Game 9 - TOR 4, BUF 0 - Leafs dominate hapless Sabres

After getting a lot of media heat from Saturday night's loss, the Leafs had the perfect response. They played what was easily the most dominant single performance I've seen from a Leaf team in a long time, as they allowed Buffalo less just ten shots on net, and had over 80% of the chances at even strength. Through most of two periods, they were playing with fire a little, not having turned the domination into any goals, but in the third Buffalo ended up paying for their struggles, and the Leafs were able to win easily.

Status	Overall			ES			ESCL
Team	TOR	BUF	%	TOR	BUF	%	TOR	BUF	%
1	14	1	93.3%	8	1	88.9%	8	1	88.9%
2	11	2	84.6%	5	2	71.4%	5	2	71.4%
3	6	1	85.7%	5	0	100.0%	0	0	-
Total	31	4	88.6%	18	3	85.7%	13	3	81.3%

These numbers are nuts; to call this game one-sided underestimates the gap betweaen the two teams. Buffalo posed almost no offensive threat all game, and never really looked like scoring a goal. Since I started tracking chances at the start of last season, this was the best defensive performance from the Leafs by a wide margin, the only time I have them conceding single digit chances against. The thirty-one chances for are also tied for the most in one game I've tracked.

Details are below.

Club	St	P	Time	TSc	Osc	Note	Toronto						Buffalo
TOR	ES	1	19:49	0	0	Kadri wide from Kessel	43	81	19	3	4	45	63	80	26	4	57	34
TOR	ES	1	17:54	0	0	Lupul drives wide	43	81	19	44	46	45	63	80	26	6	41	34
TOR	ES	1	12:33	0	0	Lupul drives post	43	81	19	3	4	45	8	19	23	41	61	34
TOR	ES	1	12:03	0	0	Rielly from Winnik	24	26	18	44	46	45	8	23	44	55	61	34
BUF	ES	1	09:51	0	0	Hodgson drives	42	71	21	12	51	45	17	19	21	55	61	34
TOR	SH	1	07:36	0	0	Van Riemsdyk drives post	24	21	4	44	45	-	19	12	21	41	57	34
TOR	PP	1	06:00	0	0	Franson from Kessel	42	81	21	4	51	45	28	4	57	34	-	-
TOR	PP	1	05:28	0	0	Franson from Gardiner	42	81	21	4	51	45	28	4	41	57	34	-
TOR	PP	1	05:08	0	0	Clarkson wide from Kadri	43	19	71	3	44	45	8	17	6	61	34	-
TOR	PP	1	05:02	0	0	Kadri from Lupul	43	19	71	3	44	45	8	17	6	61	34	-
TOR	PP	1	04:58	0	0	Kadri from rebound	43	19	71	3	44	45	8	17	6	61	34	-
TOR	ES	1	04:54	0	0	Lupul from loose puck	43	19	71	3	44	45	8	17	21	6	61	34
TOR	ES	1	01:00	0	0	Lupul drives	43	81	19	44	46	45	17	19	21	55	61	34
TOR	ES	1	00:54	0	0	Lupul from rebound	43	81	19	44	46	45	17	19	21	55	61	34
TOR	ES	1	00:44	0	0	Kessel from loose puck	43	81	19	44	46	45	17	19	21	55	61	34
TOR	ES	2	17:28	0	0	Van Riemsdyk drives	42	71	21	12	51	45	17	19	21	4	57	34
TOR	ES	2	15:32	0	0	Kadri wide from loose puck	43	81	19	44	46	45	8	23	44	55	61	34
TOR	ES	2	15:24	0	0	Kadri from rebound of Rielly shot	43	81	19	44	46	45	8	23	44	55	61	34
BUF	ES	2	11:56	0	0	Ennis deflects Stewart shot	24	18	39	4	46	45	63	80	26	4	57	34
TOR	PP	2	09:54	0	0	Bozak wide from Franson	42	81	21	4	51	45	8	82	6	61	34	-
TOR	PP	2	09:42	0	0	Van Riemsdyk drives wide	42	81	21	4	51	45	8	82	6	61	34	-
TOR	PP	2	08:59	0	0	Lupul drives	43	19	71	3	44	45	17	28	4	57	34	-
TOR	ES	2	08:28	0	0	Rielly from Kadri	43	19	71	3	44	45	8	28	21	4	57	34
TOR	ES	2	08:24	0	0	Clarkson wide from Kadri	43	19	71	3	44	45	8	28	21	4	57	34
BUF	ES	2	06:10	0	0	Stewart deflects Ennis shot wide	42	81	21	12	51	45	63	80	26	6	41	34
TOR	PP	2	03:31	0	0	Bozak from Kessel	42	81	21	4	51	45	17	28	4	57	34	-
TOR	EN	2	01:37	0	0	Lupul from Rielly	42	43	19	71	4	44	12	82	4	41	61	34
TOR	PP	2	00:50	0	0	GOAL! Bozak drives	42	81	21	44	51	45	8	21	4	57	34	-
TOR	ES	3	15:42	1	0	GOAL! Kessel from loose puck	25	81	19	3	4	45	28	21	82	55	61	34
TOR	ES	3	14:42	2	0	GOAL! Van Riemsdyk from Rielly	42	71	21	44	46	45	17	19	21	6	41	34
TOR	PP	3	13:23	3	0	Bozak deflects Gardiner shot wide	42	81	21	4	51	45	17	28	4	57	34	-
TOR	ES	3	11:41	3	0	Lupul from loose puck	43	19	71	12	44	45	19	23	21	4	57	34
TOR	ES	3	10:43	3	0	GOAL! Gardiner wraparound	25	26	47	12	51	45	28	12	82	6	41	34
BUF	SH	3	05:09	4	0	Gionta deflects Benoit shot	24	21	44	46	45	-	23	12	44	57	61	34
TOR	ES	3	02:22	4	0	Kessel wide from Kadri	43	81	19	44	51	45	63	80	26	4	57	34

The player-by-player data:

Player	F	A	D	TOI	ESF	ESA	ESD	EVTOI	ESCLF	ESCLA	ESCLD
Phaneuf	10	0	10	16:20	6	0	6	13:20	5	0	5
Franson	11	1	10	22:00	3	1	2	14:49	2	1	1
Robidas	3	2	1	15:56	3	2	1	15:29	1	2	-1
Panik	1	1	0	09:23	1	1	0	09:23	1	1	0
Lupul	19	0	19	17:05	14	0	14	14:02	11	0	11
Van Riemsdyk	10	3	7	19:02	2	2	0	12:41	1	2	-1
Holland	2	2	0	11:06	1	1	0	09:36	1	1	0
Santorelli	2	0	2	12:21	2	0	2	12:21	0	0	0
Winnik	2	0	2	13:07	2	0	2	11:39	1	0	1
Frattin	0	1	-1	08:21	0	1	-1	08:21	0	1	-1
Bozak	10	2	8	18:04	2	2	0	12:40	1	2	-1
Kadri	18	0	18	17:36	13	0	13	14:10	11	0	11
Rielly	20	1	19	22:27	13	0	13	18:04	10	0	10
Polak	8	2	6	20:05	8	1	7	18:19	7	1	6
Komarov	1	0	1	13:27	1	0	1	11:59	0	0	0
Gardiner	10	2	8	23:25	3	2	1	16:30	1	2	-1
Clarkson	11	1	10	18:06	6	1	5	14:29	4	1	3
Kessel	17	1	16	18:44	10	1	9	13:08	8	1	7
Bernier	30	4	26	59:25	18	3	15	47:37	13	3	10

That's right, the new combinations ended up seeing Lupul and Kadri both put up staggering +11s at ES close, and neither was on for a Buffalo chance all night. Those are the highest I've seen in any game since I started tracking Leaf scoring chances. Kessel didn't quite equal those numbers, but was a major driver of chances as well. In fact, that top line drove virtually all of the Leafs' domination, as none of the other lines generated many chances. In particular, JVR and Bozak, who both ended up scoring goals, weren't consistent scoring threats the way the Kessel line was, while the third line was also quiet offensively.
Morgan Rielly had a great game again, up there with Kadri and Lupul in terms of chances. He was on the ice for twenty total chances between ES and PP, the best I've had for any Leaf player while tracking chances. Polak also had great numbers, and Dion Phaneuf, despite an injury scare, was another player not on for a Buffalo chance.

The Sabres:

Player	F	A	D	TOI	ESF	ESA	ESD	EVTOI	ESCLF	ESCLA	ESCLD
Gorges	1	13	-12	20:26	1	6	-5	15:51	1	4	-3
Weber	1	9	-8	18:37	1	4	-3	14:33	1	2	-1
Mccormick	0	13	-13	10:41	0	7	-7	07:24	0	7	-7
Gionta	1	3	-2	15:40	0	1	-1	13:55	0	0	0
Mitchell	1	12	-11	13:36	1	6	-5	10:03	1	5	-4
Hodgson	1	8	-7	14:49	1	7	-6	13:37	1	5	-4
Stafford	1	12	-11	17:00	1	10	-9	15:21	1	7	-6
Reinhart	1	5	-4	12:41	0	5	-5	11:35	0	4	-4
Moulson	2	3	-1	12:58	2	3	-1	10:51	2	2	0
Girgensons	0	9	-9	17:18	0	4	-4	13:20	0	2	-2
Meszaros	1	7	-6	17:15	1	4	-3	15:49	1	2	-1
Deslauriers	1	3	-2	11:22	0	3	-3	10:16	0	3	-3
Ristolainen	1	7	-6	18:32	1	7	-6	17:49	1	6	-5
Myers	2	13	-11	22:55	1	6	-5	15:22	1	4	-3
Benoit	2	15	-13	22:51	1	9	-8	17:28	1	8	-7
Ennis	2	3	-1	14:16	2	3	-1	12:06	2	2	0
Stewart	2	3	-1	11:57	2	3	-1	11:15	2	2	0
Foligno	0	5	-5	16:27	0	2	-2	13:50	0	0	0
Neuvirth	4	31	-27	60:00	3	18	-15	48:12	3	13	-10

McCormick, Stafford and Benoit all had bad nights, while the likes of Gionta and Moulson were among those who broke even..

Cumulative numbers this season:

Overall	Pos	#	ESF	ESA	ESD	ES%	AvESTOI	ESClF	ESClA	ESClD	ESCL%
Winnik	F	9	25	26	-1	49.0%	12:25	16	11	5	59.3%
Lupul	F	9	41	39	2	51.3%	15:25	27	19	8	58.7%
Kadri	F	9	38	39	-1	49.4%	13:48	27	21	6	56.3%
Rielly	D	9	48	42	6	53.3%	15:34	31	25	6	55.4%
Franson	D	7	30	30	0	50.0%	14:20	18	16	2	52.9%
Komarov	F	9	26	20	6	56.5%	11:53	13	12	1	52.0%
Clarkson	F	9	32	27	5	54.2%	12:42	17	16	1	51.5%
Phaneuf	D	9	45	46	-1	49.5%	15:39	26	27	-1	49.1%
Bernier	G	7	73	81	-8	47.4%	40:29	47	53	-6	47.0%
Santorelli	F	9	26	21	5	55.3%	12:16	12	14	-2	46.2%
Kessel	F	9	53	58	-5	47.7%	15:28	29	34	-5	46.0%
Gardiner	D	7	28	24	4	53.8%	16:49	12	15	-3	44.4%
Reimer	G	4	43	54	-11	44.3%	36:35	18	24	-6	42.9%
Van Riemsdyk	F	9	39	52	-13	42.9%	13:47	22	31	-9	41.5%
Bozak	F	9	43	49	-6	46.7%	14:20	21	30	-9	41.2%
Polak	D	9	33	55	-22	37.5%	16:38	22	33	-11	40.0%
Percy	D	7	22	36	-14	37.9%	14:32	10	17	-7	37.0%
Robidas	D	8	26	37	-11	41.3%	14:46	11	21	-10	34.4%
Holland	F	9	9	25	-16	26.5%	07:44	5	12	-7	29.4%
Panik	F	8	5	18	-13	21.7%	07:02	3	8	-5	27.3%
Kozun	F	5	5	18	-13	21.7%	07:25	3	13	-10	18.8%
Frattin	F	3	1	5	-4	16.7%	06:46	0	5	-5	0.0%

After such a dominant game, there are now seven Leafs above the 50% at ES close, headed by Lupul and Kadri, who were the biggest movers.

Game	Opp	Overall				ES				ES Cl
		ChF	ChA	Net	%	ChF	ChA	Net	%	ChF	ChA	Net	%
Total	All	188	183	5	50.7%	116	135	-19	46.2%	65	77	-12	45.8%
9	BUF	31	4	27	88.6%	18	3	15	85.7%	13	3	10	81.3%
8	BOS	20	17	3	54.1%	11	11	0	50.0%	5	5	0	50.0%
7	NYI	19	25	-6	43.2%	12	15	-3	44.4%	10	7	3	58.8%
6	DET	16	29	-13	35.6%	10	19	-9	34.5%	10	19	-9	34.5%
5	DET	15	21	-6	41.7%	11	16	-5	40.7%	3	5	-2	37.5%
4	COL	22	13	9	62.9%	18	13	5	58.1%	12	8	4	60.0%
3	NYR	25	25	0	50.0%	14	23	-9	37.8%	3	11	-8	21.4%
2	PIT	20	26	-6	43.5%	8	16	-8	33.3%	0	1	-1	0.0%
1	MTL	20	23	-3	46.5%	14	19	-5	42.4%	9	18	-9	33.3%

This one game lifts the Leafs above 50% overall, and above 45% in both ES and ES close chances. The last few games haven't been bad, despite the Boston result, showing the team rebounded well from some poor games against Detroit.