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One of the worst games the Maple Leafs have played this season saw them struggle to generate anything offensively.

They didn’t score a goal without an extra man over the course of the weekend, and while they did get some unlucky bounces, it’s not as if they deserved a result.

Toronto ended up with a narrow possession advantage, finishing ahead in Corsi, although that mostly came towards the end of the second period, when Pittsburgh had established a comfortable lead. They also won the neutral zone battle, but that was also helped by Pittsburgh being able to defend in the second half of the game. The chances paint a much bleaker story, with the Leafs managing only eight on the night.

TeamChances1st2nd3rdESESCloseESCh%NZEnt%ContEntOppContEnt
Tor84315329.4%51.3%40.3%42.5%
Pit1767412370.6%48.7%--

Toronto were about even early, which is good when you consider they had a five minute major to kill off. However, the two goals in the second took all the fight out of them, and after Cullen’s goal they managed only two chances the rest of the game, including only one in the third period — an embarrassing way to close out yet another defeat.

PeriodTimeSTSOTeamHowStateT1T2T3T4T5T6O1O2O3O4O5O6
115:5800PitHornqvist post from loose puckES21926424445349297287
114:1000PitBonino wide from PerronES323244445812132957
112:2800TorVan Riemsdyk drives postES3214345475181229577181
112:1800TorKomarov deflects Phaneuf shot wideES3214345475181229577181
109:4800TorKomarov deflects Van Riemsdyk shotES32143454751282957587181
109:0200PitCullen drivesPP3151921434547121629
106:3800TorGrabner from BozakSH240424546131419282957
106:2700PitGOAL! Kunitz from reboundSH240454647131419282957
103:2401PitHornqvist from MalkinSH223454647295871728187
101:0101PitHornqvist from KesselSH340444547295871728187
217:5601PitDumoulin drivesES2143454647527812162961
217:2601PitGOAL! Fehr from loose puckPP24264244455147121629
216:5202TorVan Riemsdyk from KadriPP3151921434547121329
215:2602PitDupuis from CrosbyES224264244454929587287
214:1202PitKunitz drivesES212543454652121314192829
213:4202PitKessel from PerronES214345464752282957587181
211:0202TorVan Riemsdyk deflects Phaneuf shotES32143454751282957587181
209:3102PitGOAL! Cullen drivesES254045465256347162961
208:1003PitBonino wide from KunitzES3214344454781213141929
203:5603TorLupul deflects Marincin shot wideES192342454652347162961
319:1703PitKessel wide from loose puckES3192343455181229577181
315:2903PitGOAL! Hornqvist from loose puckES32142454751489297287
312:1603PitLetang drivesES232142454792829587287
311:3103PitPerron wide from MalkinES21923434445282957587181
303:5103TorHolland from GardinerPP3322443454751913282958

Leafs Player Data

PlayerESChFESChAESCh%ESTOIZS%NZ%ContEntOppContEnt
Komarov4544.4%12:1444.4%57.9%45.5%37.5%
Van Riemsdyk4640.0%13:4640.0%55.3%34.6%33.3%
Kadri4640.0%15:0215.4%54.9%46.4%47.8%
Lupul1325.0%12:2942.9%45.8%45.5%50.0%
Matthias1325.0%11:5355.6%50.0%61.1%55.6%
Bozak1420.0%12:37100.0%46.7%47.6%37.5%
Holland020.0%10:0375.0%48.5%37.5%35.3%
Clune020.0%08:2450.0%55.6%26.7%41.7%
Winnik020.0%10:2125.0%51.3%40.0%31.6%
Grabner010.0%07:0944.4%47.8%27.3%50.0%
Froese010.0%08:1440.0%57.7%26.7%54.5%
Parenteau00-09:1160.0%48.4%33.3%43.8%
Gardiner4266.7%18:3242.9%55.0%42.4%33.3%
Phaneuf4544.4%17:1246.2%44.4%46.4%45.7%
Marincin1420.0%11:1150.0%58.3%33.3%40.0%
Polak1420.0%12:5741.7%58.5%33.3%41.2%
Hunwick040.0%13:4937.5%51.1%39.1%40.9%
Rielly050.0%15:2160.0%46.3%44.0%48.3%

The only line that was able to generate any offense at even strength was the top line of Leo Komarov with Nazem Kadri and James Van Riemsdyk. However, when they failed to score Tyler Bozak was put on this line instead, with little third-period success. That line was also the best in the neutral zone, and were largely able to do a decent job against the Kessel line.

The bottom two lines were almost non-factors, with very little happening at either end of the ice while they were on. P.A. Parenteau managed to go the entire game without being on for an ES chance either way, and the only chance Michael Grabner and Byron Froese were on for was Cullen’s goal. Froese’s line was the worst on the team at preventing controlled entries, but didn’t end up suffering much for it.

On defence, there was a similar tale. Only Jake Gardiner and Dion Phaneuf were on for a good number of Leaf chances, while the other two pairings were on the ice for just a single Leaf ES chance.

Martin Marincin and Roman Polak had a good game from the zone entries perspective, but were roundly out-chanced, and Morgan Rielly was the worst Leaf in chances, finishing at -5, as he and Matt Hunwick weren’t great against the Crosby line.