Game 79 Scoring Chances: Bruins 2 vs. Maple Leafs 1 (SO)

This was the type of game we have seen quite often from the Leafs over the last couple of years, but not much during this recent slide.

They were out-chanced 5-1 at even strength by the Bruins in the first period, but managed to escape the period with the game still scoreless. Early in the second Boston grabbed a goal, and it seemed like the floodgates might open. Boston let up a little, though, and Toronto was able to get a lucky bounce to draw the game back level. The Bruins, desperate for points, carried the play in the third period, again out-chancing the Leafs, but couldn’t get a goal, and the game went to overtime. Neither side managed to score in the extra period, sending the game to the shoot-out. Patrice Bergeron was the only man to score in five attempts, and the Bruins took a key two points, while James Reimer just fell short of pulling Toronto to a win.

Status	Overall			Even Strength			ES Close
Team	TOR	BOS	%	TOR	BOS	%	TOR	BOS	%
1	2	7	22.2%	1	5	16.7%	1	5	16.7%
2	4	8	33.3%	4	8	33.3%	4	8	33.3%
3	3	7	30.0%	3	6	33.3%	3	6	33.3%
4	1	0	100.0%	1	0	100.0%	1	0	100.0%
Total	10	22	31.3%	9	19	32.1%	9	19	32.1%

This is the second straight game the Leafs have taken under 40% of the chances at even strength. This is the fourth such two-game stretch the Leafs have had; they haven’t had a three-game stretch, but with a back-to-back game against a team desperate for playoff points, they are at risk of it tomorrow night.

Club	St	P	Time	TSc	Osc	Note	Toronto						Boston
BOS	ES	1	19:33	0	0	Krejci deflects Chara shot	42	81	21	2	3	34	37	46	63	33	54	40
BOS	ES	1	16:24	0	0	Smith deflects Soderberg shot	15	43	18	44	51	34	34	18	21	44	47	40
BOS	ES	1	13:02	0	0	Soderberg from loose puck	15	43	18	33	57	34	25	34	18	33	62	40
TOR	ES	1	12:50	0	0	Booth drives post	47	19	20	44	51	34	23	25	14	44	47	40
BOS	ES	1	09:14	0	0	Bergeron from Krejci	47	19	20	2	3	34	37	46	63	44	47	40
BOS	PP	1	05:59	0	0	Lucic from Soderberg	22	47	33	44	34	34	14	18	17	33	40	-
BOS	ES	1	02:54	0	0	Pastrnak from rebound of Bartkowski shot	22	47	19	44	51	34	51	88	17	43	54	40
BOS	SH	1	01:26	0	0	Bergeron from Spooner	47	20	3	57	34	-	37	46	51	21	47	40
TOR	SH	1	01:15	0	0	Sill wraparound	22	20	33	57	34	-	34	14	18	17	33	40
BOS	ES	2	19:41	0	0	Bergeron from Marchand	42	81	21	2	3	34	37	46	63	33	62	40
BOS	ES	2	19:41	0	0	GOAL! Bergeron from rebound	42	81	21	2	3	34	37	46	63	33	62	40
BOS	ES	2	19:12	0	1	Eriksson from rebound of Smith shot	22	19	20	33	57	34	34	18	21	43	54	40
TOR	ES	2	17:37	0	1	Kessel drives	42	81	21	44	51	34	46	51	63	33	62	40
BOS	ES	2	17:28	0	1	Trotman from Krejci	42	81	21	2	3	34	46	51	63	33	62	40
TOR	ES	2	13:38	0	1	Phaneuf deflects Brewer shot	42	19	20	2	3	34	51	88	17	44	47	40
TOR	ES	2	13:32	0	1	Lupul from Booth	42	19	20	2	3	34	51	88	17	44	47	40
BOS	ES	2	06:28	0	1	Pastrnak from Lucic	42	18	20	2	57	34	51	88	17	44	47	40
TOR	ES	2	04:20	1	1	Lindstrom from Kadri	15	43	18	3	33	34	37	46	63	44	47	40
BOS	ES	2	03:14	1	1	Connolly wide from loose puck	42	81	21	3	33	34	23	25	14	33	62	40
BOS	ES	2	03:05	1	1	Pastrnak wide from rebound of Spooner shot	42	81	21	3	33	34	51	88	17	33	54	40
BOS	ES	2	01:17	1	1	Kelly drives	37	81	21	2	3	34	23	46	63	33	54	40
TOR	ES	3	17:35	1	1	Komarov drives	47	19	20	3	51	34	51	88	17	44	47	40
BOS	ES	3	15:49	1	1	Kelly from Talbot	42	81	21	33	57	34	23	25	14	44	54	40
BOS	ES	3	15:05	1	1	Kelly from loose puck	42	81	21	33	57	34	23	18	21	33	54	40
BOS	ES	3	14:03	1	1	Spooner from giveaway	15	43	18	2	3	34	51	88	17	44	47	40
BOS	ES	3	13:07	1	1	Marchand post from rebound of Bartkowski shot	47	19	20	44	51	34	37	46	63	43	54	40
BOS	SH	3	11:33	1	1	Bergeron from Spooner	47	20	2	3	34	-	37	46	51	21	47	40
TOR	ES	3	07:28	1	1	Kadri deflects Gardiner shot	15	43	19	2	57	34	37	46	63	33	47	40
TOR	ES	3	07:26	1	1	Lupul from rebound of Kadri shot	15	43	19	2	57	34	37	46	63	33	47	40
BOS	ES	3	03:08	1	1	Pastrnak from Lucic	42	19	20	2	3	34	37	88	17	33	62	40
BOS	ES	3	02:49	1	1	Bergeron wraparound	42	81	21	2	3	34	37	46	63	33	62	40
TOR	ES	4	03:56	1	1	Van Riemsdyk drives	43	21	44	51	34	-	37	46	63	47	40	-

Player-by-Player data:

Player	Overall				Even Strength				ES Close
	For	Against	Diff	TOI	For	Against	Diff	TOI	For	Against	Diff
Brewer	4	11	-7	23:03	4	10	-6	20:14	4	10	-6
Phaneuf	4	13	-9	27:27	4	11	-7	22:17	4	11	-7
Lindstrom	3	3	0	16:05	3	3	0	14:00	3	3	0
Panik	1	4	-3	17:02	1	4	-3	15:23	1	4	-3
Lupul	6	5	1	14:05	6	5	1	12:00	6	5	1
Booth	5	7	-2	14:45	4	5	-1	12:01	4	5	-1
Van Riemsdyk	2	10	-8	20:14	2	10	-8	18:22	2	10	-8
Sill	1	3	-2	12:17	0	2	-2	09:53	0	2	-2
Smith	0	0	0	00:24	0	0	0	00:24	0	0	0
Erixon	2	7	-5	17:11	1	6	-5	12:18	1	6	-5
Bailey	0	1	-1	09:05	0	1	-1	09:05	0	1	-1
Bozak	3	11	-8	21:19	3	11	-8	17:51	3	11	-8
Kadri	4	3	1	21:23	4	3	1	19:47	4	3	1
Rielly	3	4	-1	23:42	3	3	0	20:11	3	3	0
Komarov	2	6	-4	16:57	2	3	-1	13:24	2	3	-1
Gardiner	4	3	1	25:07	4	3	1	23:02	4	3	1
MacWilliam	3	6	-3	13:33	2	5	-3	12:18	2	5	-3
Kessel	1	10	-9	20:16	1	10	-9	18:28	1	10	-9
Reimer	10	23	-13	65:00	9	19	-10	55:14	9	19	-10

The Bruins’ goal was a good microcosm of the top line’s night; matched up against Zdeno Chara for most of the evening, they did very little . Phil Kessel was on for just one Leaf chance all night, and while Tyler Bozak was slightly better, he was on for 11 Bruin ES chances, the worst of the forwards. Their differentials were terrible as well, with Kessel at -9 and James Van Riemdyk and Bozak -8 at ES. Joffrey Lupul, who has been extremely quiet for most of the season, had one of his better nights, on for a team-high six Leaf chances, and one of the only Leafs above even at ES. Nazem Kadri, getting tough zone starts and playing mostly with the likes of Lindstrom and Panik, had a solid night, and was the other Leaf forward to finish above even.

Eric Brewer and Dion Phaneuf got the toughest zone starts on the defence, and paid for it, both putting up some of the worst numbers on the team. Phaneuf finished -7, and Brewer was -6. It was another bad night for Tim Erixon, who had much easier zone starts, but almost equaled that top pairing, putting up a -5 at ES. The young defencemen were the top guys tonight, with Jake Gardiner and Morgan Rielly, like Kadri, holding their own and finishing near even.

 

Cumulative numbers this season:

Overall	Pos	#	Even Strength				ES Close
			For	Against	%	TOI	For	Against	%
Lindstrom	F	16	37	40	48.1%	09:06	25	23	52.1%
Kadri	F	70	343	361	48.7%	14:59	203	203	50.0%
Polak	D	56	286	346	45.3%	17:54	174	188	48.1%
Rielly	D	78	427	466	47.8%	17:00	231	254	47.6%
Gardiner	D	76	395	423	48.3%	18:08	212	241	46.8%
Komarov	F	60	192	192	50.0%	12:05	99	114	46.5%
Bernier	G	55	723	852	45.9%	44:13	442	519	46.0%
Panik	F	73	198	219	47.5%	10:19	109	129	45.8%
Phaneuf	D	67	365	454	44.6%	17:17	211	267	44.1%
Lupul	F	52	207	275	42.9%	13:18	114	145	44.0%
Sill	F	18	24	28	46.2%	07:12	11	14	44.0%
Smith	F	54	129	153	45.7%	09:18	76	98	43.7%
Kessel	F	79	406	483	45.7%	15:03	227	293	43.7%
Bozak	F	79	386	464	45.4%	14:52	205	273	42.9%
Holland	F	59	165	234	41.4%	11:36	87	120	42.0%
Reimer	G	34	413	512	44.6%	42:11	192	271	41.5%
Van Riemsdyk	F	79	364	492	42.5%	14:52	207	297	41.1%
Carrick	F	16	23	32	41.8%	07:07	15	24	38.5%
Erixon	D	12	27	53	33.8%	12:49	20	33	37.7%
Booth	F	56	138	196	41.3%	10:32	78	130	37.5%
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%
Brewer	D	15	71	104	40.6%	17:46	35	62	36.1%

I should have more breakdown in a post after the season finishes, but it really is worth talking about how Rielly & Gardiner have played in the second half. During the Carlyle era, both were below 45% in terms of chances, and since his firing they have been essentially even. Gardiner has actually been the best Leaf player at ES since the coaching change, despite getting somewhat more difficult minutes in recent weeks.