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The Leafs had another disaster of a first period in Ottawa, as after getting the first two chances, they were out-chanced 10-2 the rest of the way, and fell behind 3-0.

While the Carolina game saw them give up the third goal early in the second, this time Toronto got it out of the way earlier, with Zibanejad scoring in the last minute of the first. The Leafs were much better in the second, and cut the deficit to one early in the final period. For the first six minutes of the third, it looked like Toronto might be able to quickly get level, as they dominated the chances. However, they did almost nothing in the last fourteen minutes, generating only a single chance, Van Riemsdyk’s goal, and fell to another defeat.

StatusOverallEven StrengthES Close
TeamTOROTT%TOROTT%TOROTT%
141028.6%4930.8%3730.0%
28466.7%6460.0%00-
37463.6%4450.0%00-
Total191851.4%141745.2%3730.0%

Ottawa’s solid third period saw them win the chances at ES, and they clearly dominated the close chances in the first period.

ClubStPTimeTScOscNoteTorontoOttawa
TORES118:5100Gardiner drives wide43812144513444901636541
TORES118:1800Kessel drives wide438121465034761162541
OTTES117:5800GOAL! Hoffman drives2518324650346893612541
OTTES117:1200Condra from Methot23392044513427222536541
OTTES116:5001Neil wraparound23392044513427222536541
OTTES116:0401Stone deflects Cowan shot251832465034761162541
OTTES114:2201Michalek from giveaway438121445134449092541
OTTES111:5201Zibanejad from rebound of Hoffman shot438121343468936466241
TORES108:5401Gardiner from loose puck26427144513476116466241
OTTES108:0701GOAL! Karlsson from Hoffman438121343427682536541
OTTES105:5402Turris from loose puck4381214650347611636541
TORES105:1102Bozak wide from giveaway264271445134689362541
OTTES100:3402Lazar from Condra4381214650342722253541
OTTEN100:2002GOAL! Zibanejad from Ryan264271465034689369035
TORES219:1703Clarkson wide from Gardiner4271204451346893626541
TORES218:0203Kadri from Gardiner4381214513476116466241
TORES217:1903Santorelli drives25183244513427222536541
TORES215:3003Smith wide from Frattin23392046503468936466241
OTTES214:1503Lazar from Karlsson25183244513427222536541
OTTES210:4703Ryan from Zibanejad264281451346893626541
OTTES210:2603Ryan deflects Zibanejad shot wide428121451346893626541
TORPP207:3003Santorelli from loose puck251871343444222541-
TORES206:0503GOAL! Clarkson from Franson2642713434272225466241
OTTES204:3613Turris from MacArthur2521324451347611636541
TORPP202:5913Bozak from Van Riemsdyk428121343461936241-
TORES201:4013Santorelli from Clarkson2543714451349363626541
TORES319:4613Winnik from Bozak2642714650344490936541
TORPP318:5613Bozak from Kessel42812134342292541-
TORPP317:2413GOAL! Kadri from Rielly254371445134442236241-
TORES314:4423Clarkson from Bozak427121346342722252541
TORES314:3123Winnik wide from rebound of Phaneuf shot264271346342722252541
OTTES314:1723Karlsson from Pageau26427134344490936541
TORES314:0123Winnik from Leivo26423234344490936541
OTTES311:1323Chiasson deflects Karlsson shot wide4381214650344490936541
OTTES307:2723Stone deflects Cevi shot2681214451349361162541
OTTES305:3223Lazar from Condra23252044463427229036541
TOREN301:2324GOAL! Van Riemsdyk from rebound of Kessel shot4243812144516893636541

Player-by Player data:

PlayerOverallEven StrengthES Close
ForAgainstDiffTOIForAgainstDiffTOIForAgainstDiff
Phaneuf73415:2243111:4502-2
Franson65121:4035-216:4902-2
Panik23-107:4313-207:0402-2
Booth23-111:2323-110:1602-2
Van Riemsdyk79-220:0549-516:1923-1
Smith13-213:0513-211:3102-2
Santorelli45-113:0625-309:4102-2
Winnik64219:3663317:05101
Leivo24-207:3024-207:3002-2
Frattin12-108:1312-108:1302-2
Bozak114721:5783517:46101
Kadri66019:3846-215:3323-1
Rielly87123:1067-119:0723-1
Polak57-217:5556-116:2912-1
Percy36-315:1535-214:3612-1
Gardiner98125:1878-121:3123-1
Clarkson102817:0981714:34101
Kessel69-319:3439-615:5523-1
Reimer1818058:201417-348:2137-4

It was a spectacular game for the line of David Clarkson, Tyler Bozak and Daniel Winnik. Those three were the only Leaf players in the positive at ES Close, and were far more effective at generating chances than the likes of Kessel and Kadri. Clarkson’s +7 is one his best games as a Leaf, and Bozak wasn’t far behind, at +5. That was a big contrast with Kessel, who really struggled, on for just three Leaf chances and a -6. JVR finished at -5, and he wasn’t very good offensively either. The third and fourth lines both had bad starts, every player on them finishing -2 at ES Close, but after that they were essentially even.

Stuart Percy drew back into the lineup, recalled from the Marlies, and was given the hardest zone starts of any Leaf. He was decent in his 14 minutes of ES ice time, finishing at -2. In contrast, the other two young defencemen, Morgan Rielly and Jake Gardiner, were given the easiest starts on the team. They were both on for a lot of chances, but did end up in the negative, each finishing -1. Dion Phaneuf and Cody Franson weren’t good early, both -2 at ES Close. Phaneuf managed to get back level, though he did play his lowest ES ice time of the season.

Cumulative numbers this season:

OverallPos#Even StrengthES Close
ForAgainst%TOIForAgainst%
WinnikF4617218648.0%13:01918252.6%
KomarovF29999052.4%12:16515050.5%
FransonD4625227048.3%15:5614615149.2%
KadriF4622524547.9%14:4613113649.1%
ClarksonF4818319648.3%12:229310147.9%
PhaneufD4826731745.7%17:0516018346.6%
BernierG3446755645.7%45:1128032646.2%
LupulF2612014844.8%13:46657945.1%
KesselF4826331645.4%15:1115318745.0%
RiellyD4724729645.5%16:0212815744.9%
GardinerD4521025045.7%17:0811313944.8%
PanikF439210646.5%09:02546744.6%
PolakD3818824943.0%17:4910813544.4%
BozakF4825029446.0%15:0513316944.0%
SantorelliF4818622445.4%13:499712443.9%
SmithF32698245.7%08:45385043.2%
Van RiemsdykF4823632142.4%15:0113818942.2%
ReimerG1924131043.7%42:4311216440.6%
HollandF3810615940.0%11:29568240.6%
RobidasD3814519642.5%15:077211837.9%
CarrickF10122334.3%06:21111936.7%
HolzerD197811241.1%15:39417336.0%
BoothF26417236.3%09:07244534.8%

Clarkson’s huge game lifts him up to be the #2 forward at ES Overall. While he’s struggled lately, along with the rest of the team, he had an excellent start to the year, and was one of the top forwards in the first quarter. Santorelli also has a nice move up, while Van Riemsdyk’s numbers fall. Only Holland has been lower than JVR at ES among the regular forwards.