Right, and does anybody ever know what they should do?
Our offensive scheme is just so blegh.
I don't know if schemas matter too much in the O-zone, personally. I guess every team might have it's particular setups, but we definitely execute high cycles often--a kind of hybrid umbrella for 5v5 play. But yeah, whether that really works for us, or whether we have any other plays... I'd say not really.
My feeling is just that as bad as Kreider has been for the last monthish, Zibanejad has been pretty equally dismal all season--points be damned. Both of them are great players when they're bearing down, finishing checks (not the same as finishing hits), and playing the game with focus and purpose on every play. Zibanejad is so talented--he's big, strong, fast, and has a phenomenal shot--but he's got it in him to be such a better player all around when he's not playing like a puppy chasing every car that passes by (in this case, sprinting towards whatever fractional rush/pass/scoring chance he sees). Kreider, to my eyes, actually plays with that kind of focus, but it's mystery to me where Zibanejad and Buchnevich will be at any given time, so it doesn't surprise me to see him look like he's got no clue when he plays with them. Kreider's a lot of things, but a center has never been one of them, and I don't think Zibanejad really plays like a center--not the last couple seasons at least.