Leafs' PP % and PK % trends through 70 games

In this post, we'll review the Leafs Special Teams Percentages throughout the year in line chart form. Up first, the Power-Play.

PP % (click to enlarge):
















The Maple Leafs' power-play started the season off fairly well, having produced at least a goal in seven of the first ten games, scoring 12 goals on 39 opportunities, helped greatly by going 5/10 against the Anaheim Ducks on Oct. 26/09. This would turn out to be the best 10-game stretch for the Leafs all season long. Since then they have been on a fairly steady decline, with a few small spikes here and there. Over their last 50 games, the Leafs have gone 22 for 194 for a lowly 11.3 % success rate, and in their last 10 are just 3 for 50 (6.0 %), with all 3 goals coming against the Oilers last Saturday. The Leafs had actually started to produce a bit with the man advantage in the previous 10 games.

PP percentages in 10-game segments:

Games 01-10: 12/39 = 30.8 %
Games 11-20: 8/41 = 19.5 %
Games 21-3o: 3/36 = 8.3 %
Games 31-40: 4/29 = 13.8 %
Games 41-50: 4/39 = 10.3 %
Games 51-60: 8/40 = 20.0 %
Games 61-70: 3/50 = 6.0 %

Now, a look at the PK chart.

PK % (click to enlarge):
















The Maple Leafs' struggles on the PK this season have been well documented. As late as through January 12, the Leafs were killing off penalties at an atrocious 68.1 % rate after 47 games. Fortunes started to change around the time of the deals with Calgary and Anaheim. In the game prior to the deals, the Leafs killed off 6 of 6 penalties in the game against the Canucks, and they mostly have been competent since that game and after the trades. From that time on, the Leafs have killed off penalties at 84.9 % rate (allowing 8 goals off 53 penalties), despite having hit a bit of a road bump prior to last night's game against Ottawa. Toronto had been scored against on the PK in each of the previous six games.

Personnel changes have been made. Stajan, Stempniak, Hagman, Mayers, and White were all shipped out. Wayne Primeau, statistically the worst PKer on the team, now rarely sees the ice while the Leafs are shorthanded. Rickard Wallin and John Mitchell have been used much more often, the rookies Tyler Bozak and Christian Hanson have seen a fair amount of time on the PK, while newcomers Dion Phaneuf and Fredrik Sjostrom (when healthy) have logged the lions' share of icetime since they've joined the team.

PK percentages in 10-game segments (successful kills / Times Short-Handed):

Games 01-10: 26/41 = 63.4 %
Games 11-20: 34/42 = 81.0 %
Games 21-3o: 22/32 = 68.9 %
Games 31-40: 19/26 = 73.1 %
Games 41-50: 19/33 = 57.8 %
Games 51-60: 31/38 = 81.6 %
Games 61-70: 29/36 = 80.6 %