1:30 power plays

[Chardo]

Islanders play with a huge handicap. Most Islanders power plays are for 1:30, not the usual 2:00.

Isles are 3rd worst in the league at faceoffs. Their failures have a huge effect on special teams. Last night was no different. They went 0-4 on the power play. Even with an extra skater, they lost 3 of the 4 initial faceoffs. The fourth one was a win, but immediately poked away for a possession change. After these faceoff losses, the puck is iced, retrieved, and moved back into the offensive zone. By the time the PP offense is finally set up, 30 seconds have elapsed. This happens time and again to the Isles, and it's been especially prevalent in recent games (coinciding with their losing skid).

Short of bringing in new players who excel at faceoffs, this team really needs a faceoff instructor. Guys like Tavares and Nielsen certainly have the hands to be great at the dot. Get some instructor/coach/consultant who can really teach them how to do it.

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[19NYSports91]

Good thing they have Tavares on the wrong side for the PP, genius move!

 

[Paulinho]

Good thing they have Tavares on the wrong side for the PP, genius move!

This drives me crazy.

 

[A Pointed Stick]

Good thing they have Tavares on the wrong side for the PP, genius move!

I was getting frustrated watching that last night.

 

[19NYSports91]

Isles pretty much run the Umbrella Power Play formation. This is how it should be assuming its the same players of course.

 

[redbull]

I was getting frustrated watching that last night.

and those dumb passes to Tavares in such an odd spot on the ice, were simply pointless. Embarrassingly stupid. And for a team that was passing around so well, to not have anyone set-up to shoot, is unacceptable.

I hate AMAC and KO on the PP. Should be replaced by Bailey and Donovan.

Vanek - JT - Nielsen - Vis - Donovan (#1)
Nelson - Bailey - Okposo/Grabner - Hickey - Hamonic (#2)

 

[Goombha]

Islanders play with a huge handicap. Most Islanders power plays are for 1:30, not the usual 2:00.

Isles are 3rd worst in the league at faceoffs. Their failures have a huge effect on special teams. Last night was no different. They went 0-4 on the power play. Even with an extra skater, they lost 3 of the 4 initial faceoffs. The fourth one was a win, but immediately poked away for a possession change. After these faceoff losses, the puck is iced, retrieved, and moved back into the offensive zone. By the time the PP offense is finally set up, 30 seconds have elapsed. This happens time and again to the Isles, and it's been especially prevalent in recent games (coinciding with their losing skid).

Short of bringing in new players who excel at faceoffs, this team really needs a faceoff instructor. Guys like Tavares and Nielsen certainly have the hands to be great at the dot. Get some instructor/coach/consultant who can really teach them how to do it.

I watched a video recently - don't remember where - or who the faceoff expert (player) was, but he showed this trick about reversing his grip at the blade end of the stick (overhand vs. underhand). Did anyone see that? It's absolutely genius. Instead of relying on technique and luck, you can just draw the puck back with brute strength. It's the equivalent of one guy arm wrestling with his dominant arm while the other guy is using his weaker arm. It seems like a no-brainer. What's the drawback (no pun intended) ??

 

[Chardo]

^ I think that was Butch coming out of a commercial break during a recent game, showing how one of the opponents was doing it.

 

[13th Floor]

I think it was Gaustad.

From memory though. During the last 6 games I've been slamming them back quicker than Capuano's called time outs. Wait...

 

[CaptDenisPotvin]

I would think Cizikas is our best faceoff guy right (don't know the numbers and to lazy to look up)? Would anyone blame Cappy for running Zeeker out there for the initial faceoff in a PP in the middle of JT and Vanek and once we have possession get to the bench and get Okposo or Frans on the ice?

Please believe I understand its unbelievable and somewhat silly but I do think our faceoff numbers have gotten increasingly ugly....its an absolute issue now.

 

[Uncle Lou]

When JT is on the wrong side on pp it bothers me so much

 

[A Pointed Stick]

and those dumb passes to Tavares in such an odd spot on the ice, were simply pointless. Embarrassingly stupid. And for a team that was passing around so well, to not have anyone set-up to shoot, is unacceptable.

I hate AMAC and KO on the PP. Should be replaced by Bailey and Donovan.

Vanek - JT - Nielsen - Vis - Donovan (#1)
Nelson - Bailey - Okposo/Grabner - Hickey - Hamonic (#2)

Minimum, 2 or more extra passes just to try and set up Tavares on the left... usually with a pass through the box... and usually behind him. If we see it again I just might hurl my plasma heater through the window.

 

[Paulinho]

Minimum, 2 or more extra passes just to try and set up Tavares on the left... usually with a pass through the box... and usually behind him. If we see it again I just might hurl my plasma heater through the window.

This is what i would like to see, same setup the Umbrella...

Okposo Nelson
Left Board Vanek - Right Board Tavares
Nielsen your QB


You have deadly one timers on each side so the PK can't cheat towards one guy and you have size down low. Fransy runs the show & MacDonald is addition by subtraction. Clearly the big flaw here is we would be running five forwards but it is a scary unit.

When Vis gets back and we call up Strome...

Vanek Nelson
Left Board Nielson - Right Board Tavares
QB Viz

2nd Unit
Okposo Martin
Left Board Strome - Right Board Bailey
QB Donovan

 

[A Pointed Stick]

This is what i would like to see, same setup the Umbrella...

Okposo Nelson
Left Board Vanek - Right Board Tavares
Nielsen your QB


You have deadly one timers on each side so the PK can't cheat towards one guy and you have size down low. Fransy runs the show & MacDonald is addition by subtraction. Clearly the big flaw here is we would be running five forwards but it is a scary unit.

When Vis gets back and we call up Strome...

Vanek Nelson
Left Board Nielson - Right Board Tavares
QB Viz

2nd Unit
Okposo Martin
Left Board Strome - Right Board Bailey
QB Donovan

Usually when I see a club resort to the umbrella I think to myself that they lost all faith in their points and have fallen back on a conservative approach. Primarily because their defense sucks. Playing all forwards... really daring the Devil to score shorthanded goals against you.

 

[Paulinho]

Usually when I see a club resort to the umbrella I think to myself that they lost all faith in their points and have fallen back on a conservative approach. Primarily because their defense sucks. Playing all forwards... really daring the Devil to score shorthanded goals against you.

I agree, but our defense does indeed suck until Vis gets back. It would be a lot of pressure on Nielsen but if there is one guy i trust to make the proper decisions consistently on this team its him.

 

[isles31]

I watched a video recently - don't remember where - or who the faceoff expert (player) was, but he showed this trick about reversing his grip at the blade end of the stick (overhand vs. underhand). Did anyone see that? It's absolutely genius. Instead of relying on technique and luck, you can just draw the puck back with brute strength. It's the equivalent of one guy arm wrestling with his dominant arm while the other guy is using his weaker arm. It seems like a no-brainer. What's the drawback (no pun intended) ??

This is how ive taken faceoffs since i was 10. I dont know why anyone wouldnt, UNLESS youre TRYING to go to your forehand...bc that would just be the most awkward motion in the history of awkwardness.

 

[thedonger]

I watched a video recently - don't remember where - or who the faceoff expert (player) was, but he showed this trick about reversing his grip at the blade end of the stick (overhand vs. underhand). Did anyone see that? It's absolutely genius. Instead of relying on technique and luck, you can just draw the puck back with brute strength. It's the equivalent of one guy arm wrestling with his dominant arm while the other guy is using his weaker arm. It seems like a no-brainer. What's the drawback (no pun intended) ??

If you've ever played any center before, you'd know it's not always brute strength that wins face offs. It's usually quick reflexes and hand-eye coordination.

The biggest drawback of using the overhand grip is that you're pretty much telegraphing where you wanna go with the puck off the draw, not just to the opposing centers but to the wingers and the D as well. You also don't have the ability to disguise a possible shot off the drop.

 

[InformTheMasses]

If you've ever played any center before, you'd know it's not always brute strength that wins face offs. It's usually quick reflexes and hand-eye coordination.

The biggest drawback of using the overhand grip is that you're pretty much telegraphing where you wanna go with the puck off the draw, not just to the opposing centers but to the wingers and the D as well. You also don't have the ability to disguise a possible shot off the drop.

I don't think anyone is concerned with defending shots off the drop. There are a million different techniques to win faceoffs. Personally i used the reversed grip at the blade but never went for the puck, at the drop I would lock up the opposing players stick with mine, turn pivot (box out and kick the puck to whichever defenceman I wanted (whomever had the most space in front of them). It worked so often that it became boring... i tried different things at times but none worked nearly as effective as that for me, which was near automatic.

Different things work for different players, what can't be questioned is that this is a REAL issue for this team, and one that needs to be addressed... because NOTHING is working for these guys right now on draws.

 

[A Pointed Stick]

I watched a video recently - don't remember where - or who the faceoff expert (player) was, but he showed this trick about reversing his grip at the blade end of the stick (overhand vs. underhand). Did anyone see that? It's absolutely genius. Instead of relying on technique and luck, you can just draw the puck back with brute strength. It's the equivalent of one guy arm wrestling with his dominant arm while the other guy is using his weaker arm. It seems like a no-brainer. What's the drawback (no pun intended) ??

Oh, that is nothing new. It also telegraphs your intentions which 80% of the time are already known because most draws are back. It is easier to just tie the other guy's stick up, fall on the puck and sweep it back, but they outlawed the hand pass off the faceoff - those dirty bastages. It was the only way I could win a faceoff.

I played with a guy who was Grapes' version of a weak european sort - no muscle of any sort, but had an uncanny knack for fishing the puck out on the faceoff. He did it casually too. Guy Carbonneau was really good at that - had the same bored look on his face as well. I think some guys just have that knack and some will suck forever. Since we have three forwards on each unit SOMEONE out of the three needs to be above average - we don't even have that.

Maybe, just maybe thinking outside the box, the answer is to put Casey Cizikas on the first line as a wing including PPs and have him take all the draws. Certainly we could find a hard ass center to put between Martin and Clusterbutt for Wang dollars. JT would benefit from having a guy like that - kind of a mini Brown, like I have been saying all this time...

 

[thedonger]

I don't think anyone is concerned with defending shots off the drop. There are a million different techniques to win faceoffs. Personally i used the reversed grip at the blade but never went for the puck, at the drop I would lock up the opposing players stick with mine, turn pivot (box out and kick the puck to whichever defenceman I wanted (whomever had the most space in front of them). It worked so often that it became boring... i tried different things at times but none worked nearly as effective as that for me, which was near automatic.

Different things work for different players, what can't be questioned is that this is a REAL issue for this team, and one that needs to be addressed... because NOTHING is working for these guys right now on draws.

Agree with everything you wrote, was just pointing out that that style face off isn't the be all and end all for face off technique, and what some of the drawbacks are.

 

[BMOK33]

Not to mention how much the faceoff factor has killed them on the PK, they have allowed several goals at the very end of or just after penalties end because they lose a faceoff in their end with 10 seconds left on the PK. The faceoff factor in the long haul at even strength generally won't kill you too much but on the PP, PK, and in the final minute of the game either up by a goal or down by a goal it can all add up to losing 5 games at least over a season.

 

[SpeedDemon]

Isles pretty much run the Umbrella Power Play formation. This is how it should be assuming its the same players of course.

in this position Amac should be shooting the puck as he has a direct line to the net.

doesn't matter how long a powerplay runs. you can have a 5-4 advantage the entire game you are not going to score by taking only angle/perimeter shots.