Toronto's second period was similarily rough, as they did not generate an even strength chance. However, they extended the lead after Raymond added a powerplay goal. With the lead, Toronto sat back and defended from further Minnesota attack.
The third period saw Minnesota generate seven chances, while Toronto again struggled, getting just two, but excellent play from Reimer kept the lead intact, and staked Toronto to another victory.
The three even strength chances Toronto generated were easily their lowest of the season. They tied their worst period in the first with just one, then "bettered" it in the second with no chances at even strength at all. Eleven against is one of their better totals, but after four straight games of at least being even in differential at even strength, this is a big beatdown.
A summary of the scoring chances:
| Status | Overall | ES | ||
| Team | Toronto | Minnesota | Toronto | Minnesota |
| 1 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| 3 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 7 |
| Total | 7 | 18 | 3 | 11 |
Follow below the fold for details.
This was my list of scoring chances from the game. If you see any problems or omissions (here or anywhere else), please go ahead and leave a comment.
| Club | St | P | Time | Note | Toronto | Minnesota | ||||||||||
| MIN | SH | 1 | 17:33 | Parise deflects Spurgeon shot | 11 | 42 | 3 | 36 | 34 | - | 9 | 29 | 11 | 20 | 46 | 35 |
| MIN | SH | 1 | 17:13 | Koivu wide from Suter | 11 | 42 | 3 | 36 | 34 | - | 9 | 29 | 11 | 20 | 46 | 35 |
| MIN | SH | 1 | 17:08 | Parise deflects Koivu shot | 11 | 42 | 3 | 36 | 34 | - | 9 | 29 | 11 | 20 | 46 | 35 |
| TOR | PP | 1 | 15:36 | GOAL! Bozak from Bolland | 42 | 63 | 81 | 3 | 4 | 34 | 9 | 11 | 4 | 46 | 35 | - |
| MIN | ES | 1 | 07:06 | Brodziak wide from Cooke | 11 | 63 | 32 | 15 | 51 | 34 | 21 | 14 | 24 | 4 | 46 | 35 |
| TOR | ES | 1 | 06:09 | GOAL! Smith from Rielly | 23 | 28 | 37 | 4 | 44 | 34 | 17 | 28 | 19 | 20 | 25 | 35 |
| MIN | SH | 1 | 04:23 | Heatley from Fontaine | 43 | 63 | 15 | 51 | 34 | - | 64 | 14 | 22 | 15 | 25 | 35 |
| MIN | SH | 1 | 02:34 | Pominville from Koivu | 11 | 42 | 3 | 36 | 34 | - | 9 | 29 | 11 | 20 | 46 | 35 |
| MIN | SH | 1 | 02:33 | GOAL! Pominville from rebound | 11 | 42 | 3 | 36 | 34 | - | 9 | 29 | 11 | 20 | 46 | 35 |
| MIN | ES | 2 | 17:59 | Parise from rebound of Brodin shot | 42 | 81 | 12 | 3 | 36 | 34 | 9 | 22 | 11 | 20 | 25 | 35 |
| MIN | ES | 2 | 14:13 | Granlund steals from Kessel | 42 | 81 | 12 | 4 | 44 | 34 | 64 | 29 | 15 | 4 | 46 | 35 |
| MIN | PP | 2 | 08:21 | Mitchell steals from Phaneuf | 42 | 63 | 81 | 3 | 4 | 34 | 17 | 21 | 4 | 46 | 35 | - |
| TOR | PP | 2 | 07:51 | Raymond from Lupul | 43 | 19 | 12 | 44 | 51 | 34 | 21 | 24 | 20 | 25 | 35 | - |
| TOR | PP | 2 | 07:37 | GOAL! Raymond from Kadri | 43 | 19 | 12 | 44 | 51 | 34 | 21 | 24 | 20 | 25 | 35 | - |
| MIN | ES | 2 | 01:09 | Brodin wide from Koivu | 11 | 43 | 32 | 4 | 15 | 34 | 9 | 22 | 11 | 20 | 25 | 37 |
| TOR | ES | 3 | 19:19 | Leivo from McClement | 11 | 42 | 32 | 4 | 44 | 34 | 9 | 22 | 11 | 20 | 25 | 37 |
| MIN | ES | 3 | 18:34 | Cooke deflects Stoner shot wide | 43 | 81 | 12 | 15 | 44 | 34 | 21 | 14 | 24 | 4 | 46 | 37 |
| MIN | ES | 3 | 15:28 | Fontaine deflects Scandella shot wide | 11 | 63 | 32 | 15 | 51 | 34 | 21 | 14 | 24 | 6 | 39 | 37 |
| TOR | PP | 3 | 14:05 | Raymond from Kadri | 43 | 19 | 12 | 3 | 51 | 34 | 17 | 19 | 4 | 46 | 37 | - |
| MIN | ES | 3 | 10:04 | Parise deflects Brodin shot | 42 | 81 | 12 | 15 | 51 | 34 | 9 | 29 | 11 | 20 | 25 | 37 |
| MIN | ES | 3 | 09:33 | Pominville from Parise | 43 | 81 | 12 | 3 | 51 | 34 | 9 | 29 | 11 | 20 | 46 | 37 |
| TOR | ES | 3 | 08:01 | Bolland from rebound of McClement shot | 11 | 63 | 32 | 15 | 51 | 34 | 21 | 14 | 24 | 6 | 46 | 37 |
| MIN | ES | 3 | 03:33 | Koivu from Parise | 43 | 81 | 12 | 3 | 36 | 34 | 9 | 29 | 11 | 20 | 46 | 37 |
| MIN | ES | 3 | 03:31 | Pominville from rebound of Koivu shot | 43 | 81 | 12 | 3 | 36 | 34 | 9 | 29 | 11 | 20 | 46 | 37 |
| MIN | ES | 3 | 03:23 | Spurgeon from Koivu | 43 | 81 | 12 | 3 | 36 | 34 | 9 | 29 | 11 | 20 | 46 | 37 |
The Extra Skater game profile.
The balance of play and chances were well-reflected in the Corsi stats, with the Leafs beaten 30-68 overall, and 22-51 overall. While the Leafs managed to pull this one out, it's not a successful long-term strategy to get that badly beaten up.
Some notes:
1st - 15:36 - The first chance the Leafs generated is a great passing play on the power play. A Minnesota defenders came up to attempt to block Franson's shot, but the defender turned it into a pass to Bolland. Spurgeon then went down to block a Bolland attempt, but the centre passed it across to a wide-open Bozak.
1st - 7:06 - Minnesota easily pass through the Leafs (the Kadri line with Ranger/Gardiner). Brodziak has the last chance, but it's from a tight angle and he cant' finish.
1st - 6:09 - Rielly throws a great pass up the middle to spring Smith, who doesn't do a lot with it, but manages to put the shot between Kuemper's legs enough to have a trickle through. A really tough goal to give up when you're dominating a team.
1st - 2:33 - Toronto's profligate penalty taking finally comes back to bite them. Gunnarsson and Phaneuf both come over to try and prevent a Koivu centering pass, but they couldn't, leaving Pominville alone out front to collect his own rebound, as he managed to get inside position on Bozak.
2nd - 14:13 - Kessel leaves the puck behind while handling a pass from Franson at the blue line, and Granlund poaches it to go in alone. The Finn's attempt to put it though Reimer's five-hole is shut down to keep the Leafs ahead.
2nd - 8:21 - Another bad giveaway, as Phaneuf tries to drop to Kessel, only to find Mitchell there instead. Mitchell easily goes around Kessel, but Reimer gets enough of his shot to again preserve the lead.
2nd - 7:37 - A great powerplay sequence begins when Lupul just manages to keep the puck in with some great hands, holding off Cooke and cutting inside of Brodziak. He finds Raymond for a cahnce, and while it doesn't go in, they recover the rebound, and Raymond then manages to show off some hands of his own down low to put the Leafs back ahead by two.
3rd - 19:19 - Continuing on from Smith's goal, the next even strength chance for the Leafs (there was a 26 minute gap between such chances) sees Leivo sprung by McClement, only to hit the post from in tight. Not a combination you'd expect to provide much offense.
3rd - 3:33 - The last real push of resistance from Minnesota, as time runs out. Koivu comes out and Pominville gets a great chance on the rebound. After the puck comes out to the point, Spuregon manages to slip free of any coverage and get wide open at the side of the net, but wasn't able to put it in. Minnesota had puck possession after this, but this was their last clear cghance at goal.
The scoring chance numbers for the Leaf players:
| Player | F | A | D | TOI | ESF | ESA | ESD | EVTOI | PPF | PPA | PPD | SHF | SHA | SHD |
| Phaneuf | 2 | 11 | -9 | 22:18 | 0 | 5 | -5 | 15:06 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | -5 |
| Franson | 3 | 3 | 0 | 19:11 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 14:47 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mcclement | 2 | 8 | -6 | 21:02 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 15:59 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | -5 |
| Raymond | 3 | 8 | -5 | 18:37 | 0 | 8 | -8 | 13:23 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ranger | 1 | 6 | -5 | 20:13 | 1 | 5 | -4 | 17:56 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 |
| Lupul | 3 | 0 | 3 | 17:56 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:17 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Smith | 1 | 0 | 1 | 05:52 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 05:52 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Orr | 1 | 0 | 1 | 05:19 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 05:19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Leivo | 2 | 3 | -1 | 13:51 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 13:51 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gunnarsson | 0 | 9 | -9 | 19:28 | 0 | 4 | -4 | 14:37 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | -5 |
| Ashton | 1 | 0 | 1 | 05:23 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 05:23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bozak | 2 | 9 | -7 | 18:34 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 15:10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | -5 |
| Kadri | 3 | 7 | -4 | 18:08 | 0 | 6 | -6 | 14:00 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | -1 |
| Rielly | 4 | 2 | 2 | 17:57 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 16:15 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Broll | 0 | 0 | 0 | 08:58 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 08:58 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gardiner | 4 | 5 | -1 | 21:59 | 1 | 4 | -3 | 17:50 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | -1 |
| Bolland | 2 | 4 | -2 | 17:12 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 13:02 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 |
| Kessel | 1 | 9 | -8 | 17:45 | 0 | 8 | -8 | 16:02 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Reimer | 7 | 18 | -11 | 60:00 | 3 | 11 | -8 | 48:08 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 6 | -6 |
It's funny, Mason Raymond had two goals, but was extremely poor in this game, along with Phil Kessel. Without JVR, Toronto's top line wingers were unable to generate a single chance offensively at even strength. In addition, both were on for eight chances against. While that defensive level isn't uncommon for Kessel, he's usually good for at least a few chances to even it out. The top line's inability to generate any serious offensive pressure is a big reason why Minnesota were able to control the game so heavily.
Nazem Kadri was similarily miserable, though his linemate, Joffrey Lupul, was much more solid, not generating any offense, but also not being on for a chance against in 15 minutes. Jay McClement, seeing a substntial amount of ES time, was decent at only -1, as were Josh Leivo and Dave Bolland.
Despite the struggles, it was a solid game for Rielly and Franson, both leading the Leafs defense by being at a net of 0 at ES. Defensevily, Ranger didn't do all that well, a -4 in a team-high 17:56 of ES time. This is mostly due to how long Phaneuf spent killing penalties, but it doesn't seem to me to be good to have a pairing like Ranger-Gardiner leading the team in ES TOI.
Phaneuf and Gunnarson both had very low numbers, and, like the big line, weren't on for a chance for. When these guys struggle, the rest of the team is going ot have porblems too, as they're just too important to the team's fortunes.
The Wild:
| Player | F | A | D | TOI | ESF | ESA | ESD | EVTOI | PPF | PPA | PPD | SHF | SHA | SHD |
| Stoner | 4 | 2 | 2 | 13:09 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 11:15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | -1 |
| Scandella | 1 | 1 | 0 | 14:40 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 14:02 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Koivu | 12 | 2 | 10 | 21:29 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 16:28 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | -1 |
| Parise | 12 | 2 | 10 | 20:30 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 15:32 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | -1 |
| Fontaine | 4 | 1 | 3 | 13:24 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 11:51 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Heatley | 2 | 0 | 2 | 15:07 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 12:08 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mitchell | 1 | 2 | -1 | 09:42 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 08:11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Veilleux | 0 | 2 | -2 | 06:00 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 05:04 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 |
| Suter | 12 | 4 | 8 | 30:20 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 22:40 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | -2 |
| Brodziak | 4 | 3 | 1 | 17:21 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 14:49 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | -1 |
| Niederreiter | 3 | 1 | 2 | 16:13 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 12:48 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cooke | 3 | 3 | 0 | 16:36 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 14:01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -2 |
| Brodin | 4 | 4 | 0 | 25:45 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 21:56 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 |
| Konopka | 0 | 1 | -1 | 06:45 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 06:24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pominville | 11 | 0 | 11 | 19:38 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 14:49 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prosser | 1 | 0 | 1 | 13:41 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 13:08 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Spurgeon | 13 | 3 | 10 | 19:20 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 13:15 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 2 | -1 |
| Granlund | 2 | 0 | 2 | 14:11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 11:18 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kuemper | 10 | 4 | 6 | 32:22 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 24:30 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 3 | -2 |
| Harding | 8 | 3 | 5 | 26:46 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 22:46 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 |
Koivu, Parise and Pominville were excellent, all three with +6 ratings, and for all their domination it's almost a shame that they weren't rewarded more. Suter and Spurgeon also put up big postive numbers on the defense.
There weren't really any strugglers on the Wild last night (probably just Kuemper). Mitchell, Veilleux and Konopka were also -1 in fairly small amounts of ice time, the only negatives on the team.
Players with nice chance numbers:
Toronto - Cody Franson, Morgan Rielly, Joffrey Lupul
Minnesota - Mikko Koivu, Zach Parise, Jason Pominville
Players with poor chance numbers:
Toronto - Phil Kessel, Mason Raymond, Nazem Kadri
Minnesota - Stephane Veilleux, Torrey Mitchell
No comments:
Post a Comment