Game 61 Scoring Chances: Maple Leafs 3 vs. Flyers 2

The Clarkson-free Leafs had a strong first twenty-five minutes, out-chancing the Flyers and opening up a 2-0 lead on a pair of goals from the top line.

The rest of the second period was all Philadelphia, as they dominated the chances, 10-1, but couldn’t find a way past Jonathan Bernier. The Leafs started the third by widening the lead even further, but faced some penalty problems, as the Flyers had a number of chances on special teams, including a pair of power-play goals. Bernier stood strong, though, and the Leafs earned their first back-to-back wins of 2015.

Status	Overall			Even Strength			ES Close
Team	TOR	PHI	%	TOR	PHI	%	TOR	PHI	%
1	7	4	63.6%	5	3	62.5%	5	3	62.5%
2	2	11	15.4%	2	7	22.2%	1	1	50.0%
3	7	9	43.8%	5	3	62.5%	0	0	-
Total	16	24	40.0%	12	13	48.0%	6	4	60.0%

The first period was solid for the Leafs, and by the time the Flyers started taking over the game, the score was no longer close. Toronto’s problems in the third were almost all down to special teams, as they had a solid final twenty minutes at even strength.

Club	St	P	Time	TSc	Osc	Note	Toronto						Philadelphia
TOR	ES	1	18:07	0	0	Booth drives wide	11	47	20	12	51	45	10	18	25	8	47	72
TOR	ES	1	13:57	0	0	Kadri drives	43	18	19	3	55	45	17	28	12	8	47	72
TOR	ES	1	13:12	0	0	Sill deflects Gardiner shot wide	22	24	67	12	51	45	36	76	78	5	15	72
PHI	ES	1	12:49	0	0	Voracek from loose puck	42	81	21	44	46	45	14	24	93	32	55	72
PHI	ES	1	12:26	0	0	Couturier from loose puck	42	81	21	44	46	45	14	24	93	32	55	72
TOR	PP	1	08:20	0	0	Van Riemsdyk deflects Lupul shot wide	42	81	19	21	3	45	14	24	8	55	72	-
TOR	PP	1	07:45	0	0	Jokinen from Kadri	11	43	18	44	51	45	76	78	5	15	72	-
TOR	ES	1	06:18	0	0	Lupul wide from Panik	43	18	19	44	46	45	10	18	93	32	55	72
PHI	SH	1	03:35	0	0	Voracek from Schenn	24	47	3	46	45	-	10	17	28	93	15	72
TOR	ES	1	02:25	0	0	GOAL! Kessel drives	42	81	21	44	51	45	25	76	78	5	8	72
PHI	ES	1	01:57	1	0	Schultz wide from Giroux	43	18	19	3	55	45	17	28	12	32	55	72
PHI	ES	2	18:11	1	0	Giroux wide from Simmonds	42	81	21	44	55	45	17	28	12	8	15	72
TOR	ES	2	14:27	1	0	GOAL! Bozak from Van Riemsdyk	42	81	21	44	46	45	14	24	93	5	32	72
PHI	ES	2	13:34	2	0	White wide from Giroux	43	18	19	12	51	45	25	28	12	8	47	35
PHI	ES	2	13:03	2	0	Umburger deflects Schenn shot wide	43	18	19	12	51	45	10	18	25	8	47	35
PHI	ES	2	09:48	2	0	Bellemare from Rinaldo	42	81	21	44	55	45	36	76	78	5	15	35
PHI	ES	2	07:28	2	0	Raffl deflects Streit shot	43	18	19	46	55	45	17	28	12	8	32	35
PHI	ES	2	06:38	2	0	Del Zotto from Voracek	43	18	19	3	55	45	28	93	12	5	15	35
PHI	EN	2	05:47	2	0	Giroux drives	43	18	19	3	55	45	10	18	25	28	5	15
PHI	SH	2	05:07	2	0	Voracek from Streit	24	47	46	55	45	-	10	17	28	93	32	35
PHI	SH	2	05:06	2	0	Simmonds from rebound of Voracek shot	24	47	46	55	45	-	10	17	28	93	32	35
PHI	SH	2	05:00	2	0	Schenn deflects Streit shot	24	47	46	55	45	-	10	17	28	93	32	35
TOR	ES	2	03:24	2	0	Komarov from Kessel	47	81	18	44	51	45	28	93	12	32	55	35
PHI	ES	2	00:36	2	0	Simmonds deflects Del Zotto shot wide	43	18	19	3	55	45	17	28	12	5	15	35
TOR	PP	3	18:38	2	0	GOAL! Phaneuf from Kessel	42	81	21	3	51	45	14	24	8	55	35	-
PHI	ES	3	17:49	3	0	Voracek wraparound	43	18	19	51	55	45	18	28	93	32	47	35
PHI	ES	3	15:28	3	0	Vandevelde from loose puck	43	18	19	3	55	45	76	28	93	15	47	35
TOR	ES	3	14:20	3	0	Sill from loose puck	22	24	67	44	46	45	10	18	25	47	55	35
TOR	ES	3	11:54	3	0	Phaneuf from Panek	43	18	19	3	55	45	14	17	24	32	47	35
PHI	SH	3	09:35	3	0	Giroux from Streit	24	20	12	55	45	-	10	17	28	93	32	35
PHI	SH	3	08:50	3	0	GOAL! Giroux from Del Zotto	47	19	3	46	45	-	10	17	28	15	32	35
TOR	ES	3	08:12	3	1	Lupul deflects Polak shot	43	18	19	44	46	45	14	18	24	5	15	35
PHI	ES	3	07:22	3	1	Schenn wide from loose puck	11	47	20	3	55	45	10	17	28	32	55	35
TOR	SH	3	06:49	3	1	Booth from Komarov	47	20	3	46	45	-	10	17	28	93	32	35
PHI	SH	3	06:31	3	1	Giroux drives	47	20	3	46	45	-	10	17	28	93	32	35
PHI	SH	3	05:33	3	1	GOAL! Schenn from rebound of Streit shot	47	20	12	55	45	-	10	17	28	93	32	35
TOR	ES	3	05:08	3	2	Van Riemsdyk drives	42	81	21	12	51	45	76	28	12	5	15	35
PHI	PP	3	03:59	3	2	Bellemare from Van de Velde	11	43	19	3	51	45	76	78	8	55	35	-
PHI	PP	3	03:54	3	2	Bellemare from loose puck	11	43	19	3	51	45	76	78	5	15	35	-
TOR	ES	3	02:40	3	2	Komarov from Holland	24	47	20	44	46	45	10	28	93	32	47	35

Player-by-Player data:

Player	Overall				Even Strength				ES Close
	For	Against	Diff	TOI	For	Against	Diff	TOI	For	Against	Diff
Phaneuf	5	11	-6	25:28	2	5	-3	13:19	1	1	0
Jokinen	2	3	-1	13:25	1	1	0	08:30	1	0	1
Robidas	3	4	-1	15:55	3	2	1	13:22	2	0	2
Panik	6	9	-3	17:26	5	8	-3	15:12	2	1	1
Lupul	5	12	-7	20:14	4	8	-4	15:27	2	1	1
Booth	3	4	-1	14:16	2	1	1	09:50	1	0	1
Van Riemsdyk	5	4	1	16:23	3	4	-1	11:34	2	3	-1
Sill	2	0	2	07:06	2	0	2	07:06	1	0	1
Holland	3	5	-2	12:26	3	0	3	08:43	1	0	1
Bozak	5	4	1	16:10	3	4	-1	10:32	2	3	-1
Kadri	5	11	-6	18:09	4	8	-4	15:21	2	1	1
Rielly	8	4	4	18:48	7	4	3	15:46	3	3	0
Polak	6	9	-3	22:54	5	3	2	15:39	2	2	0
Komarov	4	8	-4	14:44	3	1	2	09:13	1	0	1
Gardiner	7	5	2	16:01	5	3	2	13:16	3	0	3
Holzer	2	15	-13	18:22	2	9	-7	14:52	1	2	-1
Kozun	2	0	2	06:41	2	0	2	06:41	1	0	1
Kessel	6	4	2	15:27	4	4	0	10:42	2	3	-1
Bernier	16	24	-8	60:00	12	13	-1	43:01	6	4	2

It wasn’t a spectacular game in terms of chances for the top line, despite their offensive showing, but they were able to hold their own. The same couldn’t be said of Kadri’s line, which did well early, but were heavily out-chanced as the Flyers took over the game. Kadri and Lupul were the worst forwards on the team in chances, -4 at ES. Jokinen, Booth and Komarov got the team’s most difficult zone starts, and did well in them, Komarov managing to be a +2. The fourth line, with new addition Zach Sill, was also good, generating a couple of chances in the minutes they earned, and, just as importantly, not being on for a Flyers chance. They were also the only forwards to finish with positive ES Corsi on the night.

Korbinian Holzer got some praise from Ray Ferraro during the game, but the numbers don’t really show much positive. He was the team’s worst player at ES overall, on for nine Flyer chances and a -7. He did get difficult match-ups and zone starts, but Phaneuf, with similarly tough minutes, was only -3, and Stephane Robidas, who had a similar zone start percentage, finished in the positive, one of his better nights this season. Rielly and Gardiner also both finished in the positive, with Gardiner having a hot start, +3 at ES Close, a team high.

Cumulative numbers this season:

Overall	Pos	#	Even Strength				ES Close
			For	Against	%	TOI	For	Against	%
Winnik	F	58	217	238	47.7%	13:17	127	118	51.8%
Kadri	F	59	297	303	49.5%	14:59	180	168	51.7%
Franson	D	55	301	315	48.9%	16:17	178	181	49.6%
Clarkson	F	58	204	215	48.7%	11:56	109	111	49.5%
Panik	F	55	137	143	48.9%	09:39	80	84	48.8%
Polak	D	51	258	315	45.0%	18:03	161	174	48.1%
Rielly	D	60	328	364	47.4%	16:50	182	197	48.0%
Komarov	F	42	126	127	49.8%	11:50	67	74	47.5%
Bernier	G	42	571	657	46.5%	45:27	356	394	47.5%
Gardiner	D	58	286	315	47.6%	17:37	164	182	47.4%
Lupul	F	34	146	181	44.6%	13:34	83	94	46.9%
Phaneuf	D	49	269	322	45.5%	17:01	161	184	46.7%
Kessel	F	61	324	379	46.1%	15:03	192	234	45.1%
Santorelli	F	57	217	260	45.5%	13:51	118	147	44.5%
Bozak	F	61	304	356	46.1%	14:49	169	214	44.1%
Smith	F	39	85	98	46.4%	08:36	48	62	43.6%
Van Riemsdyk	F	61	293	385	43.2%	14:53	175	235	42.7%
Reimer	G	25	317	396	44.5%	43:00	156	215	42.0%
Booth	F	38	76	100	43.2%	09:12	43	62	41.0%
Holland	F	51	127	196	39.3%	11:19	68	100	40.5%
Holzer	D	32	124	177	41.2%	15:07	74	117	38.7%
Robidas	D	48	174	249	41.1%	14:37	84	153	35.4%

Daniel Winnik was the Leafs‘ top forward at ES Close, and with him gone, the lone Leaf forward above the 50% mark is Nazem Kadri. In fact, with Clarkson being traded as well, three of the Leafs‘ top four players at ES Close this year are no longer on the roster. Last year, Clarkson was a black hole of chances, draining them from any line he was on. This season, he was much improved, and had a great start. While his offense never really materialized, he was at least able to hold his own in a third line role. Of course, that was nowhere near enough of a contribution, given his contract, and the deal will free up minutes and cap space for players who may be able to produce more.