In their first game with Edmonton, the Leafs were constantly pushed, coming from beind late in the third period to grab an OT victory. This time, there was no such drama, as Toronto opened the scoring in the second minute of the game, and were up 3-0 at the halfway point. In the last ten minutes, the only drama was whether James Reimer would hold onto his shutout, which he did.
Toronto weren't great in the opening frame, but a strong second, featuring two goals and a 7-4 edge in chances saw them pull ahead. They were broadly outchanced in the third period, but almost all of Edmonton's chances came after Kadri scored the 4th goal, meaning that the edge in puck possession and chances was in a large part due to score effects.
A summary of the scoring chances:
| Status |
Overall |
ES |
| Team |
Toronto |
Edmonton |
Toronto |
Edmonton |
| 1 |
3 |
5 |
2 |
5 |
| 2 |
7 |
4 |
7 |
4 |
| 3 |
2 |
10 |
2 |
7 |
| Total |
12 |
19 |
11 |
16 |
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Over the last few seasons, Toronto's strong performance against Pittsburgh has always stood out to me. Despite the Penguins' relatively consistent high placing in the standings, while the Leafs were not quite so successful, and the presence of two major stars in Crosby and Malkin, the two teams have typically played closely fought game, with little between them. The same rang true on Saturday night.
Through two periods, the Penguins were heavily on top of the game, outchancing Toronto 20-6 overall, and 11-2 at ES. However, the game was tied, as the two teams traded special teams goals in the first, and the Leafs managed to survive the siege in the second.
In the third, the Leafs got an early goal from Nazem Kadri to pull ahead, and then totally shut down a potent Penguins attack, allowing only a single Penguin chance (and that one coming without Crosby or Malkin on). Phil Kessel added a late powerplay goal for insurance to secure the win.
A summary of the scoring chances:
| Status |
Overall |
ES |
| Team |
Toronto |
Pittsburgh |
Toronto |
Pittsburgh |
| 1 |
4 |
9 |
0 |
3 |
| 2 |
2 |
11 |
2 |
8 |
| 3 |
7 |
1 |
5 |
1 |
| Total |
13 |
21 |
7 |
12 |
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After a strong game at home to Anaheim, Toronto got back into a bad patch of form in Columbus, losing in front of a pretty strong contingent in blue and white at Nationwide Arena. David Clarkson finally made his Leafs debut, but didn't have a substantial impact on the game.
After a decent start, the Leafs were dominated in the middle of the first period, giving up a powerplay goal against, as well as 7 even strength chances. They had a much stronger second period, getting a goal to tie the game right at the start from Kessel, and holding Columbus to three ES chances in the period, though they still lost the period.
The Leafs lost it in the third, though, giving up the most overall chances of any third period so far this year. The backbreaker came as Toronto pushed for an equalizer on the powerplay, Dubinsky going down and scoring a shorthanded goal on a 2-on-1. A couple of late goals extended Columbus' lead, after Dave Bolland first pulled Toronto close with a goal, then too a penalty to leave the Leafs down a man in the last 3 minutes.
A summary of the scoring chances:
| Status |
Overall |
ES |
| Team |
Toronto |
Columbus |
Toronto |
Columbus |
| 1 |
4 |
8 |
4 |
7 |
| 2 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
3 |
| 3 |
7 |
10 |
3 |
6 |
| Total |
13 |
22 |
9 |
16 |
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You wouldn't have thought it after about 25 minutes or so, but this ended up being the most complete Leaf game of the last week or so, as they came back from down 2-0 to Anaheim to earn a 4-2 win. Three of the goals came from Phil Kessel, scoring his second Leaf hat-trick.
I thought I had gotten distracted when I went back to my charts for the first period, as I had just one chance in the whole frame, the Anaheim goal. A rewatch showed that I wasn't wrong; the first period had the fewest chances of any Leaf period so far in the season.
The second period was then evenly split, but the Leafs were ahead at even strength, as well as scoring three goals to take the lead. Cricitally, this included surviving a solid stretch of 5-on-3, just after tying the game. They lost the third period overall, but won it at even strength, despite score effects seeing Anaheim push the play looking for an equalizer.
The last time Toronto allowed less than 10 even strength chances in a game was at Nashville, also the last time that they managed to win the even strength chance battle.
A summary of the scoring chances:
| Status |
Overall |
ES |
| Team |
Toronto |
Anaheim |
Toronto |
Anaheim |
| 1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| 2 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
2 |
| 3 |
6 |
9 |
6 |
5 |
| Total |
11 |
15 |
10 |
8 |
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A familiar story to his post, as Toronto got badly beaten in Chicago. Getting outchanced for the third consecutive game, this time the Leafs weren't even enough in the game to benefit from some luck and weak goaltending, as in the Minnesota game, or to be felled by a weird game winner, as against Carolina. In fact, watching the game, it seems strange that the Leafs were as close as 3-1; Chicago did have a goal called back, but it felt as if they were much more secure than a two-goal margin.
The Leafs were on the back foot from the start, badly outchanced in the first, and generating only a single even strength chance. The second saw them get a goal, as well as generate a couple of chances, but they allowed even more, including three goals, with Mike Kostka's first NHL marker among them. The third was the team's best period, as they did manage a little fight early in the frame, but that's not saying much. The last ten minutes saw Chicago outchance the Leafs 6-1, and the game petered out for Toronto without much serious threat of posing a comeback.
Toronto had fewer chances in the Minnesota game, but had a better margin, as this was their worst game of the season. The 19 chances against at even strength were the highest of the season, as were the 25 overall.
A summary of the scoring chances:
| Status |
Overall |
ES |
| Team |
Toronto |
Chicago |
Toronto |
Chicago |
| 1 |
2 |
8 |
1 |
4 |
| 2 |
3 |
10 |
2 |
8 |
| 3 |
4 |
7 |
3 |
7 |
| Total |
9 |
25 |
6 |
19 |
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For a second straight game, the Leafs were soundly outplayed and outchanced, but this time they weren't able to get away with a point. Of course, this being the Leafs, it didn't come without something strange, Bernier allowing an extremely strange winning goal off an icing call.
The first period started well, Toronto winning the chance battle narrowly. Things stated to fall apart in the second, though, with Carolina pulling away to a big chance advantage, Toronto generating only two in the period. Of course, this wasn't reflected on the scoreboard, as the Leafs ended the period with a two-goal lead.
Toronto played a better third period, despite the score, as the teams traded early chances, allowing a goal on the powerplay that wasn't a chance, before Eric Staal put in a loose puck to tie the game, the only goal of Carolina's that came from a scoring chance.
The bizzare third goal by Carolina ended up in a result they probably deserved, but in an extremely strange way. Bernier took his attention off a long shot that seemed like it might go for icing, which then bounced off the boards and past him on the short side.
The two teams were even in the first and third period, but Toronto's miserable second (the period in which they scored both their goals), left that at a big deficit. The Leafs generated only one chance in the period other than the two goals.
A summary of the scoring chances:
| Status |
Overall |
ES |
| Team |
Toronto |
Carolina |
Toronto |
Carolina |
| 1 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
| 2 |
3 |
10 |
2 |
9 |
| 3 |
5 |
8 |
5 |
6 |
| Total |
13 |
23 |
11 |
18 |
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The Leafs played one of their worst game of the season thus far, but managed to win it nonetheless. Toronto generated just two chances in the first period, but both ended up in the Minnesota net, Bozak finishing a nice passing play and Smith putting one through Kuemper's five-hole after a nice pass from Rielly.
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 |
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