leaffaninvancouver
formerly in Victoria
- Jan 11, 2012
- 13,819
- 8,327
Bozak and JVR are gone. So this do not fix what is not broken stuff is silly. There now needs to be changes asa result. For me it is easy your replace the two players with JT and Mathews and call it a day!Its an easy debate to suggest having 2 strong balanced PP units covering the full 2 minute PP time is just as good an idea as stacking one and then wasting the last 30-45 seconds on a 2nd unit unlikely to score. The opposition might not have enough qualified PK units to defend 2 strong PP units creating a mismatch for your own team.
Leafs realistically could have a 1A and 1B units if they split Tavares/Marner and Matthews/Nylander on separate units and the one that starts the PP is the one that is fresh and rested.
Babcock deploys 2 units and utilizes the full 2 minutes and Leafs ended up #2 in the NHL with the 2nd best PP as a result. Don't mess with success or don't attempt to fix what ain't broken is the moral of the story here.
Going by Bab's set up on the powerplay. You'd have the following?Matthews - Tavares -Kadri/Nylander
Rielly - Marner
Marleau - Nylander/Kadri - Kapanen
Johnsson - Gardiner
I'm not sure where you pulled those stats from. I would love to know as I am having a helluva time finding PP stats per unitThe Pens top unit scored about 50% more PP goals than our top unit, though also played about 50% more PP minutes. Partly that’s because the Pens drew more PPs, but it’s also partly because the Pens were more willing to leave their top unit out for basically the entire PP. Babs was much more an “even distributor” of PP minutes.
IMO we have so much talent now, we should try the Pens approach, loading it all up on one unit, and if they’re great, play them like crazy. It’s not like our 2nd unit was effective anyways, and the top unit will need to be shaken up regardless with JvR and Bozak gone.
A top unit of Matthews, Tavares, Nylander-or-Kadri, Rielly and Marner would still leave a 2nd unit of Nylander-or-Kadri, Marleau, Gardiner, Johnsson and Brown, or something like that. If the first unit is killing it, play them huge minutes, and the second unit doesn’t matter too much. If the first unit isn’t clicking, then try something else.
Name | PPG | PPA | PPP | PP SOG | %PP | PP TOI |
Tavares | 12 | 18 | 30 | 77 | 62.4 | 03:10 |
Marner | 8 | 19 | 27 | 50 | 50.9 | 02:12 |
Rielly | 1 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 50.8 | 02:12 |
JvR | 11 | 9 | 20 | 68 | 53.2 | 02:17 |
Kadri | 12 | 7 | 19 | 46 | 48.6 | 02:05 |
Gardiner | 1 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 48 | 02:04 |
Bozak | 3 | 10 | 13 | 35 | 50.7 | 02:11 |
Matthews | 5 | 8 | 13 | 30 | 48.1 | 02:09 |
Nylander | 5 | 7 | 12 | 37 | 46.8 | 02:01 |
Marleau | 5 | 4 | 9 | 36 | 46.2 | 01:59 |
Brown | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 27.1 | 01:10 |
Carrick | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7.2 | 00:18 |
Johnsson | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 37.3 | 01:17 |
Net Front: Tavares | ||
Left Wall: Matthews | Right Wall: Marner/Nylander | |
Left Point: Rielly | Right Point: Nylander/Marner |
Net Front/Slot: Tavares | | |
Left Wall/Slot: Matthews | | Right Wall: Nylander |
Left Point: Rielly | | Right Point: Marner |
Net Front: Johnsson | | |
Left Wall: Marleau | Slot: Kadri | Right Wall: Kapanen |
| Point: Gardiner |
They never played together last year so no reason they will be together this year if Babcock's early lines are Marner with Tavares and Nylander with Matthews.Matthews and Marner need to at least play together on the power play this season.
Who really knows with Babcock honestly, so far, in his time here he's pretty much divided up the time between 2 units. Personally, i'd like him to load up one unit and try to cash in on the PP right away (within 30-50 seconds) but he might not change from last year and stick with the same plan. Below are our PP leaders from last year (*Note: JT's totals are obviously from NYI)
2017-2018 PP Leaders
*No longer on team (left via UFA)[TBODY] [/TBODY]
Name PPG PPA PPP PP SOG %PP PP TOI Tavares 12 18 30 77 62.4 03:10 Marner 8 19 27 50 50.9 02:12 Rielly 1 24 25 26 50.8 02:12 JvR 11 9 20 68 53.2 02:17 Kadri 12 7 19 46 48.6 02:05 Gardiner 1 14 15 16 48 02:04 Bozak 3 10 13 35 50.7 02:11 Matthews 5 8 13 30 48.1 02:09 Nylander 5 7 12 37 46.8 02:01 Marleau 5 4 9 36 46.2 01:59 Brown 1 1 2 8 27.1 01:10 Carrick 1 1 2 4 7.2 00:18 Johnsson 0 1 1 2 37.3 01:17
Setup for NO MERCY on opponents:
[TBODY] [/TBODY]
Net Front: Tavares Left Wall: Matthews Right Wall: Marner/Nylander Left Point: Rielly Right Point: Nylander/Marner Setup for 2 Units:
- This setup consists of JT providing the net-front presence along with deflections, working behind the net to make passes out front, hovering around the slot waiting for passes from other options, etc. He will also be setup to move the puck back-and-forth to both wall options (Matthews & Marner/Nylander).
- Based on set-plays and other creative options Marner and Nylander can both interchange between those two spots on said powerplay, since both love the right-wall option and can make deft seam passes.
- Once this unit has played about 1:30ish of PP time, we can swap them out for a 5-man unit of Kadri, Marleau, Kapanen, Gardiner, Johnsson/Carrick/Zaits.
Unit #1:
Unit #2:[TBODY] [/TBODY]
Net Front/Slot: Tavares Left Wall/Slot: Matthews Right Wall: Nylander Left Point: Rielly Right Point: Marner
[TBODY] [/TBODY]
Net Front: Johnsson Left Wall: Marleau Slot: Kadri Right Wall: Kapanen Point: Gardiner
- A powerful 1st unit consisting of the Big 4 and Rielly.
- Second unit isn't scraps either. Johnsson brings the hands, tenacity and fearlessness required to play in front of the net, Kapanen with his speed and hands can race up the right wall, pull up, make plays, can man the right-wall and Gardiner the main point presence.
- With Marleau (left shot) & Kappy (right shot) on the sides this frees up Kadri (left shot) to hover around the slot and receive a pass which he can either redirect to the net or pass back to an open option.
I wouldn't move Kadri off the first unit. He has fantastic chemistry with Marner and Rielly on the PP and has been very productive there the last 2 years. I think I'd keep Nylander on unit 2 if anything .
Except I am not arguing to not have those guys on the top unit. Nylander is the one who I would keep on the second unit. If we're assuming that the PP format remains the same (I doubt it does) then if anything Tavares simply plugs into JVR's spot and Matthews plugs into Bozak's spot. Babcock even made a comment after they signed Tavares about how Tavares has played JVR's position on the power play before.There has to come a point where you or anyone else have to stop being married to the idea of "chemistry" as a merit to keep something together versus a potentially better option. I like Kadri in his role, but Tavares has better hands, better shot, better hand eye and is bigger, making him infinitely more suited for the role that Kadri plays. Same with Matthews.