Game 5 Scoring Chances and Zone Entries: Penguins 2 vs. Leafs 1

It’s become an overly familiar refrain this season, but the Toronto Maple Leafs were again behind in the first ten minutes as they faced Phil Kessel and the Penguins.

Two early goal staked Pittsburgh to a lead, and while Leo Komarov managed a quick response, that would be all. Unlike their last couple of games, the Leafs weren’t able to mount any substantial fight-back, and went down to defeat.

Toronto were beaten in possession, particularly in the third period, as they were unable to make much of a push to tie the game. This is reflected in the chances as well, as the Penguins were clearly superior at even strength. The Leafs were more likely to win the neutral zone than Pittsburgh, but the Penguins had a much higher chances of entering with control of the puck, which contributed to their ability to create offence.

Team	Chances	1st	2nd	3rd	ES	ESClose	ESCh%	NZEnt%	ContEnt	OppContEnt
Tor	18	7	5	6	11	5	37.9%	50.3%	39.7%	45.5%
Pit	22	5	6	11	18	10	62.1%	49.7%	-	-

Toronto had the better of the chances in the first half of the game, but there was no real push from the Leafs over the second half, despite the fact they were trailing. In particular, there was very little offense in the last ten minutes, with the Leafs generating only two chances while losing by a single goal.

Period	Time	ST	SO	Team	How	State	T1	T2	T3	T4	T5	T6	O1	O2	O3	O4	O5	O6
1	17:41	0	0	PIT	Hornqvist from loose puck	ES	3	15	24	40	45	51	28	29	57	58	71	72
1	16:46	0	0	TOR	Arcobello drives	SH	2	33	40	44	45		29	58	71	72	81	87
1	15:52	0	0	TOR	Gardiner drives	ES	3	21	43	45	51		8	12	29	57	87
1	14:11	0	0	PIT	GOAL! Malkin drives	ES	3	23	28	33	45	51	8	11	12	13	29	71
1	13:32	0	1	PIT	GOAL! Maatta from loose puck	ES	16	19	36	45	46	47	3	4	7	17	29	61
1	10:00	0	2	TOR	Kadri deflects Komarov shot	ES	3	21	43	45	47	51	8	12	29	57	71	72
1	06:51	0	2	TOR	GOAL! Komarov deflects Gardiner shot	ES	3	40	43	45	47	51	8	12	29	57	71	72
1	05:04	1	2	PIT	Plotnikov from Maatta	ES	3	15	24	40	45	51	7	8	12	17	29	61
1	02:20	1	2	TOR	Kadri drives	ES	2	16	40	43	44	45	3	13	14	28	29	57
1	01:45	1	2	TOR	Lupul from Kadri	PP	3	15	19	21	43	45	4	7	11	12	29
1	00:27	1	2	PIT	Porter from Malkin	PP	15	19	21	24	44	45	8	11	12	29	71
1	00:10	1	2	TOR	Parenteau from Rielly	PP	15	19	21	43	44	45	8	11	12	29	71
2	19:42	1	2	PIT	Kessel wide from Crosby	ES	3	21	43	45	47	51	8	12	14	29	81	87
2	17:30	1	2	TOR	Holland from Parenteau	ES	2	15	24	40	44	45	7	17	28	29	58	61
2	16:27	1	2	PIT	Maatta wide from Crosby	ES	2	16	19	26	44	45	3	4	29	57	81	87
2	14:02	1	2	TOR	Holland drives wide	ES	3	15	24	40	45	51	7	11	28	29	41	58
2	12:12	1	2	TOR	Lupul wide from Parenteau	PP	3	15	19	21	43	45	4	7	12	13	29
2	07:50	1	2	PIT	Cullen from loose puck	ES	21	36	43	45	46	47	3	4	7	17	29	61
2	07:46	1	2	PIT	Hornqvist from Malkin	ES	3	15	24	40	45	51	8	12	29	57	71	72
2	04:46	1	2	PIT	Hornqvist from Malkin	ES	3	16	19	26	45	51	3	4	29	57	71	72
2	02:46	1	2	TOR	Holland from rebound	ES	15	24	40	45	46	51	8	12	29	41	57	71
2	02:17	1	2	PIT	Perron drives	ES	23	28	33	45	46	51	3	4	29	57	71	72
2	01:10	1	2	TOR	Grabner from Arcobello	SH	3	33	36	40	45		13	14	28	29	41	57
3	16:44	1	2	TOR	Spaling from loose puck	ES	2	16	19	26	44	45	8	12	29	57	71	81
3	16:42	1	2	TOR	Lupul wide from rebound	ES	2	16	19	26	44	45	8	12	29	57	71	81
3	15:48	1	2	PIT	Letang from Plotnikov	ES	3	23	28	33	45	51	7	28	29	41	58	61
3	15:24	1	2	PIT	Cullen from loose puck	ES	23	28	33	36	45	46	7	17	28	29	58	61
3	13:50	1	2	TOR	Spaling wide from Winnik	SH	16	26	36	45	46		3	13	14	29	41	57
3	13:24	1	2	PIT	Hornqvist drives	SH	2	23	40	44	45		29	58	71	72	81	87
3	13:00	1	2	PIT	Malkin from Letang	SH	2	16	26	44	45		29	58	71	72	81	87
3	12:48	1	2	PIT	Malkin from Letang	SH	2	16	26	44	45		29	58	71	72	81	87
3	10:39	1	2	TOR	Parenteau from Holland	PP	3	15	21	24	28	45	4	11	29	58	71
3	09:44	1	2	PIT	Kunitz from Crosby	ES	2	16	19	26	44	45	3	14	29	58	81	87
3	06:31	1	2	TOR	Spaling wide from Winnik	ES	2	16	26	33	44	45	3	4	29	57	72	87
3	06:11	1	2	PIT	Malkin from giveaway	ES	21	33	36	43	45	46	28	29	57	58	71	72
3	06:10	1	2	PIT	Perron wide from rebound	ES	21	33	36	43	45	46	28	29	57	58	71	72
3	05:27	1	2	PIT	Sprong wraparound	ES	21	36	43	45	46	47	11	28	29	41	58	71
3	03:48	1	2	PIT	Perron from rebound	ES	19	21	36	43	45	46	3	4	29	57	71	72
3	03:08	1	2	PIT	Kessel from Kunitz	ES	2	21	43	45	46	47	8	12	14	29	81	87
3	02:36	1	2	TOR	Kadri from loose puck	ES	2	23	28	43	45	51	7	8	11	12	13	29

Leafs Player Data

Player	ESChF	ESChA	ESCh%	ESTOI	ZS%	NZ%	ContEnt	OppContEnt
Grabner	5	3	62.5%	08:41	33.3%	53.8%	42.9%	33.3%
Parenteau	3	3	50.0%	07:09	33.3%	54.8%	47.1%	42.9%
Spaling	4	4	50.0%	14:25	28.6%	51.9%	40.7%	40.0%
Holland	3	3	50.0%	10:26	25.0%	50.0%	38.1%	47.6%
Winnik	3	3	50.0%	13:18	28.6%	48.9%	39.1%	41.7%
Kadri	5	7	41.7%	14:01	50.0%	54.8%	43.5%	52.6%
Lupul	2	5	28.6%	13:16	33.3%	52.3%	43.5%	47.6%
Komarov	2	5	28.6%	12:32	40.0%	52.5%	38.1%	52.6%
Van Riemsdyk	2	7	22.2%	13:11	42.9%	52.6%	40.0%	55.6%
Matthias	1	4	20.0%	08:36	80.0%	40.0%	40.0%	46.7%
Boyes	1	4	20.0%	09:57	80.0%	42.9%	25.0%	43.8%
Arcobello	1	6	14.3%	10:39	60.0%	43.8%	28.6%	38.9%
Rielly	5	2	71.4%	16:21	20.0%	55.4%	35.5%	40.0%
Hunwick	6	3	66.7%	17:23	25.0%	50.9%	34.5%	39.3%
Gardiner	6	8	42.9%	17:19	54.6%	52.5%	48.4%	39.3%
Phaneuf	4	7	36.4%	16:38	55.6%	49.2%	50.0%	45.2%
Polak	1	9	10.0%	12:59	60.0%	44.2%	31.6%	54.2%
Harrington	0	7	0.0%	10:18	42.9%	44.1%	33.3%	57.9%

The main line chosen to go against the Penguin group of Kessel, Crosby and Kunitz was Joffrey Lupul with Nick Spaling and Daniel Winnik, and all things considered they had a decent night. Spaling and Winnik both finished even in chances, and they were one of the lines that managed a pretty even battle in the neutral zone.

Things didn’t go as well for the top line, as Nazem Kadri, Leo Komarov and James van Riemsdyk were out-chanced, and struggled to prevent the Pens from entering the zone with control. The one line that was the best was Michael Grabner with Peter Holland and P.A. Parenteau, which was the only line that managed to finish at least even in chances.

Scott Harrington was badly exposed in this game, not on for a single Leaf ES chance, and posting the worst zone entry number as well. Roman Polak was his most frequent partner and also had very poor numbers, with the Malkin line in particular able to take advantage of the Leafs‘ bottom pair.

Morgan Rielly and Matt Hunwick, who were mostly going against the Crosby trio, were the only Leaf pairing to out-chance their opponents on the night, as Jake Gardiner and Dion Phaneuf finished marginally in the negative.