David Ebner on Canucks PP Problems

[Drop the Sopel]

They need someone aggressive on the blueline, when Ehrhoff was here we had a guy who was always moving his feet looking to get open, disrupting defenses. We no longer have anyone with those kinds of instincts and abilities. Our PP is far too static.

Yeah, there isn't a player on the roster that can break his man down one on one and create havoc. The Sedins, Kesler and Edler are either too slow or don't stickhandle well enough to walk through an open lane with the puck - which is a big part of breaking down a PK unit.

That, and the team is really lacking finishers. There is no substitute for natural goal scoring ability and we're seeing the effects of not having it. Also too many left hand shots - as noted, the twins are more dangerous with RH shooting options.

This is a personnel issue IMO. Rearranging the parts in place isn't going to solve this problem.

 

[Street Hawk]

Burrows did a commendable job feeding the back door play - Hamhuis was unable to pull the trigger.

Maybe when Henrik is back go with Burrows and Daniel (or maybe Kassian in place of Daniel) and move Kesler back to man a point where Hamhuis was stationed.

To me, it's bette to move Kesler away from the net and have him on his off wing in the slot area/side wall for a 1 timer. He's a shooter, which the Nucks lack on the PP if he put him in front of the net and leave the twins as the other 2 forwards. They simply don't shoot the puck.

I agree with moving Kassian as the net front presence.

So, it comes down to being bold and moving a twin off the 1st unit PP.

You could then take the other twin and have him play the same side wall position with Burrows, Booth, Higgins, etc. as the other 2 forwards.

I'm willing to split the twins up on the PP because they haven't been generating much with each other. Not seeing that vaunted slap pass or a give and go between the two.

 

[BluesyShoes]

Why not try Tanev on the point? His slap shot sucks, but he has an accurate wrister. And that's not really the point; he can skate with the puck and make seam passes. He was a good set up man for one timers from his d partner on the wolves pp. May as well try to develop some value in a player if we are going to suck anyways.

 

[Verviticus]

Why not try Tanev on the point? His slap shot sucks, but he has an accurate wrister. And that's not really the point; he can skate with the puck and make seam passes. He was a good set up man for one timers from his d partner on the wolves pp. May as well try to develop some value in a player if we are going to suck anyways.

same reason you dont want hamhuis there. why not edler and garrison, for ****ssake

 

[PetterssonSimp]

BRING BACK THE SLAP PASS!!!!
That is all

 

[vanuck]

Yeah, there isn't a player on the roster that can break his man down one on one and create havoc. The Sedins, Kesler and Edler are either too slow or don't stickhandle well enough to walk through an open lane with the puck - which is a big part of breaking down a PK unit.

That, and the team is really lacking finishers. There is no substitute for natural goal scoring ability and we're seeing the effects of not having it. Also too many left hand shots - as noted, the twins are more dangerous with RH shooting options.

This is a personnel issue IMO. Rearranging the parts in place isn't going to solve this problem.

There's one last RH option they haven't tried on the top unit and you know who it is. It's the setup just as much as personnel to me - if not more, even.

And that's not even getting into other 5on4 plays you see around the league that we simply don't do or try enough of. So IMO it's not quite as simple as "not enough goal-scorers on the PP".

 

[PetterssonSimp]

There's one last RH option they haven't tried on the top unit and you know who it is. It's the setup just as much as personnel to me - if not more, even.

And that's not even getting into other 5on4 plays you see around the league that we simply don't do or try enough of. So IMO it's not quite as simple as "not enough goal-scorers on the PP".

Well considering the fact that the only team I've watched with a more static PP unt is Winnipeg, maybe the Canucks should actually you know. Compete.
Our two best players basically stand still the whole PP waiting for a pass just so they can pass. It's so frustrating to watch. Especially when a 10 years old can run a better PP on a video game than professionals who are paid millions of dollars.

 

[David71]

it's too stationary. not alot of movement. plus not alot of options playerwise to make it successful.

 

[Wetcoaster]

WE'RE #28!!!!

Time to bring back Hod(g)son and Ehrhoff? Maybe not.

Jeff Paterson ‏@patersonjeff
At 14.3%, #Canucks PP now 28th in #NHL. BUF 13.9% and FLA 9.0%

 

[Outside99*]

Samuelsson 50% retained for a bag of euhs and expletives.

 

[Karl Hungus]

I can't help but think that Tanev would be a better option than Hamhuis on the PP. His mobility and quick decisions would be a step up I think. Canucks management probably doesn't want him adding 10 easy points on the PP though considering it's a contract year.

 

[LickTheEnvelope]

I think this tweet from Montreal Gazette hockey writer Dave Stubbs says it best:

Dave Stubbs ‏@Dave_Stubbs
Players at this level don't forget how to play. Injuries & slumps are part of hockey. But widespread failures usually speak to systems

but the powerplay has been bad for 2 + years... It might be the worst in the NHL since the start of 2012 calendar year..

 

[Hammer Time]

Shot location analysis of the Canucks PP:

TL, DR: Daniel Sedin only found success when he was playing in the slot, not at the point. Garrison has fairly effectively replaced Ehrhoff. The real problem is the left point, where we haven't been able to replace right-handed shot Salo (Hamhuis sucks there).

http://canucksarmy.com/2014/1/14/heat-maps-on-vancouvers-power-play-formation

 

[me2]

WE'RE #28!!!!

Time to bring back Hod(g)son and Ehrhoff? Maybe not.

Jeff Paterson ‏@patersonjeff
At 14.3%, #Canucks PP now 28th in #NHL. BUF 13.9% and FLA 9.0%

but brian campbell?

 

[vanuck]

Shot location analysis of the Canucks PP:

TL, DR: Daniel Sedin only found success when he was playing in the slot, not at the point. Garrison has fairly effectively replaced Ehrhoff. The real problem is the left point, where we haven't been able to replace right-handed shot Salo (Hamhuis sucks there).

http://canucksarmy.com/2014/1/14/heat-maps-on-vancouvers-power-play-formation

Thanks for posting this.

 

[thenextone]

The obvious problem is the defensemen - no one is an offensive minded guy and edler looks sheepish doing anything these days

The more insidious problem is that both Daniel and Kesler are completely ineffective in the offensive zone

 

[Wetcoaster]

Post game presser...

"When the power play struggles it can take on a life of its own," Sullivan said. "Now you’re trying to coach the X’s and O’s, and you’re coaching the mindset. And a fragile mindset."

 

[David71]

Might as well decline all the pp opportunities . Its become that bad and laughble. I think it needs a puck mover ala erhoff.

 

[vanuck]

Kind of disappointing that even though they scratched Weise to get Weber in there he was hardly even used on the top PP, if at all.

Gives off some mixed signals here. Not sure what Sully/Gully were intending.

 

[TheWanderer]

The number one reason our powerplay sucks can be divided into 5 sub-reasons.

#1 Daniel is on the 1st unit.
#2 Kesler is on the 1st unit.
#3 Burrows is on the 1st unit.
#4 Edler is on the 1st unit.
$5 Garrison is on the 1st unit.


CAN WE AT LEAST USE THE PLAYERS WHO ARE SCORING GOALS!?!???

 

[Yossarian54]

Shot location analysis of the Canucks PP:

TL, DR: Daniel Sedin only found success when he was playing in the slot, not at the point. Garrison has fairly effectively replaced Ehrhoff. The real problem is the left point, where we haven't been able to replace right-handed shot Salo (Hamhuis sucks there).

http://canucksarmy.com/2014/1/14/heat-maps-on-vancouvers-power-play-formation

I dunno, I disagree that Ehrhoff's value to the powerplay was generating shots from the point. He was certainly a bit better at one-timing the puck than Edler, in that his wind-up was quicker and he didn't need to be in a perfect position like Edler seems to need to be, but he didn't spend all of his time anchored to the point.

Pass it to Bulis have written a couple of articles on it, and i agree with the idea that it was the roaming nature of Ehrhoff that was his most significant impact on the powerplay - he was by far and away the most mobile player on the unit (you can see it from where his PPGs were scored). This not only had the effect of generating good quality shots for him - but IMHO for others as well. Ehrhoff was easily the 3rd best passer on that team, and he was very quick at moving the puck on the PP. Significantly quicker than anyone this team currently has bar the Sedins. Edler, D.Sedin and Samuelsson (after Edler went down) all have much higher PP SH% in 10-11 than they do in other years. The movement of Ehrhoff caused issues for PKs in terms of coverage (you know the dude can wire a puck) - they lost their shape and ability to predict where the shots were coming from. That, combined with his and the Sedin's ability to move the puck to each other or the point/net men (Edler, Samuelsson and Kesler respectively) was what made that PP so dangerous.

Further to that canucks army article - I don't agree with any notion that Garrison has replaced Ehrhoff. While I think his SH% will climb (regression), it's not going to get significantly better to the point where the PP is as dangerous as it was. His shot is more powerful than Ehrhoff's, but they don't have the same role. Garrison is the guy you want where Edler was on the 10-11 PP, while you have an Ehrhoff moving around, helping with puck distribution and most importantly clearing shooting lanes and being able to feed it back to the point. In a similar manner to Campbell setting him up in Florida - if you watch the videos of his goals there, most of the PP ones came as a result of a very mobile PP drawing the PK out of position for a clear shooting lane.

 

[Labamba]

Too many changes, it's hard to be synchronized with having to adapt to changes every game.

They are over complicating.

Pick a unit, stick with them.