Power Play Suggestions

[nexttothemoon]

Let's actually look at the stats over the past 3 seasons (+ the first 8 games of this season) to see which Oilers players seem to actually help their team the most on the PP:

These players have all played 50+ minutes on the PP during that time span:

Forwards:

McDavid 7.83 GF/60
Lucic 7.53 GF/60
RNH 7.39 GF/60
Eberle 7.14 GF/60
Letestu 7.11 GF/60
Pouliot 6.56 GF/60
Lander 6.49 GF/60
Maroon 5.87 GF/60
Draisaitl 5.36 GF/60
Kassian 4.16 GF/60


Dmen:

Russell 6.87 GF/60
Sekera 6.18 GF/60
Klefbom 5.26 GF/60

Other interesting stats:

Gryba 14.49 GF/60 (12 minutes on the PP)
Pakarinen 8.47 GF/60 (35 minutes on the PP)
Hendricks 7.69 GF/60 (39 minutes on the PP)
Puljujarvi 6.91 GF/60 (8 minutes on the PP)
Oesterle 6.84 GF/60 (35 minutes on the PP)
Davidson 5.20 GF/60 (23 minutes on the PP)
Nurse 3.90 GF/60 (15 minutes on the PP)
Larsson 2.57 GF/60 (46 minutes on the PP)


Based on that... if they want to go with a 4F1D PP

It should be something like:

1st unit:

Lucic-McDavid-Eberle
RNH-Russell

Downside though is there's only 1 RH shot

2nd unit:

Pouliot-Letestu-Maroon
Lander-Sekera

Again... only 1 RH shot there so someone like Puljujarvi could be a good option to try.. or even something crazy like Gryba who is a RH shot. When Pakarinen comes back.. he could be a useful option as well since he's a RH shot.

 

[Still DRAI]

I'd honestly be interested in reading if there's any correlation between handedness balance and power play success - by the eye test I sure feel like passes that have to be received on the backhand cause breaks in set passing plays, but I have no idea if that has any numerical evidence

 

[syz]

Replace Eberle with Pulju. Eberle apparently worked on his one-timer in the off season but you could have fooled me.

Try other defensemen, as Klefbom and Sekera clearly aren't the answer.

 

[TheNumber4]

Replace Eberle with Pulju. Eberle apparently worked on his one-timer in the off season but you could have fooled me.

Try other defensemen, as Klefbom and Sekera clearly aren't the answer.

I heard that too. And I've only seen him get 1 one-timer off and I don't think it was on the PP. But that 1 one timer didn't look great. But again, its tough to evaluate if any of the personnel or systems or one timers on the PP are working because we can barely get set up this year.

 

[Kerricthebig]

Replace Eberle with Pulju. Eberle apparently worked on his one-timer in the off season but you could have fooled me.

Try other defensemen, as Klefbom and Sekera clearly aren't the answer.

Klefbom had 11 shots last game (3? of them on the PP). The majority of which had juicy rebounds, but no-one was ever in a position to pot them.

 

[oobga]

Klefbom had 11 shots last game (3? of them on the PP). The majority of which had juicy rebounds, but no-one was ever in a position to pot them.

Yeah, I think Klef has a good shot, and I would like to see us try to make use of it on the 1st unit. If righty Petry can set up righty Weber for 1-timers all night, I think we can find someone to set up Klef on our team.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

This sounds really stupid but, maybe we just need to give them the Mike Keenan treatment.

Just role out the regular 5-man units. except they just get a man-Advantage. No special setup or special play. Treat it like a 5-on-5.

Lucic-McDavid-Eberle
Klefbom-Larsson

Maroon-Drai-Nuge
Sekera-Russel

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

This sounds really stupid but, maybe we just need to give them the Mike Keenan treatment.

Just role out the regular 5-man units. except they just get a man-Advantage. No special setup or special play. Treat it like a 5-on-5.

Lucic-McDavid-Eberle
Klefbom-Larsson

Maroon-Drai-Nuge
Sekera-Russel

Or the Brent Sutter treatment.

 

[oljimmy]

This sounds really stupid but, maybe we just need to give them the Mike Keenan treatment.

Just role out the regular 5-man units. except they just get a man-Advantage. No special setup or special play. Treat it like a 5-on-5.

Lucic-McDavid-Eberle
Klefbom-Larsson

Maroon-Drai-Nuge
Sekera-Russel

That is not stupid at all. Does anyone know if our goals per minute is higher on the PP or a Even strength? I bet it's at least close.

 

[fuswald]

This sounds really stupid but, maybe we just need to give them the Mike Keenan treatment.

Just role out the regular 5-man units. except they just get a man-Advantage. No special setup or special play. Treat it like a 5-on-5.

Lucic-McDavid-Eberle
Klefbom-Larsson

Maroon-Drai-Nuge
Sekera-Russel

I thought this as well.

If the lines are staying the same game after game even on PP they will gel faster.

Might cause more 5 on 3 as well trying to stop the rush which should increase.

Can't make it worse. Keeps pp coaching out of it which might be a good thing at the moment.

 

[oobga]

That is not stupid at all. Does anyone know if our goals per minute is higher on the PP or a Even strength? I bet it's at least close.

Our GF/60 on the PP is 4.5, which would be 31st place last season (Tampa 30th last year with 4.79) But, good for 23rd this year because of small sample sizes and other teams having their early season struggles.

That is definitely higher than our GF/60 at evens (2.97), but not nearly as much as it normally is for teams.

Last season avg GF/60 at even strength was ~2.4. Average GF/60 on PP looks like ~6.5. So that would be a 170% increased rate of scoring on the PP on average. While, this year so far, we're getting a 50% boost by having an extra guy on the ice.

 

[russ99]

Stop being cute with the 4 forwards, 2 of which are dedicated to puck retrieval/cycle and go with 2 defensemen, and use one of our bigs in front of the net.

Opposing goalies are getting clean looks and we're making it harder on ourselves cycling and letting the opponent trap the puck on the wall.

Move players and the puck instead of statically cycling and relying on the point men to do all the shooting and we'd be better.

--------------- NET ---------------
--------------- Lucic --------------
-------------------------- McDavid
---Eberle----------------------------
------------------------------------
------Klefbom-------Nurse--------

 

[A91]

Heres a suggestion. Play one man shorthanded ala Eakins. 4 v 4 with McDavid on the ice and Talbot in net, all we need is a dman to pinch and 97 makes him pay.

I initially started typing that as a joke but halfway through realized it would probably be just as effective as our PP.

The guys who are getting paid to be coaching in the NHL are the ones who have to figure it out. Let them get it going, nobody helps me at my job!

 

[bobbythebrain]

Klefbom needs to recognize other options other than McD or himself, When we get a d man that can actually distribute the puck, the pp becomes a threat

 

[snipes]

Klefbom needs to recognize other options other than McD or himself, When we get a d man that can actually distribute the puck, the pp becomes a threat

I don't understand why he refuses to tee up Pulju when they've been on the PP together. There has been countless times where he's had a clear passing lane and Pulju has his stick up ready for a one-timer.

 

[McFlyingV]

I honestly want both Lucic and Eberle off the top unit for a couple nights to see how it looks with Pouliot and Puljujarvi in their spots. IMO Pouliot is just as good if not better in front of the net as Lucic, and he's quicker getting to loose pucks. Puljujarvi simply needs to take Eberle's spot and be a one-timer option for McDavid in the high circle. I liked Nuge out there over Drai tonight as well and he should stay on that unit because Drai is fighting it quite a bit right now.

 

[bobbythebrain]

I don't understand why he refuses to tee up Pulju when they've been on the PP together. There has been countless times where he's had a clear passing lane and Pulju has his stick up ready for a one-timer.

Yup Yup and Yup. Last game he just forced shots. Other times he looked off that side to defer to McD.

Is it the player or Woodcroft? I'm lost. Laine sees every opportunity even if it's forced.

Klef was a one man show in shots last game. It was frustrating.

 

[snipes]

Yup Yup and Yup. Last game he just forced shots. Other times he looked off that side to defer to McD.

Is it the player or Woodcroft? I'm lost. Laine sees every opportunity even if it's forced.

Klef was a one man show in shots last game. It was frustrating.

Makes no sense, Pulju is sitting there at the top of the circle with his stick loaded up for a one-timer and there's a clear passing lane but the puck gets moved to the boards to someone who is covered or a shot he takes a shot into traffic.

 

[bobbythebrain]

Makes no sense, Pulju is sitting there at the top of the circle with his stick loaded up for a one-timer and there's a clear passing lane but the puck gets moved to the boards to someone who is covered or a shot he takes a shot into traffic.

To be fair no ideas why Ebs or JP gain the zone om their off side. Takes time to switch. I can't stand Woodcroft tbh.

But yes, why not make JP a focal point shot. Just stupid

 

[snipes]

To be fair no ideas why Ebs or JP gain the zone om their off side. Takes time to switch. I can't stand Woodcroft tbh.

But yes, why not make JP a focal point shot. Just stupid

He likely has the hardest shot on the team.

At the Finnish WJC camp last year, his shot measured at 98.1 MPH as a 17 year old. Laine's was 96.3. Pretty damn impressive he has a harder shot than Laine (although not the accuracy obviously).

With a 98.1 MPH shot, a 17 year old Pulju would have finished ahead of Malkin, Seguin, and Ekblad in the hardest shot competition last year at the NHL All Star game.

 

[McFlyingV]

He likely has the hardest shot on the team.

At the Finnish WJC camp last year, his shot measured at 98.1 MPH as a 17 year old. Laine's was 96.3. Pretty damn impressive he has a harder shot than Laine (although not the accuracy obviously).

With a 98.1 MPH shot, a 17 year old Pulju would have finished ahead of Malkin, Seguin, and Ekblad in the hardest shot competition last year at the NHL All Star game.

That one-timer he let rip tonight that Lundqvist snagged with a glove was a rocket. If he got that a few inches higher that was in the back of the net for sure. It was labelled just inside the post and Lundqvist reached with everything he had to snag that one. Its too bad he didn't bury that one on his partial breakaway, but Lundqvist made another great save on that one too.

 

[snipes]

That one-timer he let rip tonight that Lundqvist snagged with a glove was a rocket. If he got that a few inches higher that was in the back of the net for sure. It was labelled just inside the post and Lundqvist reached with everything he had to snag that one. Its too bad he didn't bury that one on his partial breakaway, but Lundqvist made another great save on that one too.

That was a nice shot and had some heat on it. Lundqvist had a clear look at the shot, no one screening him in front.

Having a guy planted out front also draws defenders in to cover them, putting Maroon out there in that role and setting up that big one-timer from Pulju every chance we can is a good way to improve our PP.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

Larson has quite a shot. His goal surprised me.


Maybe it'll be enough to back off a few PKers.