09:53	0	0	Tor	Kadri post from Phaneuf	PP	3	19	21	34	43	47	6	19	35	57	59
2	09:34	0	0	Tor	Lupul from loose puck	PP	3	19	21	34	43	47	6	19	35	57	59
2	06:30	0	0	Tor	Komarov from Kadri	ES	2	21	34	43	44	47	6	9	12	18	35	59
2	03:43	0	0	Nsh	Wilson wide from Ribeiro	ES	16	19	26	34	36	46	4	14	15	33	35	63
2	03:15	0	0	Tor	Kadri drives	ES	2	21	34	43	44	47	9	12	14	18	35	59
3	18:50	0	0	Tor	Hunwick deflects Van Riemsdyk shot wide	ES	2	15	21	34	43	44	6	9	12	18	35	59
3	17:30	0	0	Nsh	Jones post from Ribeiro	SH	2	34	40	44	56		3	4	15	33	35	63
3	17:20	0	0	Nsh	GOAL! Weber from Neal	SH	3	16	23	34	51		6	9	12	18	35	59
3	14:08	0	1	Tor	GOAL! Bozak from Matthias	ES	2	15	23	34	42	44	6	9	12	18	35	59
3	12:07	1	1	Tor	Van Riemsdyk drives	ES	3	21	34	43	47	51	6	12	35	51	57	59
3	10:12	1	1	Nsh	Jackman drives	ES	3	16	24	34	40	51	3	5	15	33	35	63
3	10:05	1	1	Nsh	Smith from loose puck	ES	3	16	24	34	40	51	3	5	15	33	35	63
3	09:59	1	1	Nsh	Forsberg wide from faceoff	ES	3	16	19	34	44	56	3	5	9	18	35	63
3	08:59	1	1	Tor	Kadri drives	ES	3	21	34	43	47	51	6	9	18	35	59	63
3	06:31	1	1	Nsh	Sissons deflects Jones shot	ES	16	19	26	34	36	46	3	5	35	51	57	84
3	04:08	1	1	Nsh	Smith drives	ES	16	19	34	40	44	46	3	5	15	33	35	63
3	01:27	1	1	Nsh	Forsberg deflects Josi shot wide	ES	3	21	34	43	47	51	6	9	12	18	35	59
4	04:23	1	1	Nsh	Weber wide from Josi	SH	2	16	34	46			6	9	35	59	63
4	03:52	1	1	Nsh	Josi wide from Ribeiro	SH	3	34	46	56			6	9	35	59	63
4	03:21	1	1	Nsh	Ellis wide from Ribeiro	SH	3	16	34	46			4	9	14	35	63
4	01:15	1	1	Nsh	Forsberg from Weber	ES	19	34	44	47			6	9	12	35
4	00:07	1	1	Tor	Parenteau drives wide	ES	3	15	34	42			9	12	35	59

Leafs Player Data

Player	ESChF	ESChA	ESCh%	ESTOI	ZS%	NZ%	ContEnt	OppContEnt
Parenteau	5	1	83.3%	14:55	66.7%	46.8%	27.3%	36.0%
Van Riemsdyk	5	1	83.3%	15:35	66.7%	52.7%	41.4%	42.3%
Komarov	4	2	66.7%	14:48	63.6%	51.1%	41.7%	52.2%
Kadri	5	3	62.5%	16:34	60.0%	49.2%	44.8%	43.3%
Matthias	3	3	50.0%	14:10	75.0%	38.6%	23.5%	37.0%
Bozak	4	4	50.0%	15:05	66.7%	45.8%	31.8%	34.6%
Winnik	2	4	33.3%	10:00	0.0%	42.9%	16.7%	50.0%
Spaling	2	8	20.0%	13:16	0.0%	52.8%	15.8%	47.1%
Lupul	2	8	20.0%	12:29	14.3%	48.5%	31.3%	47.1%
Holland	0	2	0.0%	07:10	0.0%	35.7%	0.0%	66.7%
Grabner	0	3	0.0%	08:54	0.0%	43.8%	0.0%	72.2%
Froese	0	2	0.0%	10:05	0.0%	41.7%	0.0%	61.9%
Hunwick	6	0	100.0%	21:26	42.9%	47.9%	29.4%	35.1%
Rielly	6	3	66.7%	22:08	41.2%	52.0%	30.8%	47.2%
Phaneuf	4	7	36.4%	17:17	44.4%	43.6%	33.3%	54.8%
Polak	2	6	25.0%	15:27	0.0%	40.4%	15.8%	50.0%
Gardiner	3	9	25.0%	16:42	50.0%	45.6%	30.8%	51.6%
Harrington	0	2	0.0%	09:20	-	46.2%	8.3%	50.0%

The top line were the only line to win the possession battle, as they had the better of their matchup with James Neal’s line. That was also true in chances, and in the neutral zone, where they were the only line who managed to come close to breaking even.

Tyler Bozak’s line were solid as well, finishing even in chances, while P.A. Parenteau was not on with his line-mates for a couple of chances against, and ended up topping the table, level with JVR at a +4.

The other two lines were used more defensively, and it showed in their results. Nick Spaling and Joffrey Lupul were heavily out-chanced, particularly in the third period, as they played a fair amount in those closing minutes. Peter Holland ended up the shoot-out hero, but his line produced almost nothing offensively, and somehow did not manage a controlled entry in the game.

It was a very impressive night for Matt Hunwick and Morgan Rielly, who again got a lot of minutes, and really thrived, pairing mostly with the Leafs‘ top line. Hunwick, on for over 20 ES minutes, was not on for a single Predators chance at ES, an amazing result.

Jake Gardiner had a much tougher time, finishing as a team worst -6. Scott Harrington played less than any other Leaf, with Roman Polak getting more time with the likes of Gardiner and Rielly at times.