Game 77 Scoring Chances: Maple Leafs 3 vs. Lightning 1

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.

Status	Overall			Even Strength			ES Close
Team	TOR	TBL	%	TOR	TBL	%	TOR	TBL	%
1	8	6	57.1%	5	2	71.4%	3	1	75.0%
2	5	11	31.3%	5	10	33.3%	5	10	33.3%
3	7	7	50.0%	7	4	63.6%	0	0	-
Total	20	24	45.5%	17	16	51.5%	8	11	42.1%

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.

Club	St	P	Time	TSc	Osc	Note	Toronto						Tampa Bay
TOR	ES	1	16:58	0	0	Sill wide from Panik	22	53	18	25	33	34	11	23	10	8	53	88
TBL	ES	1	16:42	0	0	Brown drives	22	53	18	25	33	34	11	23	10	8	53	88
TOR	ES	1	14:37	0	0	Rielly from Kadri	15	43	47	44	51	34	90	86	18	6	29	88
TOR	ES	1	13:51	0	0	Smith from Lupul	23	19	20	3	33	34	17	51	91	8	53	88
TOR	PP	1	12:54	0	0	Bozak deflects Phaneuf shot wide	42	81	21	3	44	34	17	51	6	25	88	-
TOR	PP	1	11:07	0	0	GOAL! Kadri deflects Lindstrom shot	15	43	19	25	51	34	51	18	6	89	88	-
TOR	PP	1	10:07	1	0	Kessel from Bozak	42	81	21	3	44	34	23	18	6	8	88	-
TBL	PP	1	09:20	1	0	Killorn from Filppula	15	43	19	25	51	34	17	51	25	53	88	-
TOR	ES	1	07:34	2	0	Panik deflects Gardiner shot wide	22	53	18	44	51	34	11	23	10	6	89	88
TOR	ES	1	06:20	2	0	Komarov from Lindstrom	15	43	47	2	3	34	17	51	91	6	89	88
TBL	ES	1	04:08	2	0	Drouin from Callahan	42	81	21	2	3	34	13	24	27	6	89	88
TBL	SH	1	02:52	2	0	Palat wide from Nesterov	23	20	2	3	34	-	90	24	86	18	89	88
TBL	SH	1	01:57	2	0	Palat from Kucherov	23	20	2	3	34	-	90	24	86	18	89	88
TBL	SH	1	01:56	2	0	GOAL! Callahan from rebound of Palat shot	23	20	2	3	34	-	90	24	86	18	89	88
TBL	ES	2	18:50	2	1	Koekkoek wide from loose puck	15	42	21	44	51	34	17	51	91	25	29	88
TBL	ES	2	17:54	2	1	Stralman wide from Filppula	42	81	21	2	3	34	51	91	18	6	89	88
TBL	ES	2	16:58	2	1	Namestnikov from Kucherov	23	19	20	25	33	34	90	86	18	8	53	88
TBL	SH	2	13:56	2	1	Palat from Kucherov	23	20	2	3	34	-	90	24	86	18	89	88
TBL	ES	2	12:21	2	1	Stamkos from loose puck	42	81	21	2	44	34	11	91	27	25	29	88
TOR	ES	2	11:46	2	1	Van Riemsdyk drives	42	81	21	2	44	34	11	23	10	25	29	88
TBL	ES	2	11:30	2	1	Brown from Boyle	43	47	81	3	44	34	11	23	10	8	53	88
TBL	ES	2	09:10	2	1	Killorn drives post	42	81	21	2	3	34	17	51	91	25	29	88
TOR	ES	2	08:06	2	1	Panik drives wide	43	47	18	3	44	34	11	23	10	8	25	88
TOR	ES	2	07:46	2	1	Rielly drives	43	47	18	25	44	34	11	23	10	25	29	88
TOR	ES	2	06:16	2	1	Booth drives	23	19	20	2	3	34	13	24	27	8	53	88
TBL	ES	2	05:50	2	1	Kucherov deflects Witkowski shot wide	42	81	21	44	51	34	90	86	18	8	53	88
TBL	ES	2	04:13	2	1	Stamkos wide from Killorn	15	43	47	2	3	34	17	51	91	25	29	88
TOR	ES	2	03:42	2	1	Phaneuf deflects Smith shot wide	15	43	47	3	25	34	17	51	23	25	29	88
TBL	ES	2	01:38	2	1	Kucherov from Palat	42	81	21	25	33	34	90	86	18	25	29	88
TBL	ES	2	01:36	2	1	Stamkos wide from faceoff	23	43	47	2	3	34	17	51	91	25	29	88
TOR	ES	3	19:36	2	1	GOAL! Rielly from Kadri	43	18	44	51	34	-	91	18	8	89	88	-
TOR	ES	3	19:18	3	1	Booth from Kadri	43	20	44	51	34	-	17	51	8	53	88	-
TBL	ES	3	17:51	3	1	Palat from loose puck	42	81	21	3	25	34	13	86	18	8	25	88
TBL	ES	3	14:06	3	1	Palat wide from Namestnikov	23	19	20	44	51	34	90	86	18	25	29	88
TBL	ES	3	12:02	3	1	Barberio from rebound from Witkowski shot	43	47	21	44	51	34	17	51	24	8	53	88
TOR	ES	3	10:36	3	1	Smith deflects Booth shot wide	23	19	20	2	25	34	11	23	10	25	89	88
TBL	ES	3	09:31	3	1	Drouin from Callahan	43	47	18	44	51	34	13	24	27	8	53	88
TOR	ES	3	09:20	3	1	Kadri drives wide	43	47	18	44	51	34	13	24	27	8	53	88
TOR	ES	3	07:06	3	1	Booth drives wide	23	19	20	25	33	34	11	23	10	8	53	88
TOR	ES	3	06:19	3	1	Kadri deflects Gardiner shot wide	43	47	18	44	51	34	90	86	18	8	53	88
TOR	ES	3	05:40	3	1	Van Riemsdyk from Kessel	42	81	21	44	51	34	13	24	27	6	89	88
TBL	EN	3	01:50	3	1	Kucherov from Drouin	23	19	20	2	3	34	90	24	86	27	25	89
TBL	EN	3	01:37	3	1	Palat post from loose puck	42	47	21	2	3	34	11	13	10	18	6	89
TBL	EN	3	00:52	3	1	Kucherov drives	23	43	20	2	3	34	17	51	91	86	6	89

Player-by-Player data:

Player	Overall				Even Strength				ES Close
	For	Against	Diff	TOI	For	Against	Diff	TOI	For	Against	Diff
Brewer	4	13	-9	21:07	4	6	-2	18:51	2	5	-3
Phaneuf	7	14	-7	24:54	5	7	-2	18:47	4	5	-1
Lindstrom	4	3	1	13:51	3	2	1	12:22	2	2	0
Panik	7	2	5	11:46	7	2	5	10:08	3	1	2
Lupul	5	4	1	15:30	4	2	2	14:01	2	1	1
Booth	5	8	-3	16:52	5	2	3	15:02	2	1	1
Van Riemsdyk	4	10	-6	16:51	2	9	-7	13:40	1	6	-5
Sill	2	1	1	06:10	2	1	1	05:29	1	1	0
Smith	4	9	-5	18:39	4	3	1	16:19	2	2	0
Brennan	6	5	1	15:23	5	4	1	12:05	3	3	0
Erixon	3	3	0	13:45	3	3	0	12:02	2	3	-1
Bozak	4	9	-5	16:42	2	8	-6	13:22	1	6	-5
Kadri	10	7	3	20:41	9	5	4	18:52	4	3	1
Rielly	12	7	5	21:42	10	7	3	19:02	4	4	0
Komarov	7	6	1	18:14	7	5	2	16:33	4	3	1
Gardiner	8	6	2	23:24	7	5	2	21:41	1	2	-1
Carrick	2	1	1	04:49	2	1	1	04:49	1	1	0
Kessel	4	8	-4	14:41	2	8	-6	11:30	1	6	-5
Reimer	20	24	-4	60:00	17	16	1	51:07	8	11	-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:

Overall	Pos	#	Even Strength				ES Close
			For	Against	%	TOI	For	Against	%
Lindstrom	F	14	30	32	48.4%	08:31	20	15	57.1%
Kadri	F	68	334	351	48.8%	14:57	197	193	50.5%
Sill	F	16	23	25	47.9%	07:06	11	11	50.0%
Polak	D	56	286	346	45.3%	17:54	174	188	48.1%
Rielly	D	76	421	462	47.7%	17:00	227	250	47.6%
Komarov	F	58	188	185	50.4%	12:03	95	107	47.0%
Gardiner	D	74	388	417	48.2%	18:05	207	235	46.8%
Panik	F	71	196	212	48.0%	10:16	107	122	46.7%
Bernier	G	54	714	836	46.1%	44:14	437	504	46.4%
Phaneuf	D	65	357	434	45.1%	17:12	205	248	45.3%
Smith	F	52	128	146	46.7%	09:29	76	92	45.2%
Lupul	F	50	200	264	43.1%	13:22	108	135	44.4%
Kessel	F	77	401	470	46.0%	14:59	223	280	44.3%
Bozak	F	77	380	451	45.7%	14:49	199	260	43.4%
Reimer	G	33	404	493	45.0%	41:48	183	252	42.1%
Holland	F	59	165	234	41.4%	11:36	87	120	42.0%
Van Riemsdyk	F	77	359	480	42.8%	14:50	203	285	41.6%
Carrick	F	16	23	32	41.8%	07:07	15	24	38.5%
Booth	F	54	134	184	42.1%	10:31	74	119	38.3%
Brewer	D	13	63	88	41.7%	17:39	28	47	37.3%
Kozun	F	20	28	46	37.8%	07:26	13	22	37.1%
Robidas	D	52	192	267	41.8%	14:44	93	163	36.3%

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.