The Power Play

[Randall Flagg]

I made a thread JUST like this one last season for the penalty kill, because after the loss of one measly player from the season before, it fell from top 10 to flirting with dead last. 

In my wildest dreams I couldn't have predicted this happening to a top 5 power play unit of the last two decades. 

For starters, the #1 unit has not been together enough. They score and do insane things with the puck when they are. It's ugly when they aren't. We can't do this now because Risto is hurt. 

To illustrate - Jack got a lot of flack from nerds about scoring at even strength - he didn't do it enough to their liking. Well the guy has ONE POWER PLAY POINT through 18 games, and yet sits only 2 points off of a point per game pace. So his ES scoring increase is phenomenal. But man, if he was scoring at last year's clip on the power play he'd have SEVEN more points right now than he does. 23 in 18 versus 16 in 18. 

Scandella was certainly never going to be a piece that contributes to a world class power play, yet he's been stapled to the first unit outside of one stretch. Beaulieu is solely responsible for about 4 of the SHG and should never see the ice with a man advantage. Both get featured heavily relative to what they should be. 

What the hell did Phil and co. do and how can they fix it? Is it as simple as letting Sam, ROR, KO, Jack, and Risto do their thing?

[SwampD]

I think you have to start looking at the D.

[Huckleberry]

Always thought Scandella would have been good for our Power play.

[PASabreFan]

Power plays are fickle . Teams loaded with offensive talent (see Pittsburgh a few years ago) routinely can't score on the peeper.

[Pokey Jones]

Power plays can't remain static. Everybody studies film, everybody notices tendencies. Just about every PP has a great year and then not as much the year after. Teams learn how to defend them. For long term success you have to keep the tempo fast and you have to vary it depending on who you play. We have a lot of players with very predictable habits and most of all, we do not pass the puck well. 

[spndnchz]

Power plays can't remain static. Everybody studies film, everybody notices tendencies. Just about every PP has a great year and then not as much the year after. Teams learn how to defend them. For long term success you have to keep the tempo fast and you have to vary it depending on who you play. We have a lot of players with very predictable habits and most of all, we do not pass the puck well.

 

They pass fine. They don’t shoot imho

[3putt]

Kane gets too much time with the first unit. Not the right type of player for the rest of the group.

[Pokey Jones]

Well we will differ on that one. I think puck possession is one of our biggest problems. We shoot it in all too often and rarely does our forecheck warrant that approach. We waste a lot of PP time going back to get the puck from our own end and earlier on also dealing with their short handed attempts on us. 

[Carmel Corn]

I miss the power play from the previous coaching regime.  That was one thing they got right!  I don't think this coaching staff has a clue on special teams.