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Toronto had a great start against the Lightning, getting two first period goals and out-chancing Tampa Bay 5-2 at even strength.

A late power-play goal for Ryan Callahan gave the visitors some momentum, and they carried the play in the second period. However, James Reimer was able to stand strong, and the Leafs held onto the one-goal lead. Morgan Rielly extended the advantage at the start of the third period, and Toronto did a good job of shutting down the Lightning attack. Tampa Bay had just one ES chance in the last ten minutes, and while they generated some chances with the goalie out, they couldn’t get a breakthrough, giving the Leafs back-to-back wins.

StatusOverallEven StrengthES Close
TeamTORTBL%TORTBL%TORTBL%
18657.1%5271.4%3175.0%
251131.3%51033.3%51033.3%
37750.0%7463.6%00-
Total202445.5%171651.5%81142.1%

The Leafs ended up losing the ES Close chance battle, after that weak second period, but they had the better of the chances at ES overall. Out-chancing the Lightning at ES in the third period, with Tampa trying to chase down the lead, is the type of performance we’ve rarely seen from the Leafs.

ClubStPTimeTScOscNoteTorontoTampa Bay
TORES116:5800Sill wide from Panik22531825333411231085388
TBLES116:4200Brown drives22531825333411231085388
TORES114:3700Rielly from Kadri15434744513490861862988
TORES113:5100Smith from Lupul2319203333417519185388
TORPP112:5400Bozak deflects Phaneuf shot wide42812134434175162588-
TORPP111:0700GOAL! Kadri deflects Lindstrom shot154319255134511868988-
TORPP110:0710Kessel from Bozak4281213443423186888-
TBLPP109:2010Killorn from Filppula1543192551341751255388-
TORES107:3420Panik deflects Gardiner shot wide22531844513411231068988
TORES106:2020Komarov from Lindstrom154347233417519168988
TBLES104:0820Drouin from Callahan428121233413242768988
TBLSH102:5220Palat wide from Nesterov23202334-902486188988
TBLSH101:5720Palat from Kucherov23202334-902486188988
TBLSH101:5620GOAL! Callahan from rebound of Palat shot23202334-902486188988
TBLES218:5021Koekkoek wide from loose puck154221445134175191252988
TBLES217:5421Stralman wide from Filppula428121233451911868988
TBLES216:5821Namestnikov from Kucherov23192025333490861885388
TBLSH213:5621Palat from Kucherov23202334-902486188988
TBLES212:2121Stamkos from loose puck42812124434119127252988
TORES211:4621Van Riemsdyk drives42812124434112310252988
TBLES211:3021Brown from Boyle4347813443411231085388
TBLES209:1021Killorn drives post4281212334175191252988
TORES208:0621Panik drives wide4347183443411231082588
TORES207:4621Rielly drives434718254434112310252988
TORES206:1621Booth drives231920233413242785388
TBLES205:5021Kucherov deflects Witkowski shot wide42812144513490861885388
TBLES204:1321Stamkos wide from Killorn1543472334175191252988
TORES203:4221Phaneuf deflects Smith shot wide15434732534175123252988
TBLES201:3821Kucherov from Palat428121253334908618252988
TBLES201:3621Stamkos wide from faceoff2343472334175191252988
TORES319:3621GOAL! Rielly from Kadri4318445134-911888988-
TORES319:1831Booth from Kadri4320445134-175185388-
TBLES317:5131Palat from loose puck4281213253413861882588
TBLES314:0631Palat wide from Namestnikov231920445134908618252988
TBLES312:0231Barberio from rebound from Witkowski shot43472144513417512485388
TORES310:3631Smith deflects Booth shot wide23192022534112310258988
TBLES309:3131Drouin from Callahan43471844513413242785388
TORES309:2031Kadri drives wide43471844513413242785388
TORES307:0631Booth drives wide23192025333411231085388
TORES306:1931Kadri deflects Gardiner shot wide43471844513490861885388
TORES305:4031Van Riemsdyk from Kessel42812144513413242768988
TBLEN301:5031Kucherov from Drouin2319202334902486272589
TBLEN301:3731Palat post from loose puck424721233411131018689
TBLEN300:5231Kucherov drives234320233417519186689

Player-by-Player data:

PlayerOverallEven StrengthES Close
ForAgainstDiffTOIForAgainstDiffTOIForAgainstDiff
Brewer413-921:0746-218:5125-3
Phaneuf714-724:5457-218:4745-1
Lindstrom43113:5132112:22220
Panik72511:4672510:08312
Lupul54115:3042214:01211
Booth58-316:5252315:02211
Van Riemsdyk410-616:5129-713:4016-5
Sill21106:1021105:29110
Smith49-518:3943116:19220
Brennan65115:2354112:05330
Erixon33013:4533012:0223-1
Bozak49-516:4228-613:2216-5
Kadri107320:4195418:52431
Rielly127521:42107319:02440
Komarov76118:1475216:33431
Gardiner86223:2475221:4112-1
Carrick21104:4921104:49110
Kessel48-414:4128-611:3016-5
Reimer2024-460:001716151:07811-3

After a great night against Ottawa, the big line struggled, easily the worst on the team in terms of chances. Kessel, Van Riemsdyk and Bozak were each one for just one Leaf ES close chance, and were -5. Van Riemsdyk was a team worst -7 at ES overall. The bright spot was Nazem Kadri, who had a strong game. He had one of the most defensive zone start ratios on the team, but led the forwards in chances, and was +4 at ES. Richard Panik, Leo Komarov and David Booth also had good games, as with the top line quiet the depth forwards were able to do a good job generating offense.

Morgan Rielly had an excellent game. He was on for more offensive chances than any other Leaf, and was a +3 at ES, the best of the defencemen. He also got fairly tough zone starts, as did Jake Gardiner, who led the team in ES ice-time, and also finished in the positive. Eric Brewer, who had the most defensive zone starts on the team, ended up with the worst chances numbers on the defence, finishing at -2, level with Dion Phaneuf. TJ Brennan and Tim Erixon got fairly soft minutes, but weren’t able to turn that into good chance numbers, neither getting into the positive at ES Close.

Cumulative numbers this season:

OverallPos#Even StrengthES Close
ForAgainst%TOIForAgainst%
LindstromF14303248.4%08:31201557.1%
KadriF6833435148.8%14:5719719350.5%
SillF16232547.9%07:06111150.0%
PolakD5628634645.3%17:5417418848.1%
RiellyD7642146247.7%17:0022725047.6%
KomarovF5818818550.4%12:039510747.0%
GardinerD7438841748.2%18:0520723546.8%
PanikF7119621248.0%10:1610712246.7%
BernierG5471483646.1%44:1443750446.4%
PhaneufD6535743445.1%17:1220524845.3%
SmithF5212814646.7%09:29769245.2%
LupulF5020026443.1%13:2210813544.4%
KesselF7740147046.0%14:5922328044.3%
BozakF7738045145.7%14:4919926043.4%
ReimerG3340449345.0%41:4818325242.1%
HollandF5916523441.4%11:368712042.0%
Van RiemsdykF7735948042.8%14:5020328541.6%
CarrickF16233241.8%07:07152438.5%
BoothF5413418442.1%10:317411938.3%
BrewerD13638841.7%17:39284737.3%
KozunF20284637.8%07:26132237.1%
RobidasD5219226741.8%14:449316336.3%

Nazem Kadri’s performances continue to impress; he’s been the best regular Leaf forward in chances each of the last two seasons. His play gets a lot of a scrutiny, and he certainly has his share of bad games, but his possession numbers are the best of the forwards, and while his scoring numbers are a bit of a disappointment, that hardly makes him standout in this tough season.