Leafs Pass Around the Sharks

On October 27th, 2022 hockey fans were able to witness one of the season's finest plays, a masterclass in teamwork. The San Jose Sharks vs the Toronto Maple Leafs. The play, occurring during the end of the second period with the Sharks having a 3-1 lead, this play showcases the sort of magic that can only be conjured when every player is on the same page.

The play unfolds as the Sharks enter the Leafs' zone where the puck is dropped off to Timo Meier. What's crucial here is Matthews, who jumps off the bench and immediately tracks down the puck. His intense pressure on Meier forces the rushed, ill-advised decision of throwing a no-look pass towards the center of the zone. This error proves costly, as Marner, who's perfectly positioned for center zone coverage, intercepts the puck and exits the zone.

Marner then accelerates into the Sharks zone and initiates a beautiful passing sequence. First he drops the puck off to Matthews, who quickly relays it to Kerfoot. Kerfoot then advances the puck to Rielly, who is driving the left side of the net. Without missing a beat, Rielly executes a one-touch pass back to Marner on the opposite side of the net. Seizing the opportunity, the unguarded Marner lifts the puck just above the Sharks' goaltender's left pad, finishing off the beautiful sequence.

Let's take a look first at the defensive play by Matthews.

In this moment, Sharks' defenseman, Marc-Édouard Vlasic executes what would typically be a routine drop-pass to the trailing Timo Meier. However Vlasic does not take into account the players around him. This allows Matthews, who is still at a considerable distance from Vlasic, to easily adjusts his positioning and applies immediate pressure on Meier. The ease at which Matthews is capable of shifting his angle of attack can be seen in the image below.

Matthews' ability to quickly close in on Meier severely limits Meier's options. In a moment of panic, Meier attempts to spin around Matthews and throws the puck to the center of the zone. Unfortunately this was the worst possible decision. Marner, who is already cutting through the zone, intercepts the puck and creates a 4-on-2 situation heading back into the Sharks' zone.

Upon closer examination of this sequence, we can identify the massive mistake committed by Timo Meier, one of hockey's cardinal sins: sending the puck into center ice without looking. This impulsive action leaves him and two other Sharks players out of position, unable to recover in time to thwart the counterattack. All Meier had to do in this scenario is something frequently preached by coaches, the ever popular dump and chase. This simple play would have avoided all the trouble he set in motion at the opposite end.

Following the play up the ice, the Leafs enter the Sharks' zone with a significant advantage. They face a 4-on-2 situation where one of the Sharks' players is not even a defenseman, as Vlasic had been caught out of position up the ice after the turnover.

As Marner enters the zone he has Morgan Rielly to his left, while Kerfoot and Matthews are on his right. As depicted in the image above he is about to come into range of the Sharks' players in front of him. Correctly assessing the situation Marner drops the puck off to Matthews as indicated by the dotted arrow in the image. His next move is pivotal for the plays success. He drives the net, threading his way between the two defensemen and putting both in a difficult position.

Marner's drive to the net puts the Sharks' defense in an unfavorable position, with no great options. If the left defenseman follows Marner, he would be leaving Matthews, who is one of the best goal scorers in the league wide open for a high percentage shot in the slot. If the right D-man drops to cover Marner, Kerfoot who is cutting across would be left alone where he could receive a pass from Matthews and take a wide open shot on net. In both of these scenarios the likelihood of conceding a goal is extremely high. Whereas the decision to stand their ground clogging the passing and shooting lanes would be their best chance of success. This is exactly what they did.

In a 3 on 2 situation the Sharks' defense is playing entirely by the book. However, this was not a 3 on 2, it was a 4 on 2. Morgan Rielly recognized this opportunity and became a game-changer by joining the rush. By driving the net opposite of Marner, he forces the Sharks' defenseman, Mario Ferraro, to cover an additional passing lane. This ends up immobilizing him after Matthews passes it across to Kerfoot. Now stopped, Ferraro kneels down in an attempt to poke the puck away. However, Kerfoot has had ample time to position himself perfectly, slightly moving to his left and delivering a flawless pass on Rielly's stick as seen in the image below.

Rielly doesn't stop his brilliance here; he keeps his head up and recognizes that Marner is alone in front of the net. Knowing this, as soon the puck touches his stick he taps it over to Marner, who wastes no time in lifting the puck over the goalie's pad and into the net, scoring the Leafs' second of the night.

This play really serves as a great example of how a single mistake can send your team scrambling. The turnover in the offensive end sent the Sharks' entire system into a panic. The defense tried their best in blocking the passing lanes, however each decision opened up new opportunities for the Leafs, who in turn showed the world how to perfectly deconstruct their opponent on an odd man rush.