Line Combos: Everything Avalanche Power Play

[tigervixxxen]

This seems to be a conversation taking over every thread, therefore now a place to critique, dissect and pray that the coaching staff better utilizes the talent available to improve their success on the man advantage.

Click to read more...

 

[missionAvs]

I'm a simple man and think the Avs need to keep it simple. Throw more pucks on net (looking at you MacK and Mak). Lose the stupid bumper position. Park either Landy or Kadri in front of the goalie, and then just let MacK, Mak, and Rants rip shots off.

Unit 2 similar thing but with Bura in Rants spot. G needs to defer to Toews to shoot since his shot sucks. Saad or Nuke park their fat bums in front of the goalie.

 

[Richard88]

This line with Byram have flat out dominated at 5v5 in the few shifts we've seen so far and I'd love to see that unit on PP1.

---------------- Landeskog ----------------
Mackinnon -------------------- Rantanen
-------- Byram ---------- Makar ----------​

That frees up Kadri to play the half wall on PP2 which he's much better suited for than the bumped spot.

---------------- Nichuskin ----------------
Kadri ----------------------- Burakovsky
--------- Girard ------- Toews -----------​

A nice bit of symmetry there with line 1/line 2 which is convenient.

 

[CaleMakaw]

That bumper position is worthless. Might as well have a 4 on 4 in the o zone.

 

[missionAvs]

This line with Byram have flat out dominated at 5v5 in the few shifts we've seen so far and I'd love to see that unit on PP1.

---------------- Landeskog ----------------
Mackinnon -------------------- Rantanen
-------- Byram ---------- Makar ----------​

That frees up Kadri to play the half wall on PP2 which he's much better suited for than the bumped spot.

---------------- Nichuskin ----------------
Kadri ----------------------- Burakovsky
--------- Girard ------- Toews -----------​

A nice bit of symmetry there with line 1/line 2 which is convenient.

Wouldn't mind this at all IMO. Byram-Makar on PP1 sounds drool worthy.

 

[Richard88]

That bumper position is worthless. Might as well have a 4 on 4 in the o zone.

The bumper position works, but only if you have a guy who plays it well. Kadri isn't that guy.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

I’ve always been curious about potentially trying MacKinnon at the bumper. It’s probably not something I’d do while the PP is clicking, but I think his hand speed and release would be incredible in that spot. It would really force the PK to collapse the box around him too.

If they go to the two defenceman set-up on PP 1, it might be something I look at.

 

[ArWKo]

I've thought Landeskog could do well in that bumper spot as well, switching him and Kadri. At some point if things don't start to click you've gotta try something.

 

[Perratrooper]

Rantanen
MacK-Bura
Girard-Toews

Nuke
Landy-Kadri
Byram-Makar

I think Rantanen can do what Nuke does only better, would provide tips and great passes when the puck doesn’t make it to the net. Bura has a rocket and still provides a threat from the right wing and we reward the powerplay chemistry of Toews & Girard.

The second unit focuses more on Makar dominating and getting him and Byram the puck for scoring opportunities from the point.

I think splitting up Makar and MacKinnon would allow for two very dominate units.

 

[tigervixxxen]

I wanted to bring up point from another thread that Mikko really is the best PP player we have. I wouldn’t take that opportunity for the one timer away from him but if he could go behind the net and around the goal line to create down there would be another thing he could do. That’s his role on team Finland and does it well, no idea why they won’t implement that.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

I wanted to bring up point from another thread that Mikko really is the best PP player we have. I wouldn’t take that opportunity for the one timer away from him but if he could go behind the net and around the goal line to create down there would be another thing he could do. That’s his role on team Finland and does it well, no idea why they won’t implement that.

Because they put too much responsibility on Mackinnon’s stick on the PP. I actually completely agree with you. I would actually move Kadri to PP2, move Landy to the bumper, move Nate to Landys spot but have both Mikko and Nate rover from down low to the half wall/dot on their respective sides. I don’t think Mackinnon needs to be on the “point” on the PP. he scores more from the faceoff dot and as good as his shot is, it’s not Ovie/Laine. Plus this gives both Nate and Mikko more playmaking opportunities down low where they excel and then they can alternate back to the dot to get in shooting positions when needed.

I’m a dork so I drew a diagram but this is what I’d do (would also be fine with Girard over Byram)

When Nate goes low, Makar follows and takes over the half wall. Byram floats over to the middle. When Mikko goes low, Byram follows. It’s a constant rotation.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Yup, that’s pretty much exactly how I see it too.

 

[forsbergavs32]

PP1 just stands still way too much, no movement at all. To me, that’s why they seem to not do much, teams see this and can cover everyone easily.

 

[dahrougem2]

Another reason the PP just doesn't work is a lot of the time MacKinnon/Rantanen run into the problem of only looking for each other with the cross-seam pass.

 

[Pokecheque]

Too much standing still, any time they go out of their way to move around and confuse coverages as a result, the power play is effective. And even though it's a move the opposition is already keying in on, Sammy's ability to collapse down low and then look for a drop or seam pass is proof positive that you have to skate in order to have a successful power play. When they all just decide to hold their positions and wait for the right one-timer opportunity to come around, they usually don't do anything of consequence.

There's absolutely NO EXCUSE not to have a potent power play with the talent this team has at their disposal.

 

[Linds]

Need to keep Byram on PP1 he's the only player I've seen consistently skate around the entire zone and attack the net. If you watch when he and mack are flying around the zone it creates a mad scramble and shit happens. Then when the PP sucks, like all of last season its everyone literally standing still and moving the puck in v form from mack to makar and makar to Mikko.... and nothing happens
When they start standing still I get super pissed off and yell at the screen and my wife tells me to settle down lmao. But it's soooo predictable and thats why our PP sucks.

 

[AvsCOL]

Agree 100% with Bo on PP1. Put your 5 best players (Bo will be eventually) and let the rest work itself out.

 

[TruePowerSlave]

The 1st unit would be very effective if they played it fairly simple, but thats not how they roll. I don't think anything will really change until there is a new PP coach.

A lot of standing around, trying to force everything trough MacKinnon, Makar unwilling to shoot the puck, endless cycling around the boards etc.

Just crash the net and start shooting. We enter the zone very easily and have elite talent, there is no excuse why the PP shouldn't be among the best.

 

[AllAboutAvs]

Because they put too much responsibility on Mackinnon’s stick on the PP. I actually completely agree with you. I would actually move Kadri to PP2, move Landy to the bumper, move Nate to Landys spot but have both Mikko and Nate rover from down low to the half wall/dot on their respective sides. I don’t think Mackinnon needs to be on the “point” on the PP. he scores more from the faceoff dot and as good as his shot is, it’s not Ovie/Laine. Plus this gives both Nate and Mikko more playmaking opportunities down low where they excel and then they can alternate back to the dot to get in shooting positions when needed.

I’m a dork so I drew a diagram but this is what I’d do (would also be fine with Girard over Byram)
View attachment 388508

When Nate goes low, Makar follows and takes over the half wall. Byram floats over to the middle. When Mikko goes low, Byram follows. It’s a constant rotation.

You didn't draw the stick men.

 

[tigervixxxen]

They spend the entire PP trying to set up three looks. The Mack ontimer, the Mikko onetimer or the three way play to the bumper. If they can’t get a perfect shot to go in or Makar can’t wrist one from the blue line as a last resort it doesn’t work.

 

[Richard88]

Here's a crazy idea...

-------------- Landeskog -----------
Mackinnon -- Kadri --- Rantanen
---------------- Byram ---------------


------------- Nichuskin -------------
Makar ---------------- Burakovsky
--------- Girard ---- Toews --------


Obviously it might be a bit hasty to drop Makar from PP1, but it might be something to consider in the future.

We lack a good RHS beyond Mackinnon, and when Makar is playing more as a shooter than a provider at 5v5 he excels. Playing the half wall on the powerplay would give him a lot of nice looks at goal, and he'd also benefit a lot from the movement of Girard and Toews at the blueline (or alternatively Byram and Toews, if Girard is on PP1).

It probably isn't realistic to play 3 Dmen on the same unit, especially the 2nd unit who's PP minutes bleed into 5v5 play, but it would nonetheless be pretty interesting to see Makar playing in a shooting position on the PP rather than at the point.

 

[Foppa2118]

Because they put too much responsibility on Mackinnon’s stick on the PP. I actually completely agree with you. I would actually move Kadri to PP2, move Landy to the bumper, move Nate to Landys spot but have both Mikko and Nate rover from down low to the half wall/dot on their respective sides. I don’t think Mackinnon needs to be on the “point” on the PP. he scores more from the faceoff dot and as good as his shot is, it’s not Ovie/Laine. Plus this gives both Nate and Mikko more playmaking opportunities down low where they excel and then they can alternate back to the dot to get in shooting positions when needed.

I’m a dork so I drew a diagram but this is what I’d do (would also be fine with Girard over Byram)
View attachment 388508

When Nate goes low, Makar follows and takes over the half wall. Byram floats over to the middle. When Mikko goes low, Byram follows. It’s a constant rotation.

Yes, just let Cale and Bo roam around the zone like forwards. Good luck defending against that. Nate and Mikko can cover for them, and Nate is quite good up top in getting shots through.

Keep Landy in the slot and front of the net for deflections, screens, and rebounds where he's at his best.

I just hope they work on this in practice and give it a shot in a game. At least one of these games where the first unit isn't working. The second unit with G and Toews should stick together since they're working well together.

 

[Newusername]

@Ray
Bennett Avs need to implement something like this to make that bumper spot a legit threat. The ONLY time they get an opportunity from that spot is when the puck goes low and is immediately bumped to the slot. Girard at the top, Makar in Mack's spot, Mack in the bumper.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

0-5 tonight.

They went away from the MacK at the bumper idea pretty quickly. I wouldn’t mind seeing them try that out a little longer.

 

[the_fan]

They tried MacK at that bumper position, it was actually worse. MacK doesn't have the patience to be there. He was trying to shoot everything even when he was covered by bunch of Yotes players, he tried to shoot through their sticks and shin pads and everything. That's not gonna work