Fix the power play

[emptyNedder]

The last two games have been what the rest of the season is likely to resemble (though I hope not trailing in the last two minutes and having to pull the goalie!).

So the power play must improve. I would suggest:

PP1:
Aho (duh)
Teravainen (must stay with Aho)
Svechnikov (let the rookie start scoring, he may not cease)
Zykov (Led the AHL in pp goals, was a bull in front of the net last season and this preseason)
Faulk (the numbers do indicate that he is more productive on PP than Hamilton)

PP2:
Hamilton (if he steps it up, then switch for Faulk on PP 1)
Staal (to win draws and keep the puck in the offensive zone)
Williams (he is playing like he is 30 again--a year when he had 9 PP goals and 10 PP assists)
Ferland (another strong presence in front of the net)
Necas (if he stays in Raleigh, he needs to get power play experience; has made some nice PP passes)

A case can also be made for McGinn who excelled on the PP last season, though in a very small sample. Wallmark's skills as a passer (and his success in Charlotte supports this) also would improve the second unit.

There are several options to get more out of the man advantage.

Slavin shouldn't be on the power play. Last season the Canes had 11 players with at least 45 minutes of power play time. Slavin was 11th in GF/60 at 2.5, the next lowest was Skinner at 5.2. I understand that most of us (and apparently RBA) want Slavin considered for the Norris and that requires goals. However, the Canes seem to have the ingredients for a really good season with the exception of the power play. Admiration for one player should not get in the way of winning tactics.

Through six games the team is much better than I hoped. If Carolina can fix the power play, the early success will be easier to maintain.

Click to read more...

 

[izzy]

mclovin??

 

[MinJaBen]

As bad as the PP is, the PK and the number of times we have to use it, is a bigger problem.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Yes, I agree: fix the PP and PK.

 

[emptyNedder]

As bad as the PP is, the PK and the number of times we have to use it, is a bigger problem.

True--I just don't have any combinations that seem better on the PK. I thought Martinook/Foegele would dramatically improve the PK. Hasn't worked that way so far.

 

[Sigurd]

If either one of our powerplay or penalty kill was fairly good, things would be significantly better. Having both types of special teams suck horribly is absolutely intolerable, and I really don't imagine any serious cup contender having both, a s***** powerplay and penalty kill.

Our players should be working so much in practice and studying video replays to improve the PP and PK that they dream about the special teams every night. Yeah, it is easy for me to say as an armchair coach or analyst. My point still stands; they need to improve.

Really it is the the trifecta of a bad PP, PK, and a questionable goalie lineup/starter that could sink our future success this season.

I want to say that in most seasons post-cup win, we had a decent to good penalty kill, and this kind of made up for the bad PP we consistently had. I don't know what the hell happened to our PK.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Hamilton and Faulk on the same power play, with Zykov’s big butt in front, looked terrifying during preaseason play. That was a look that completely threw off defenders because they had TWO cannons at the point and they were forced to keep a defender planted in front. If that’s to be defended at all, it inevitably opens up space in the most dangerous part of the ice, the middle range between the circles.

If we roll that on PP1, then we can afford to stick TVR on PP2 with four forwards. Which gives a completely different look and begins to really **** with the heads of PK’ers and goalies as they try and keep track of who’s doing what out there. PP2 will pick up points simply as a matter of defenses failing to adjust between two very different situations. Plus that’s where you can go to e.g. Svech and Ferland swarming the net while TT and Williams play around with the puck in open space.

To me, until we’ve tried that PP1 option again, we haven’t really tried to fix it.

 

[CandyCanes]

My first fix is Turbo currently being on the left point, that shouldn’t be a thing. He played RW on the PP last year, and finished as our leading point getter on the PP with 20 points. He needs to go back to RW.

J. Staal & Williams definitely shouldn’t be on the first PP. They’ve both had about 18 minutes of power play time so far and have been held scoreless.

I’m definitely wanting to see Zykov get some PP1 time. He needs to be put into a position for him to succeed. The PP is clearly one of his strengths.

Zykov - Aho - TT
Hamilton - Faulk

Ferland - Staal - Williams or Svech?
Slavin - Svech?

 

[Roboturner913]

I suspect that Slavin's presence on the PP unit has a lot to do with his uncanny knack for getting back quickly to negate odd-man rushes. Which can happen if you get too deep in the offensive zone during a PP- one bad bounce and they've got numbers going back the other way. But I also like how he carries the puck in. He may actually be the best d-man we have at doing that. It's never been a huge strength for Faulk and so far I haven't seen it in Hamilton. Just a thought.

 

[mhart1]

I suspect that Slavin's presence on the PP unit has a lot to do with his uncanny knack for getting back quickly to negate odd-man rushes. Which can happen if you get too deep in the offensive zone during a PP- one bad bounce and they've got numbers going back the other way. But I also like how he carries the puck in. He may actually be the best d-man we have at doing that. It's never been a huge strength for Faulk and so far I haven't seen it in Hamilton. Just a thought.

Makes perfect sense to me.

I mean he certainly isn't there because a cannon of shot...

 

[SlavinAway]

Makes perfect sense to me.

I mean he certainly isn't there because a cannon of shot...

Also makes sense to have Slavin out on the ice when the power play ends as well.

 

[DougieSmash]

I'm not fan of Rask but we really miss his shot on the PP.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I’m a bit encouraged that the team is doing well without the pk and pp. pk and pp are things that aren’t always working smoothly early in the season for a team with an all new coaching staff, 50% new players, and 5 rookies. Preseason was spent on evaluating players, getting Rod’s system in place, and getting guys to buy in. Rod even said that they hadn’t spent much time on special teams yet a while back. I don’t think the pp will ever be near the top of the league, but I bet we’ll see improvements as the season goes on. Even more so for the pk.

 

[RodTheBawd]

Someone better with "systems" than I can probably speak to it better, but our PP has so far looked like what RBA ran back in '13-'14 or '14-'15 (give or take a season), which was f***ing terrible. I'm pretty sure someone (SG?) posted a breakdown of how inept it was, having a F sit below the goal line and pass back and forth with the pivot at the circles. Under Peters, that F (mostly Lindholm) at least moved closer to the goal to try open up the slot pass. Whatever the f*** it is, it needs to change. It's not a personnel issue.

 

[tarheelhockey]

I’m a bit encouraged that the team is doing well without the pk and pp. pk and pp are things that aren’t always working smoothly early in the season for a team with an all new coaching staff, 50% new players, and 5 rookies. Preseason was spent on evaluating players, getting Rod’s system in place, and getting guys to buy in. Rod even said that they hadn’t spent much time on special teams yet a while back. I don’t think the pp will ever be near the top of the league, but I bet we’ll see improvements as the season goes on. Even more so for the pk.

He reiterated that in the last Sarah Civian article, something about playing the long game with the PP. Basically he's sticking with the current units expecting them to gel, rather than using the line blender to find a short-term solution.

 

[GoldiFox]

He reiterated that in the last Sarah Civian article, something about playing the long game with the PP. Basically he's sticking with the current units expecting them to gel, rather than using the line blender to find a short-term solution.

I’m almost positive the reason Rod gave for Hamilton not originally being on the PP was that he wanted to try a lot of different things and Hamilton would be there soon. Maybe he changed his mind once he saw how (potentially) amazing these units were (hopefully in the future with lots of practice)?

Nothing about these groups is working. The PP is boiling down to the same principal as last year: Did Aho/TT make an awesome play? No? So no goal then?

 

[MinJaBen]

He reiterated that in the last Sarah Civian article, something about playing the long game with the PP. Basically he's sticking with the current units expecting them to gel, rather than using the line blender to find a short-term solution.

It’s like he is over correcting for Peters’ issues. Sometimes things need to be changed.

 

[Unsustainable]

I’m a bit encouraged that the team is doing well without the pk and pp. pk and pp are things that aren’t always working smoothly early in the season for a team with an all new coaching staff, 50% new players, and 5 rookies. Preseason was spent on evaluating players, getting Rod’s system in place, and getting guys to buy in. Rod even said that they hadn’t spent much time on special teams yet a while back. I don’t think the pp will ever be near the top of the league, but I bet we’ll see improvements as the season goes on. Even more so for the pk.

Boom Boom Optimist

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

It’s like he is over correcting for Peters’ issues. Sometimes things need to be changed.

Or maybe it’s only 6 games in and he’s not overcorrecting at all.

 

[Unsustainable]

He reiterated that in the last Sarah Civian article, something about playing the long game with the PP. Basically he's sticking with the current units expecting them to gel, rather than using the line blender to find a short-term solution.

She’s a treasure for us reporting

 

[MinJaBen]

Or maybe it’s only 6 games in and he’s not overcorrecting at all.

That can’t be it.

 

[SlavinAway]

If we can see it from our armchairs why can't RBA see it from the bench?!

 

[emptyNedder]

Or maybe it’s only 6 games in and he’s not overcorrecting at all.

I am as excited as anyone about the first six games. However, the one thing that stands out is that the Canes have been behind in the last two minutes in three of the six games. Twice the team was able to score with the goalie pulled. Even with the team having confidence and playing aggressively, I don't think 66% success with an empty net is replicable.

So I ask myself, would I be as excited if the team was 3-3-0 heading into Tampa? The answer is: I would be as neurotic as the past 9 seasons. So based on that unscientific reasoning, I think 6 games of struggle on the power play is enough to warrant significant change.

 

[Chrispy]

I am as excited as anyone about the first six games. However, the one thing that stands out is that the Canes have been behind in the last two minutes in three of the six games. Twice the team was able to score with the goalie pulled. Even with the team having confidence and playing aggressively, I don't think 66% success with an empty net is replicable.

So I ask myself, would I be as excited if the team was 3-3-0 heading into Tampa? The answer is: I would be as neurotic as the past 9 seasons. So based on that unscientific reasoning, I think 6 games of struggle on the power play is enough to warrant significant change.

At least look at what is different between the 6 on 5 in those 2 games and the power play. Because they definitely looked different live.

 

[geehaad]

The PP has to work just as hard as 5-on-5. The 6-on-5 man advantage works hard because it's desperate. That's what gets the job done.

Yes, there's a shit-ton of innuendo in there.