These types of games are always awkward to assess in terms of chances, as the blowout scoreline ends up making the latter half somewhat meaningless. In Dallas, it was a disaster of a second period, with Dallas turning 4 of their 10 chances into goals, that ended up leaving the Leafs with their worst defeat for a few weeks.
Dallas won the first period, generating six chances and a pair of goals, but the Leafs were only down one when Kulemin responded to Dallas' opener quickly.
The second period saw the Leafs dominated in chances, but unlike a lot of games, in which their goalies bail them out, in this one there wasn't much help from the back end, with Dallas ending the frame up 6-1. With the game decided, Toronto didn't put up much of a fight in the third, outchanced substantially again in the final period.
Dallas took a big chance victory, 19-8 at ES and 22-8 overall, 3-2. Dallas also won the close chances, 8-5, as after the third Dallas goal things went very poorly for the Leafs, losing in ES chances 11-4 from that point.
A summary of the scoring chances:
| Status |
Overall |
ES |
| Team |
Toronto |
Dallas |
Toronto |
Dallas |
| 1 |
3 |
6 |
3 |
6 |
| 2 |
3 |
10 |
3 |
7 |
| 3 |
2 |
6 |
2 |
6 |
| Total |
8 |
22 |
8 |
19 |
Details below.
The Leafs have shown serious failings while trying to hold leads in the third period this season (and of course in the playoffs last year), and while they did manage to blow a late lead against Dallas, Jonathan Bernier held them in it enough to take them to overtime, where Trevor Smith scored to get the Leafs a win.
An even first period ended without a goal, but Toronto were rewarded for some good play early in the second, Kadri scoring on his return to the lineup. Toronto could have pulled ahead again midway through the period, but from then it went downhill, with Dallas dominating chances.
The Stars scored early in the third to draw level, but Kadri put Toronto back ahead five minutes later on the powerplay. However, Toronto would manage just one more chance in the remainder of regulation, while Dallas managed seven. Part of this was due to a couple of Dallas powerplays, with the extra man eventually providing a breakthrough through Horcoff.
Dallas had a couple of chances in overtime, but it was Smith who got the winner, deflecting in a Gardiner shot in the last minute of the period.
After a solid start, Toronto winning the first period overall, the Leafs were overwhelmed, especially in the third period. The game ended up similar to games against Columbus, Pittsburgh and Montreal, making it four bad blowouts in terms of chances in the Leafs' last six games. In particular, the Leafs' inability to defend a lead, along with their struggles chasing one, continue to hurt them.
A summary of the scoring chances:
| Status |
Overall |
ES |
| Team |
Toronto |
Dallas |
Toronto |
Dallas |
| 1 |
8 |
7 |
7 |
7 |
| 2 |
6 |
9 |
4 |
7 |
| 3 |
3 |
10 |
1 |
5 |
| 4 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
| Total |
18 |
28 |
13 |
21 |
Details below.
