Game 40 - Leafs 4, Buffalo 3 (SO) - Leafs recover from bad start to make another

After the first, it looked like it would be a very rough night for the Leafs, outchanced badly, 12-5, and down 2-0, even managing to give up a goal to John Scott, who hadn't scored in over four years. They recovered really well, as they held Buffalo to just a single second period chance, and managed to score three goals to take the lead, including one on the powerplay in the last minute of the period.

The Leafs continued to hold the advantage through the third, but didn't manage to extend the lead, and then saw the reverse of what happened to them against the Rangers happen, as they gave up a goal against six attackers in the final minute, and were unable to score in overtime, forcing a fourth consecutive shootout. This time they managed to win, moving their shootout record to 6-4.

Despite being down by seven in chances after the opening period, the Leafs ended up edging Buffalo in the final total, mostly thanks to a dominant second period, which included five powerplay chances.

A summary of the scoring chances:

Status	Overall		ES
Team	Toronto	Buffalo	Toronto	Buffalo
1	5	12	5	12
2	11	1	6	1
3	7	6	7	4
4	3	2	3	2
Total	26	21	21	19

Details below.

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						Buffalo
TOR	ES	1	17:42	Kadri from rebound of Gardiner shot	43	81	21	4	51	45	27	32	37	4	6	30
BUF	ES	1	17:28	Foligno from rebound of D'Agostini shot	11	81	21	4	51	45	27	23	82	20	57	30
TOR	ES	1	16:12	Raymond drives	24	19	12	3	36	45	28	63	26	3	10	30
TOR	ES	1	16:09	Lupul from rebound of Raymond shot	24	19	12	3	36	45	28	63	26	3	10	30
TOR	ES	1	16:06	Raymond from rebound of Lupul shot	24	19	12	3	36	45	28	63	26	3	10	30
BUF	ES	1	12:59	Girgensons drives	24	81	21	3	51	45	28	63	26	4	6	30
BUF	ES	1	12:59	GOAL! Moulson from loose puck	24	81	21	3	51	45	28	63	26	4	6	30
BUF	ES	1	12:07	GOAL! Scott from rebound of Ellis shot	24	19	12	15	36	45	27	32	37	3	10	30
BUF	ES	1	11:07	McBain from Girgensons	11	71	41	4	51	45	28	63	26	4	6	30
BUF	ES	1	11:05	Girgensons from rebound of McBain shot	11	71	41	4	51	45	28	63	26	4	6	30
BUF	ES	1	11:02	Moulson wide from rebound of Girgensons shot	11	71	41	4	51	45	28	63	26	4	6	30
BUF	ES	1	10:24	Moulson from Girgensons	11	71	41	4	51	45	28	63	26	4	6	30
BUF	ES	1	09:52	Ott from Stafford	43	81	21	3	36	45	9	65	21	20	57	30
BUF	ES	1	07:00	Stafford wraparound	24	19	41	4	51	45	9	65	21	3	10	30
BUF	ES	1	04:13	Leino from Ehrhoff	24	19	21	4	51	45	17	23	82	4	6	30
TOR	ES	1	02:45	Lupul from Raymond	24	19	12	3	36	45	28	63	26	4	6	30
BUF	ES	1	02:34	Ott drives	43	81	21	4	51	45	9	65	21	20	57	30
TOR	PP	2	18:29	Kessel drives wide	81	19	21	3	4	45	9	65	3	6	30	-
TOR	PP	2	17:48	Lupul from Phaneuf	81	19	21	3	4	45	28	21	20	57	30	-
TOR	PP	2	17:27	Van Riemsdyk from loose puck	81	19	21	3	4	45	28	21	20	57	30	-
TOR	PP	2	16:54	Raymond from Rielly	43	71	12	44	51	45	37	82	3	6	30	-
BUF	ES	2	15:56	Stafford from loose puck	11	71	41	3	36	45	9	65	21	20	57	30
TOR	ES	2	14:46	Rielly from Kessel	43	81	21	15	44	45	27	32	37	3	10	30
TOR	ES	2	11:54	Kadri wide from loose puck	43	81	21	3	44	45	17	23	82	20	57	30
TOR	ES	2	08:51	Kessel wide from Van Riemsdyk	43	81	21	4	51	45	27	32	37	20	57	30
TOR	ES	2	08:38	Van Riemsdyk deflects Gardiner shot wide	43	81	21	4	51	45	27	32	37	20	57	30
TOR	ES	2	08:10	Gunnarsson wide from McClement	11	71	41	3	36	45	28	63	26	3	10	30
TOR	ES	2	03:35	GOAL! Holland from Raymond	24	19	12	4	44	45	9	65	21	4	6	30
TOR	PP	2	00:17	GOAL! Kessel from Van Riemsdyk	81	19	21	3	4	45	28	65	20	57	30	-
TOR	ES	3	19:01	Lupul deflects Gardiner shot wide	24	19	12	4	51	45	9	65	21	3	10	30
TOR	ES	3	18:50	Raymond from Lupul	24	19	12	4	51	45	9	65	21	3	10	30
TOR	ES	3	17:42	Kessel drives	43	81	21	4	51	45	17	23	82	20	57	30
BUF	ES	3	15:04	Girgensons drives	43	71	12	3	36	45	28	63	26	4	6	30
BUF	ES	3	15:00	Weber wide from Girgensons	43	71	12	3	36	45	28	63	26	4	6	30
BUF	ES	3	09:45	McBain from Stafford	24	19	12	4	51	45	9	65	21	4	6	30
TOR	ES	3	08:30	Clarkson drives	11	71	41	3	36	45	28	63	26	3	10	30
TOR	ES	3	06:32	Kessel wide from Van Riemsdyk	43	81	21	15	44	45	17	23	82	20	57	30
TOR	ES	3	03:15	Lupul from giveaway	24	19	12	4	51	45	27	32	37	20	57	30
BUF	ES	3	02:35	Moulson wide from Ennis	43	81	21	3	36	45	63	27	26	3	10	30
TOR	ES	3	01:55	Rielly from Kulemin	11	71	41	15	44	45	28	63	26	4	10	30
BUF	EN	3	00:54	Myers from Moulson	11	71	41	3	36	45	9	28	63	26	4	57
BUF	SH	3	00:25	GOAL! Ott from loose puck	11	41	15	36	45	-	9	28	63	26	10	57
BUF	ES	4	02:59	Stafford from Girgensons	24	19	4	51	45	-	28	21	4	6	30	-
BUF	ES	4	02:52	Ellis deflects McBain shot wide	11	22	15	44	45	-	27	37	4	6	30	-
TOR	ES	4	01:35	Phaneuf from Raymond	12	21	3	51	45	-	9	23	3	10	30	-
TOR	ES	4	01:14	Van Riemsdyk wraparound	12	21	3	51	45	-	9	23	3	10	30	-
TOR	ES	4	00:25	Phaneuf from Van Riemsdyk	12	21	3	51	45	-	9	23	3	10	30	-

The Extra Skater game profile.

The Leafs beat Buffalo in Corsi, 71-60 overall, 54-50 5-on-5 and 15-10 5-on-5 close.

The scoring chance numbers for the Leaf players:

Player	F	A	D	TOI	ESF	ESA	ESD	EVTOI	PPF	PPA	PPD	PPTOI	SHF	SHA	SHD	SHTOI
Phaneuf	14	8	6	25:56	10	7	3	22:21	4	0	4	03:35	0	1	-1	00:00
Franson	12	10	2	23:57	8	10	-2	20:22	4	0	4	03:35	0	0	0	00:00
McClement	3	9	-6	20:05	3	7	-4	19:39	0	0	0	00:00	0	2	-2	00:26
Raymond	12	4	8	18:02	11	4	7	17:05	1	0	1	00:57	0	0	0	00:00
Ranger	3	3	0	17:58	3	2	1	17:32	0	0	0	00:00	0	1	-1	00:26
Lupul	12	5	7	18:36	8	5	3	15:06	4	0	4	03:30	0	0	0	00:00
Van Riemsdyk	14	7	7	22:29	10	7	3	18:59	4	0	4	03:30	0	0	0	00:00
Smithson	0	1	-1	05:20	0	1	-1	05:20	0	0	0	00:00	0	0	0	00:00
Holland	8	7	1	16:09	8	7	1	16:09	0	0	0	00:00	0	0	0	00:00
Orr	0	0	0	05:16	0	0	0	05:16	0	0	0	00:00	0	0	0	00:00
D'Amigo	0	0	0	06:26	0	0	0	06:26	0	0	0	00:00	0	0	0	00:00
Gunnarsson	6	8	-2	19:04	6	6	0	18:38	0	0	0	00:00	0	2	-2	00:26
Kulemin	3	8	-5	18:29	3	6	-3	18:03	0	0	0	00:00	0	2	-2	00:26
Kadri	8	5	3	18:14	7	5	2	17:17	1	0	1	00:57	0	0	0	00:00
Rielly	6	1	5	18:59	5	1	4	18:07	1	0	1	00:52	0	0	0	00:00
Gardiner	11	12	-1	24:06	10	12	-2	23:14	1	0	1	00:52	0	0	0	00:00
Clarkson	4	8	-4	19:37	3	7	-4	18:40	1	0	1	00:57	0	1	-1	00:00
Kessel	11	6	5	20:51	7	6	1	17:21	4	0	4	03:30	0	0	0	00:00
Bernier	26	21	5	65:00	21	19	2	60:07	5	0	5	04:27	0	2	-2	00:26

After three bad games in a row, Mason Raymond had a very strong performance against Buffalo, a spectacular +7. His linemates Holland and Lupul were solid, as well as Van Riemsdyk. Clarkson, Kulemin and McClement struggled, each at least -3, while Jerred Smithson's last NHL game for a little while, as he'll be sent down for Tyler Bozak, ended with him negative in five minutes of icetime.

Morgan Rielly was the top defenseman, at +4. Dion Phaneuf also had a good night, as he sits on the verge of signing a long-term extension, a +3. Franson and Gardiner had trouble defensively, with the latter on for a game-worst 12 chances against.

The Sabres:

Player	F	A	D	TOI	ESF	ESA	ESD	EVTOI	PPF	PPA	PPD	PPTOI	SHF	SHA	SHD	SHTOI
Pysyk	3	13	-10	20:34	3	11	-8	18:28	0	0	0	00:00	0	2	-2	02:06
Mcbain	13	4	9	20:06	12	4	8	20:06	0	0	0	00:00	1	0	1	00:00
Weber	12	5	7	16:20	12	3	9	15:27	0	0	0	00:00	0	2	-2	00:53
Ott	7	7	0	18:57	5	6	-1	17:08	1	0	1	00:26	1	1	0	01:23
Ehrhoff	4	12	-8	23:58	3	12	-9	22:19	1	0	1	00:26	0	0	0	01:13
Omark	1	3	-2	09:31	1	3	-2	09:31	0	0	0	00:00	0	0	0	00:00
Tallinder	4	9	-5	23:49	4	6	-2	21:28	0	0	0	00:00	0	3	-3	02:21
Stafford	6	5	1	17:33	6	3	3	15:24	0	0	0	00:00	0	2	-2	02:09
Leino	2	6	-4	12:56	2	6	-4	12:56	0	0	0	00:00	0	0	0	00:00
Moulson	11	7	4	19:12	9	7	2	18:46	1	0	1	00:26	1	0	1	00:00
D'agostini	4	5	-1	15:55	4	5	-1	15:55	0	0	0	00:00	0	0	0	00:00
Girgensons	11	10	1	19:21	9	7	2	16:36	1	0	1	00:26	1	3	-2	02:19
Scott	1	5	-4	12:39	1	5	-4	12:39	0	0	0	00:00	0	0	0	00:00
Ellis	2	6	-4	14:54	2	5	-3	13:56	0	0	0	00:00	0	1	-1	00:58
Myers	6	9	-3	25:19	4	6	-2	22:32	1	0	1	00:26	1	3	-2	02:21
Ennis	11	7	4	19:37	9	7	2	19:11	1	0	1	00:26	1	0	1	00:00
Flynn	5	5	0	14:54	5	3	2	13:15	0	0	0	00:00	0	2	-2	01:39
Foligno	2	4	-2	10:53	2	3	-1	10:27	0	0	0	00:00	0	1	-1	00:26
Miller	19	26	-7	64:05	19	21	-2	59:38	0	0	0	00:00	0	5	-5	04:27

A very strong performance from pair of Buffalo defensmen, as McBain and Weber were a combined +17. This was in strong contrast to Ehrhoff and Pysyk, who managed to cancel their teammates out, as a combined -17. Stafford was the best of the forwards, while John Scott, despite his goal, was a -4.

Players with nice chance numbers:
Toronto - Mason Raymond, Morgan Rielly, Dion Phaneuf
Buffalo - Mike Weber, Jamie McBain, Drew Stafford

Players with poor chance numbers:
Toronto - Jay McClement, David Clarkson, Nikolai Kulemin
Buffalo - Christian Ehrhoff, Mark Pysyk, John Scott