Despite the fact that Lars Eller currently leads the team in playoff scoring, and has a plus-2 traditional plus minus, number 81 has been directly responsible for substantially-more scoring-chances against during the playoffs, than he was during the regular season. In fact, Eller has been involved in more even-strength scoring-chances against per-minute played through the first 2 games than any other Montreal player (including defensemen).
Eller has a lower defensive-zone start% in the playoffs, and is facing a slightly lower quality of competition. That said, his lower face-off success-rate is forcing both him and his teammates to start too many plays without possession.
Eller has a lower defensive success-rate in the defensive-zone, and has been forced to engage in more defensive-events without possession than he did during the season. He has also had possession of the puck in the defensive-zone less-often; although his turnover-rate in the d-zone during the playoffs is exactly the same as it was during the season.
In terms of specific defensive-plays in the defensive-zone; Eller has attempted more body-checks in the d-zone than he did during the season, and fewer stick-checks. His body-checks success-rate (removes puck-possession from opposition) is higher than it was during the season, but his stick-check success-rate is substantially lower.
Eller is blocking more shots per-minute during the playoffs, but his success-rate when attempting to block shots is lower. He's blocking fewer opposition passes in the defensive-zone, and his success-rate within this metric is also lower than it was during the season.
As for plays with possession; Eller's defensive-zone passing-percentage is higher in the playoffs than it was during the season, while his success-rate when attempting to safely dump the puck out of the defensive-zone is much lower.
Eller has missed more passes directed at him from teammates during the playoffs, while he has substantially-more failed defensive-zone coverage errors than he did during the season.
Eller's scoring-chances-against numbers are directly related to his defensive-play. He must return his performance without possession in the defensive-zone closer to his season numbers in order to limit the number of scoring-chances-against.
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