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Toronto was unfortunate not to be ahead after two periods, as their second period performance was excellent, putting a lot of pressure on the Blackhawks and severely limiting Chicago’s chances.

They did manage a breakthrough early in the third, through Peter Holland, and then went into a defensive shell. Chicago threw everything they had at the Leafs‘ net in the third, generating a crazy twenty-three chances in the period, but James Reimer somehow managed to keep the Hawks at bay and earn Toronto a third consecutive win.

StatusOverallESESCL
TeamTORCHI%TORCHI%TORCHI%
16554.5%4450.0%4450.0%
210283.3%10283.3%10283.3%
342314.8%41323.5%2166.7%
Total203040.0%181948.6%16769.6%

Some major momentum shifts here, but that excellent second period means the Leafs finished with the ES close chance lead, even as Chicago took the ES overall lead after their third period pressure.

ClubStPTimeTScOscNoteTorontoChicago
TORES119:2300Polak from Kessel26438144463465881042750
CHIES118:5400Van Riemsdyk from Kane264381445134658810325750
TORPP117:1200Bozak deflects Franson shot4281214513419812450-
TORPP115:4400Phaneuf from Rielly2443713443481202450-
CHIES113:5200Bickell from rebound of Morin shot264381344349111292750
TORES110:3500Clarkson deflects Polak shot4271214446341923812750
TORES110:3400Clarkson from rebound4271214446341923812750
CHIES107:4700Bickell from Richards4271214446349111292750
TORES105:5000GOAL! Kadri from Winnik26438134346588102750
CHISH103:3210GOAL! Richards from Seabrook244741234-65918820750
CHIES102:1011Versteeg from Toews427121444634192381325750
CHIES218:4611Kruger wraparound26438144463416282045750
TORES218:1011Holland from rebound of Polak shot24254744463416282042750
TORES214:3812GOAL! Van Riemsdyk from giveaway247121444634192381273250
TORES212:4722Kessel from Kadri2643813123491881042750
TORES212:3322Robidas from Kessel2643813123491881042750
TORES209:4722Winnik deflects Phaneuf shot2643813463465101142750
CHIES209:1622Shaw wide from Sharp2643813463465101123250
TORES206:2122Komarov drives24254744463416282023250
TORES204:2022Bozak drives wide427121343419238175750
TORES201:2422Ashton from loose puck53183744463465112942750
TORES201:2322Panik from rebound of Ashton shot53183744463465112942750
TORES201:1222Bozak deflects Phaneuf shot wide427121343419238175750
CHIES319:1722Versteeg from Toews427121343419238175750
TORES318:5322Kadri wide from loose puck26438144463491881075750
TORES317:3922GOAL! Holland from Komarov24478112513491881042750
TORES317:2332Santorelli from loose puck24254712513416282023250
CHIEN316:0832Shaw deflects Seabrook shot42712112513419651129757
CHISH315:4332Saad wide from Richards264734634-65918820750
CHISH315:0332Richards post from Kane242134634-65918820750
CHISH314:5932Seabrook from rebound of Richards shot242134634-65918820750
CHISH314:5032Toews deflects Keith shot wide264744434-19238110250
CHISH314:1332Versteeg from Hossa264744434-19238110250
CHIES312:4932Smith deflects Van Riemsdyk shot wide43812112513416282975750
CHIES311:5632Richards wide from rebound of Sharp shot26427144463491881045750
CHIPP310:0032Smith from faceoff42812145134162875750-
CHIES308:2532Kane wide from Seabrook24254744463465882975750
CHIES308:0632Kane drives wide25422144463465882923250
CHIES307:5732Kane deflects Keith shot wide25422144463465882923250
CHIES307:2332Hossa deflects Rozsival shot427121343419238123250
TORES307:1432Van Riemsdyk drives427121343419238123250
CHIES306:3132Sharp drives24254744463491881023250
CHIES306:1332Smith drives24254712513416282023250
CHIES304:0232Toews drives42813434-198823250-
CHIES303:5832Kane from rebound of Toews shot42813434-198823250-
CHIES303:3632Toews from Rozsival42813434-198823250-
CHIES303:2532Rozsival wide from Oduya42813434-1988273250-
CHIEN301:0232Shaw from rebound of Kane shot25264712463419658810757
CHIEN301:0132Sharp from rebound of Shaw shot2642473463419658810757
CHIEN300:5032Hossa from Kane264247346341965818827

The player-by-player data:

PlayerFADTOIESFESAESDEVTOIESCLFESCLAESCLD
Phaneuf813-524:4178-119:32633
Franson510-520:1446-216:16312
Robidas45-117:2842215:59303
Panik20204:1220204:12202
Van Riemsdyk711-421:2467-117:15532
Holland66016:3553212:33404
Santorelli36-313:4035-213:33202
Winnik611-519:5165116:22642
Ashton20204:0620204:06202
Bozak615-920:45511-617:07431
Kadri75218:0065115:24642
Rielly1012-217:21910-114:31954
Polak1015-520:55109117:481046
Komarov410-616:1043113:23303
Gardiner35-219:3523-116:06110
Clarkson76104:1565104:15532
Kessel810-215:0679-213:28743
Carrick20219:3920217:04202
Reimer2030-1060:001819-149:591679

It’s now back to back strong games from the second line, with Van Riemsdyk and Clarkson again among the best of the forwards. Bozak had a solid early game, but was on the ice for a lot of chances against in the third, partly because of how Carlyle leaned on him for defensive faceoffs. Peter Holland hasn’t had good numbers this year, but he and the third line were strong tonight, and he was a deserving scorer of the winning goal, joining the second line as the best of the forwards at ES Close. The Kessel line was effective as well, and of the regulars, Winnik and Kadri had the fewest chances against in the third. Sam Carrick had a nice NHL debut, and Carter Ashton was again a positive in his second game.

Morgan Rielly and Roman Polak continue to both be very strong; in the last three games, Rielly is +16 at ES close, and Polak is +14. Phaneuf and Robidas also did well, while Jake Gardiner, who got fairly soft zone starts again, was the only Leaf player not in the positive at ES close.

Cumulative numbers this season:

OverallPos#ESFESAESDES%AvESTOIESClFESClAESClDESCL%
AshtonF241380.0%05:52303100.0%
CarrickF1202100.0%17:04202100.0%
LupulF94139251.3%15:252719858.7%
RiellyD116354953.8%15:3743311258.1%
WinnikF113533251.5%12:442317657.5%
ClarksonF1145341157.0%12:232519656.8%
KadriF114747050.0%13:453428654.8%
KomarovF113327655.0%12:141714354.8%
FransonD94142-149.4%14:482319454.8%
ReimerG56173-1245.5%39:163431352.3%
PhaneufD115760-348.7%16:073432251.5%
SantorelliF113130150.8%12:381516-148.4%
PolakD114966-1742.6%17:093538-347.9%
BernierG88791-448.9%41:455358-547.7%
KesselF116370-747.4%14:563741-447.4%
Van RiemsdykF115162-1145.1%14:243035-546.2%
BozakF115462-846.6%14:592833-545.9%
HollandF111629-1335.6%08:031012-245.5%
GardinerD93330352.4%16:341419-542.4%
RobidasD103140-943.7%14:541522-740.5%
PanikF10922-1329.0%07:23610-437.5%
PercyD72236-1437.9%14:321017-737.0%
KozunF5518-1321.7%07:25313-1018.8%
FrattinF436-333.3%06:4915-416.7%

Ashton and Carrick have both had strong starts to their seasons, while Rielly has climbed up to be the #2 regular at ES close, a sign of his continued improvement. It’s not new news, but David Clarkson’s turnaround is still impressive, as he is the Leafs‘ top regular at ES overall, a far cry from last year, when he seemed to be an offensive black hole.