56 replies to this topic

[FL4WL3SS]

Catchall powerplay thread - let's see if the increased attention to the powerplay actually pays off this year. I'm glad to hear that the coaching staff is doing something about it.

http://espn.go.com/b...ving-power-play

“I think [the coaching staff] looked at it a lot during the lockout,” Seguin said. “I think all of us in here know we need to make our power play better. Hopefully we can improve that.”

“We’ve got some personnel in some places this year that we feel will give us a little bit more,” Julien said.

The first unit included David Krejci, Zdeno Chara, Nathan Horton, Milan Lucic and Tyler Seguin. This unit has a different look to it with Krejci on the point with Chara.

“David sees the ice very well and I know he’s very comfortable on the right side, and with Zdeno, as a pair I think they can do a great job,” Julien said.

Horton and Lucic are down low with Seguin waiting for the big one-timer. Krejci also said he’s fine on the point.

Other than lineup changes, I'd like to see what scheme changes they've come up with. I have no problem with them funneling the puck to the point and looking for tip ins, but it needs to be a supplement to the powerplay and not the main focus.

[TheStoryofYourRedRightAnkle]

With Krejci at the point, hopefully that means that they'll be looking for more quick cross-ice opportunities for wingers in the circles.

Presumably, it will also involve Seguin, the other winger and Krejci playing rotating puck possession at the mid-boards a la the Savard-Kessel years where they would run one side of the PK ragged cycling until an opportunity presented itself for a shot, a pass to the other winger on the far side or to Chara sneaking into the slot.

Edited by TheStoryofYourRedRightAnkle, 15 January 2013 - 10:58 AM.

[Jed Zeppelin]

With Krejci at the point, hopefully that means that they'll be looking for more quick cross-ice opportunities for wingers in the circles.

Presumably, it will also involve Seguin, the other winger and Krejci playing rotating puck possession at the mid-boards a la the Savard-Kessel years where they would run one side of the PK ragged cycling until an opportunity presented itself for a shot, a pass to the other winger on the far side or to Chara sneaking into the slot.

We can only hope.

That strategy sounds good, as long as Krejci's lack of shooting doesn't cause too many problems. A sagging D would open up a lot of playmaking opportunities for him as long as they abandon the PP of A Million Slapshots.

This is anecdotal, but it seemed to me that a big part of the problem last season was that they lost the first PP faceoff way too often. Given their problems entering the zone and establishing possession, they need to do a better job in that department.

[BostonFanInCanesLand]

Monday's Globe said that the first unit was still in the umbrella formation "most of the time." We'll see what that means for style of play. They didn't mention the formation for the second unit. Glad to see Hamilton out there and it will interesting to see what C Bourque brings to the 2nd unit.

http://www.boston.co...practice_4.html

[TheRealness]

Their main problem has always been stagnation and predictability. They stop moving, and are easier to be defended on the penalty kill. The other main issue is an over-reliance on shots outside the circles, mainly from the defense. I like Chara's slap shot as much as anyone, but he doesn't exactly have a quick trigger on it, so teams pinch the defensemen with much more success against the Bruins.

They need to be able to keep possession down low more to avoid that, and move move move that fucking puck. The puck movement needs to stop being so methodical, and they need to make things more snappy. If they center the power play around Seguin and his talents, I think they're moving in the right direction. He can set up Horton and Lucic in space for shots, and create a lot of offense on his own.

Krejci at the point is really interesting to me. He doesn't have a great shot, but his vision is exceptional so I am hopeful the additional space he gets on the blue line helps him create more offense on the PP.

The 2nd unit is intriguing mainly because of Hamilton. He was great on the PP in Junior, and I find it interesting he's already planted there on the 2nd unit. I love Bergeron down low, where I think he can be much more effective. Marchand can be decent, but Bourque is a major wildcard. I really haven't seen him play much, and wonder if they would be better served with Peverley out there instead. This may also be Claude trying to save Peverley's legs for the PK, where he has been great. I am really looking forward to seeing Dougie though, and I love that they're throwing him right into the fire.

[cshea]

We can only hope.

That strategy sounds good, as long as Krejci's lack of shooting doesn't cause too many problems. A sagging D would open up a lot of playmaking opportunities for him as long as they abandon the PP of A Million Slapshots.

This is anecdotal, but it seemed to me that a big part of the problem last season was that they lost the first PP faceoff way too often. Given their problems entering the zone and establishing possession, they need to do a better job in that department.

Yeah, my problem with Krejci at the point is that it'll become Kablerle 2.0. Teams won't bother to play the shot, instead backing off and clogging passing and shooting lanes around Chara.

I don't know why they are reluctant to use Boychuk on the PP. I realize he isn't fleet of foot nor a puck mover, but he's got the 2nd hardest shot on the team behind Chara. A Chara-Boychuk or Seidenberg-Boychuk paring gives you a right handed and left handed shooting option along the blue line. Given how they always try and force things back to point anyway, why not use Boychuk there and give you an extra shooting option?

[FL4WL3SS]

I'd rather they stop forcing the shot back to the point and get creative.

No thanks on Boychuk.

[TheShynessClinic]

I'd rather they stop forcing the shot back to the point and get creative.

No thanks on Boychuk.

The shots from the point don't bother me. The lack of movement by the forwards down low does. If the forwards are moving, and thus forcing the defense to move, it creates open lanes for the shots to get through. Right now defenses can clog the middle of the ice knowing that forwards are remaining stationary, and block/redirect 90% of the shots the D are trying to push through.

[FL4WL3SS]

The shots from the point don't bother me. The lack of movement by the forwards down low does. If the forwards are moving, and thus forcing the defense to move, it creates open lanes for the shots to get through. Right now defenses can clog the middle of the ice knowing that forwards are remaining stationary, and block/redirect 90% of the shots the D are trying to push through.

This is only partially true though as it depends on the type of penalty kill the opposing team is utilizing against the Bruins.

If they are employing a zone penalty kill, then regardless of how much movement there is, the penalty kill is going to be more stagnant and clog the lanes; which is exactly what other teams do to counteract the Bruins power play.

Edited by FL4WL3SS, 15 January 2013 - 12:41 PM.

[RoyalOrange]

BruinsFanInCanesLand, check your messages when you get a chance.

Exactly, FL4W. We've had to have been one of the easiest teams to prepare for, in terms of PP. I guess we think that Chara slapshots are going to knock the goalie on his ass and roll in as defensemen dive out of the way, a la Fulton Reed.

[AMcGhie]

The interesting thing I saw was the relatively small difference between 1st and 15th (the Bruins)

From EspnBoston

Boston ranked No. 15 on the power play during the 2011-12 season. The Bruins scored only 43 goals on 250 power-play opportunities for a 17 percent success rate. The Nashville Predators led the league with a 21.6 percent success rate, scoring 54 power-play goals on 250 opportunities.

4.6% better (or 11 more goals) to be around 1st. I'd be happy with a 20% rate, honestly.

Edited by AMcGhie, 15 January 2013 - 01:05 PM.

[FL4WL3SS]

The interesting thing I saw was the relatively small difference between 1st and 15th (the Bruins)

From EspnBoston


4.6% better (or 11 more goals) to be around 1st. I'd be happy with a 20% rate, honestly.

It really wasn't the total output that was the problem - those numbers can be skewed by having a few good games. The problem is with the long stretches of games where they just can not get anything going on the PP. They need a more consistent powerplay.

[TheStoryofYourRedRightAnkle]

Yeah, the actual rate of difference between the best and the Bruins isn't much but, as FL4WL3SS, points out, they were incredibly inconsistent. The piggybacked issue to that is that their shit PPs would actually seem to cause them to lose momentum i.e. they would play great and force the other team to take a penalty, then have a really shit PP and the other team would come out of it with momentum or at least not back on their heels. Even if you don't score, tiring out the other team's best defensive players with a good PP can pay dividends throughout the course of a game.

[AMcGhie]

Fair point that consistency was an issue. I remember multiple gamethreads over the last few years where many people would implore them to decline given their stretches of futility.

[TheRealness]

Fair point that consistency was an issue. I remember multiple gamethreads over the last few years where many people would implore them to decline given their stretches of futility.

At times during their Cup run, when they went something absurd like 0-29 at one point, I would scream at the TV to decline.

The worst part, IMO, was always the way it seemed to cripple their momentum. They get significant puck possession, they get a few chances, and then somebody gets tripped or held. Great time to continue that momentum, right? Wrong. They'd end up looking so out of sorts and discombobulated on the PP, that they would take a few minutes after the PP was over just to try to gain the momentum they had before it. Sometimes, they'd never get it back. Other times, Chara would get his predictable shot blocked and they'd get a breakaway or odd man rush. It was ridiculous.

They need sustained pressure and possession in the offensive zone. Not the possession where Krejci and Chara exchange D-to-D passes, or the only movement is along the boards, but the the type of possession that leads to actual chances in the "A-Zone". They haven't had that in two years. The only hope, IMO, outside of a complete system change, is Seguin to take it over. Looks like that maybe happening, so it will be interesting to see how it plays out.

[JimBoSox9]

I'd much rather have Pevs on the PP than Bourque, especially with a 2nd unit that could play with some pace. Either just swap them or move Bergy to the blue line and drop Hamilton. Here's hoping Dougie is the real deal out of the box. I think we're all in agreement as to what his goal catchphrase should be.

On the 1st line, the idea of Krejci at the point with Seguin on the half-wall with Horton and Lucic mashing and Chara waiting in the wings...makes a tent in my pants. I think Krejci's weakness as a shooter is far outweighed by the puck-moving potential the he adds to the whole combo. The best PP styles seem to result in goals where the final redirect in looks embarrassingly easy. You can't get away with that forever in 5-on-5 (Hi, Vancouver!), but trying to constantly muck in slapshots as a style works to negate what the man advantage confers. Spread it out, make them skate with the puck, and seams will open.

Of course, all premises wrong or your money back.

It really wasn't the total output that was the problem - those numbers can be skewed by having a few good games. The problem is with the long stretches of games where they just can not get anything going on the PP. They need a more consistent powerplay.

And, lets be honest: if anything in all of sports was ever designed to have a massive gap between real success rate and perceived success rate to ardent fans, it was the power play. YOU HAVE MORE PEOPLE, FOR FUCK'S SAKE, SCORE IT. Close behind it is a sub-Mendoza hitter getting a hit, to the opposing fans. 20% isn't even an anomaly, but I don't know a fan who doesn't instinctively treat losing that 'sure' out as a mini-calamity.

Edited by JimBoSox9, 15 January 2013 - 09:48 PM.

[JimBoSox9]

Anytime I post anything in RMPS that tries to resemble hockey analysis, and then the thread immediately goes dark, I get worried that everyone's laughing at me via PMs and such. It's terrible.

[TheRealness]

I don't think any of us really like discussing the Bruins power play. It's been so... ugly.

I am as hopeful as you are on Krejci manning the point and hopefully creating more fluid movement on the first unit. I disagree with Bergeron on the point though in any form. I hate him on the point on the PP, and have always felt he does a much better job down low where he can play more of his style of game. I would also prefer Peverley on the 2nd unit, but it seems they want to give Bourque a chance to succeed as a more offensive player. It will be interesting to see how long they stick with him out there. It's just as possible that Marchand plays himself off of the 2nd unit leaving Peverley to take his place instead.

[cshea]

I kind of like the idea of Peverley at the point on the PP. They have tinkered with him there in the past, but he hasn't gotten a whole lot of time there. I think he's a better point man than Bergeron or Krejci. He's faster than both, has a good shot, and is agile and shifty enough to stick handle in tight spaces and walk the puck along the blue line. He's also more of a threat to shoot shoot than Bergeron and Krejci.

[AMcGhie]

Too much about the power play has been focused on the personnel. I don't think enough is put into the strategy that Julien and Ward is putting out. If all they do is pass blue line to blue line and then take weak shots from the point, they just aren't going to score.

Regardless of the personnel, I'd like them to try the following:
1) Plant a bruiser (Chara, Lucic, McQuaid even) right in front of the goalie, take shots and try for dirty goals off rebounds.
2) The weak-side D-man play that they seemed to run very well for Chara in 2010 where they'd overload the glove side with 4 guys and let Chara sneak down to the faceoff dot and take a slapshot from 20 feet.
3) Have a mobile player (seguin, pevs) actually move the puck around the offensive zone forcing rotations in the defensive player. A couple of good passes to a guy that has an open shot.

[tonyandpals]

I was going to half jokingly say park Chara in front of the net...but AM said it for real so I'll back off that one...

I agree on the strategy being a key, but you need to have the right guys to execute it. The strategy they were running out there must have been the one they though gave them the best chance to score with the pieces they've had. They could be turning the page hear as it's obvious it hasn't been working. At least they're making an attempt to improve, rather they stay the course.

Like most things it will come down to execution, but more so, having the right guys in position to execute well. There's a lot of moving parts here, but I think Krejci at the point seems like a good place to start.

And I agree, it's not all about finishing, but being productive. Nothing worse than getting a PP, thinking you got a good chance of putting a game away, only to be sloppily ineffective (which is how I like to describe their PP) and lose all momentum.

[AMcGhie]

I'll completely agree with you that finding the right guys to execute those strategies will greatly help their success, but last year the Power play was umbrella, pass, pass, pass, weak shot, retrieve puck from the other end of the ice, repeat. That's what's got to change a lot more than the personnel.

[Kenny F'ing Powers]

Too much about the power play has been focused on the personnel. I don't think enough is put into the strategy that Julien and Ward is putting out. If all they do is pass blue line to blue line and then take weak shots from the point, they just aren't going to score.

Regardless of the personnel, I'd like them to try the following:
1) Plant a bruiser (Chara, Lucic, McQuaid even) right in front of the goalie, take shots and try for dirty goals off rebounds.
2) The weak-side D-man play that they seemed to run very well for Chara in 2010 where they'd overload the glove side with 4 guys and let Chara sneak down to the faceoff dot and take a slapshot from 20 feet.
3) Have a mobile player (seguin, pevs) actually move the puck around the offensive zone forcing rotations in the defensive player. A couple of good passes to a guy that has an open shot.

I personally like the idea of staying in the overload. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the B's generally start in an overload and then work into an umbrella. Why not stay in the overload? Keep Seguin/Horton as the weakside forward to launch lethal one timers, Bergeron/Lucic to play the corner/boards, and Krejci/Peverley at the strongside circle. This allows the majority of players to play to their strengths, and keeps the blue line open for shots from the point. Am I completely off base here?

[kenneycb]

It all depends on the setup of the PK and the flow of players. Most teams will start in the overload and move to the umbrella as the half boards guy looks for a lane and starts to move up towards the blue line and forcing the PK to move from a box to a diamond. IMO the overload is better for give and goes and backdoor passes while the umbrella is more conducive to one timers with traffic on front. A lot of what you do on the umbrella depends on where you put the fifth guy as I've seen formations with him anywhere from the middle of the circles to below the goal line.

[NYCSox]

I know the stat sheet says 0/7 tonight but at least three of the PPs were solid and there was at least one PP goal (even if it wasn't called as such on review).

[RoDaddy]

Krejci playing the point is just another deperation move for the B's to improve a piss poor PP that's been that way far longer than any contender should have. Hope it works but I suspect, as someone pointed out, that he'll just be the second coming of Thomas Kaberle. I also had hoped Tory Krug would get a shot there given his exceptional offensive and power play in college - and I still hope he gets a shot at it in Boston - but unfortunately, his play in Providence so far has been prettty disappointing

[kenneycb]

Meh, they destroy other teams 5 on 5 do I can take it. Sure I wish it were better but they were, what, 0-20 in the playoffs at one point and still won the Cup. They certainly make up for it in other areas and is probably why they've been so successful despite not having any true superstars.

[locknload]

Meh, they destroy other teams 5 on 5 do I can take it. Sure I wish it were better but they were, what, 0-20 in the playoffs at one point and still won the Cup. They certainly make up for it in other areas and is probably why they've been so successful despite not having any true superstars.

In the Montreal series they got the distinction of being the only team to ever win a 7 game series without a PP goal. To make it worse I believe they gave up a shorty so the PP was actual at -1 for the series.

[AMcGhie]

In the Montreal series they got the distinction of being the only team to ever win a 7 game series without a PP goal. To make it worse I believe they gave up a shorty so the PP was actual at -1 for the series.

They scored 2 short handed though in that series too. That's gotta count for something.

[JimBoSox9]

They scored 2 short handed though in that series too. That's gotta count for something.

We're not at the point where every time a ref puts his hand up a Bruin should just sprint to the penalty box before they have a chance to call something....but we're closer than I thought you could be. All hail Paille's bizarre 1-on-3 assaults.

[FL4WL3SS]

Pretty interesting quote from Julien on the PP:

 

http://espn.go.com/b...-take-step-back

 

“People have to take a step back here and understand, I could throw a
lot of things at you guys, whether it’s L.A. that won a Stanley Cup
without a great power play, I think Tampa right now has just said they
don’t even practice their power play because they realize that the
5-on-5 play is what wins Stanley Cups,” Julien said.



“People have to take a step back here and maybe breath a little
easier here with this stuff, and not make a mountain out of our power
play. We certainly want it to work well, but it’s not the end of the
world. We’re still winning some hockey games. We’re still unbeaten in
regulation and our power play is giving us some momentum, and it’s given
us some chances. We hope, with time, we’ll get more results than we
have so far.”

 

I think it's fair for people to criticize the PP, so Julien has no ground to stand on here. The PP has been terrible for years and even though other teams may not give a shit about the PP, I'd like to hear the coach of my team getting ahead of the curve on this one. With as dominant of a 5-on-5 team that the Bruins are, they'd be out of this world good if they were also a good PP team.

[AMcGhie]

This year is still an improvement so far over last.  Yes, they haven't scored Goals, which are the end-measure of success, but they've been getting a lot more good shots, compared to last year's pass-pass-pass-pass-blocked shot from the point-clear-retrieve-dump deep-repeat.  They get good pressure this year, and aren't spending half the PP in their own zone like they have been recently.  Give it another couple games, and if they still haven't scored a few, then I think we can be worried.   

[SidelineCameras]

Julien could also just be trying to tamp down expectations for Dougie here, even after calling him outstanding after the Rangers game. It's one thing to give a rookie props and confidence after a fine individual-game performance, but a lot of people are hoping Dougie is the Power Play QB/savior in the waiting, which is certainly a lot of pressure on a 19 year old.

[MiracleOfO2704]

From what I've seen to this point, the second unit seems better able to enter the zone, establish possession, and set up their PP with relatively fewer issues that the first unit. Maybe it's a by-product of Hamilton's ability to move the puck successfully, but my big concern is suddenly a Chara-led PP. As has been said before, he's not a PP quarterback by any means, yet the play continues to run through him almost exclusively, with Krejci and Seguin somewhat neutered in their ability to create by some compulsion to feed Chara for one-timers. For the time being, while it's prudent to leave the second unit alone, even if it's pretty small, what I'd like to see is a first unit of Chara and Boychuk on the points with Seguin, Krejci, and Lucic as your forwards, playing an overload. Chara could man the weak side of the play and attempt to get the backdoor shots we all seem to love, Boychuk's still respectable shot allows for the point one-timer if the shooting lane is created, and Lucic would be the net-front player trying to occupy a defenseman or two to give Krejci and Seguin the room necessary to create as well as forecheck strength if the option is to dump and chase. This doesn't completely neutralize Chara as a PP weapon while allowing the skill forwards to dictate play, taking the decision-making out of Chara's hands and perhaps saving his energy for even strength and penalty kill situations, where you need him a lot more.

 

As far as Julien's comments go, I know what he's trying to do, but the fact of the matter is the power play's been dysfunctional for more than two seasons now, which coincides with your best PP player leaving his scrambled brains on the Pittsburgh ice. It's not out of line to criticize a scheme that was employed during a season that had top-6 forwards of Krejci, Bergeron, Lucic, Sturm, Satan, and Ryder, none of whom were remotely capable of replacing Savard's ingenuity.

[lexrageorge]

I think Julien is politely trying to put some things into perspective:

 

1.) It's only 4 games.  Right now, the Sharks lead the league with a 37% PP conversion rate, and the Kings are at 0.  Obviously, this will change.  

 

2.) Last season, the Bruins finished just 0.1% below league average.  So perhaps their PP is not as bad as it seems.  

 

3.) Some of the problems are not easily fixed.  Savard is not coming back, and there's little (as in zero) chance of the team finding a true replacement this season.  

 

4.) There is hope.  The eyeball test, misleading as it may be, seems to indicate that there could be improvement when all is said and done.  And the team did add a potential puck-moving blue liner in Hamilton, although we still need to see how he'll progress as the season continues.  

 

5.) The PP is not the be all to end all.  Last season, 2 of the top 3 teams (in regular season points), the Blues and the Rangers, both finished with PP conversion rates worse than the Bruins, as did the Red Wings and the Stanley Cup winning Kings.  The Oilers (#3) and the Islanders (#8) finished in the top 10 in power play percentage and failed to make the playoffs.  Yes, much like "establishing the run", improving the power play seems like a worthy goal.  But improving the PP at the expense of other aspects of the game such as 5-on-5 play, team defense, penalty killing, or goal tending may not yield what matters most:  wins.  

[MiracleOfO2704]

I think Julien is politely trying to put some things into perspective:

 

1.) It's only 4 games.  Right now, the Sharks lead the league with a 37% PP conversion rate, and the Kings are at 0.  Obviously, this will change.  

 

2.) Last season, the Bruins finished just 0.1% below league average.  So perhaps their PP is not as bad as it seems.  

 

3.) Some of the problems are not easily fixed.  Savard is not coming back, and there's little (as in zero) chance of the team finding a true replacement this season.  

 

I get that he's trying to couch the criticism based on just four games, but this isn't a "just four games" problem. The system's been broken since Savard went down.

 

2 and 3 actually dovetail together nicely to me. The issue fans have with the relatively poor power play is the gulf between the team's 5-on-5 and shorthanded play compared to the man advantage.They have the tools to dominate and they're working their way up to average. As far as who would replace Savard, while Krejci and Seguin aren't perfect replacements, they are capable replacements that are underutilized in favor of umbrella power plays that put the focus on slapshots from the sole point and big men in front of the net hoping to tip those shots in if they're not going to beat the goalie on their own. It's a power play for the 2010 Bruins in the playoffs, whose forward skill was lacking. With two legitimate playmakers in the fold right now, it's a waste of resources.

[behindthepen]

is there a stat somewhere that tracks how much time the PP spends in the offensive zone? It seems like entry has been better this year, but it's too subjective.

[cshea]

To me, the problem isn't the entry. The problem is there isn't enough movement off the puck. Everything is so forced back to the points, that it seems like the 4 guys stand around waiting for that to happen. They need to move around more, and get to open spaces.

Also, the guys working the half boards (Seguin and Bourque) need to be more aggressive with the puck. Right now they dance around, but ultimately either feed the puck back to the point, or try a cross ice pass (back door play) which has failed to connect. Seguin in particular needs to drive to the net more, and shoot. If he does that, it'll open up more space. The defense will collapse in more, freeing up space for the point men which is what they're looking for.

[Jed Zeppelin]

Getting shots from the half boards also has the benefit of creating better rebound opportunities than telegraphed slapshots that too often either miss everything or get blocked long before reaching the crease.

[FL4WL3SS]

I think Julien is politely trying to put some things into perspective:

 

1.) It's only 4 games.  Right now, the Sharks lead the league with a 37% PP conversion rate, and the Kings are at 0.  Obviously, this will change.  

 

2.) Last season, the Bruins finished just 0.1% below league average.  So perhaps their PP is not as bad as it seems.  

 

3.) Some of the problems are not easily fixed.  Savard is not coming back, and there's little (as in zero) chance of the team finding a true replacement this season.  

 

4.) There is hope.  The eyeball test, misleading as it may be, seems to indicate that there could be improvement when all is said and done.  And the team did add a potential puck-moving blue liner in Hamilton, although we still need to see how he'll progress as the season continues.  

 

5.) The PP is not the be all to end all.  Last season, 2 of the top 3 teams (in regular season points), the Blues and the Rangers, both finished with PP conversion rates worse than the Bruins, as did the Red Wings and the Stanley Cup winning Kings.  The Oilers (#3) and the Islanders (#8) finished in the top 10 in power play percentage and failed to make the playoffs.  Yes, much like "establishing the run", improving the power play seems like a worthy goal.  But improving the PP at the expense of other aspects of the game such as 5-on-5 play, team defense, penalty killing, or goal tending may not yield what matters most:  wins.  

As I said before, the problem isn't the total production, but the overall lack of consistency. The long stretches of games w/o a PP goal is the problem; I'm not sure they can win another Stanley Cup going 0 for a million on the PP during the playoffs.

 

I agree, however, that the PP has looked better.

[cshea]

So, we're 10 games in and the PP continues to look like utter shit. They are 4/39 on the year (10.3%), one of which was the Seguin ENG in Carolina. So if we remove that, they're 3/38 (7.9%). Early on it seemed like they were atleast getting some chances off the PP, but they've regressed to now being unable to generate much of anything on the PP.

I think they pass around the perimeter too much, and they don't get enough traffic in front of the net. All too often it seems they get one shot through, then the defense clears away the rebound and that'll be the end of it. I don't think personel is the issue, but at this point I just scrap both units. Stick with the normal 5-on-5 lines and D pairings and just go out and play. Forget being on the man advantage, just roll out the next line up.

The other thing I thought of was they need a left-hand distributer on the PP. they haven't had one since Savard went down, which also right around the time the PP went down the shitter. The only left handed forwards on the PP is Lucic, Marchand and Bourque. Having a left shot distribute opposite Krejci/Seguin might open things up a bit. Obviously there are no Marc Savard's lying around, but someone who could pass the puck from the weak side half boards may help.

[TheShynessClinic]

I know he's kind of reviled around here - but if Washington remains in the basement - I wonder what it would take to get Mike Ribeiro.

 

He's on the final year of a 5year/5million dollar deal - so with the Thomas trade you could easily fit him under the cap with room to spare. He fills the left handed requirement cshea mentions above. And he's got pretty great vision/playmaking skills. 

 

He's also been pretty great on the PP over the years. It would suck to root for him, but another deep playoff run can make one forgive past sins.

[ForceAtHome]

I know he's kind of reviled around here - but if Washington remains in the basement - I wonder what it would take to get Mike Ribeiro.

 

He's on the final year of a 5year/5million dollar deal - so with the Thomas trade you could easily fit him under the cap with room to spare. He fills the left handed requirement cshea mentions above. And he's got pretty great vision/playmaking skills. 

 

He's also been pretty great on the PP over the years. It would suck to root for him, but another deep playoff run can make one forgive past sins.

I haven't seen McPhee or anyone explicitly say it, but I'd imagine the Caps are intent on re-signing Ribeiro regardless of their success this season. It's unlikely they are going to blow it up in any scenario, and they should be competitive next year if they don't make a charge back into contention this season. They've had such a vacant hole at 2C for a while, and Ribeiro has been great in Washington so far. The powerplay has been clicking along at 22.7% and Ribeiro is leading the team in scoring. The last time the Caps two centers score more than 46 points in a season was 02-03 with Michael Nylander and Robert Lang. It's been a while...

[NYCSox]

Watch them playing 5 on 5 and they swarm like a bunch of pissed off hornets in the offensive zone. When they go on the PP they just float around the perimeter. It's maddening. 

[TheStoryofYourRedRightAnkle]

Something I was just pondering:  I wonder if the difference between their PP play and their 5v5 play is somewhat related to the fact that on 5-on-5, they are very good at catching teams in transition and generating odd man situations in the corners and along the boards where they win a lot of battles.  On a PP, the PKing team stays in its structure which does two things: 1)  They are a lot less likely to get caught in transition from the offensive zone to the defensive zone since they are much more likely to go for a change when they clear than try to transition to offense and 2) they are less likely to contest pucks in the corners and on the boards unless it is clear they have the advantage.  This makes it less likely that that 1 or 2 players end up out of position as they would be on a 5v5 which is where the Bs generate a good amount of offensive chances.  This is then compounded by the Bs making bad dump-ins and poor passes through the neutral zone and into the offensive zone.

[TheStoryofYourRedRightAnkle]

Of course, if they somehow go 3 for 3 next game, they'll be right back in the middle of the pack percentage-wise.

Edited by TheStoryofYourRedRightAnkle, 11 February 2013 - 04:11 PM.

[Toe Nash]

Of course, if they somehow go 3 for 3 next game, they'll be right back in the middle of the pack percentage-wise.

According to the boxscore yesterday they were 0-4, but they got the first goal a second after the PP expired, so they really should be 1-4, and the other two goals were scored with Rask pulled and a 6-on-5. Remember that the next time this thread is topped or Haggerty whines about how unsuccessful the PP has been.

[smastroyin]

On the other hand, the frenetic pace they played the 6-on-5 could probably be used once in a while in the PP situations instead of the same old take 1:30 to set up a single shot.

[Toe Nash]

Bruins now 2 for their last 3 in PPs and are 28th in the league at 13.0%. But give them credit for the goal against New York scored a second after the PP expired that I mentioned above and they'd be 21st in the league at 15.2%.

[cshea]

...and if you remove the Seguin PP, ENG they're 30th in the league. You can manipulate the stats to fit your argument either way. 

 

They're playing better on the PP, but it's still not very good.