Fixing the Powerplay

[NotProkofievian]

I put some of the best ideas gathered here and elsewhere to sum it up:
How To Improve The Habs' Struggling Power Play

Yeah, that about covers it. I like Gallagher on the left side of the net, and Plekanec on the right side of the net, but otherwise agree with everything written.

 

[Rapala]

A dump-in is a defensive move. You're less likely to get scored on... A carry-in is an offensive move. You're most likely to score.... (Source 1: peer-reviewed University study that quantified this) (Source 2: 80s Oilers, look how often Gretzky dumps in the puck on the PP... hint: close to never).

Recently NHL teams have started to do drop passes to fool the D squad on a carry-in entry. Haven't seen the Habs even toy with this...

Yeah we have started flirting with the Red Wing Euro entry.
Unfortunately we are closer to giving up a shorty than executing a proper carry in.

 

[Bob b smith]

Yeah we have started flirting with the Red Wing Euro entry.
Unfortunately we are closer to giving up a shorty than executing a proper carry in.

OMG, If they did, it looked so improvised and bungled I could have sworn they didn't have a set-play to enter the zone. I really thought they had fumbled with the puck not dropped the puck on entry.

 

[Rapala]

OMG, If they did, it looked so improvised and bungled I could have sworn they didn't have a set-play to enter the zone. I really thought they had fumbled with the puck not dropped the puck on entry.

No there was actual intent involved.
Murder One if you know what i mean.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

What's the point? No matter what I say your mind is clearly made up.

My mind is ALWAYS open to fresh arguments. But they have to be valid ones.

I've brought countless arguments forward that show he's done a good job overall with this team but you dismiss them all. And you're perfectly entitled to that. But no point going around in circles either.

You haven't brought countless arguments forward.

I've seen:

He's a good coach because we got 100 points and went to the ECF
and
We went to the ECF and got 100 points because he's a good coach

One supports the other... that is circular reasoning, not a valid argument. Scotty Bowman isn't a valid argument either. There are tons of examples as to why he's been bad. I haven't seen anything from you that really illustrates how he's been a good coach. Our PP is broken. Our 5 on 5 is broken. The only thing that's working is the goaltending and the PK (of which goaltending is a huge part) so why does he deserve the credit?

 

[Jigger77]

My mind is ALWAYS open to fresh arguments. But they have to be valid ones.

You haven't brought countless arguments forward.

I've seen:

He's a good coach because we got 100 points and went to the ECF
and
We went to the ECF and got 100 points because he's a good coach

One supports the other... that is circular reasoning, not a valid argument. Scotty Bowman isn't a valid argument either. There are tons of examples as to why he's been bad. I haven't seen anything from you that really illustrates how he's been a good coach. Our PP is broken. Our 5 on 5 is broken. The only thing that's working is the goaltending and the PK (of which goaltending is a huge part) so why does he deserve the credit?

That's what you chose to see.

I did mention the team shows up to play every night and competes. No signs whatsoever that he's lost the room. I also mentioned Galchenyuk miles ahead of Yakupov in his development. I mentioned Crosby talking about how good he was to him and how good he is at developing young players. And I mentioned that he finished 4th in total votes for the Jack Adams in 2012-2013.


1 MacLean Paul OTT 206 28 19 9
2 Quenneville Joel CHI 160 22 13 11
3 Boudreau Bruce ANA 88 6 15 13
4 Therrien Michel MTL 78 10 6 10
5 Capuano Jack NYI 47 5 5 7
6 Bylsma Dan PIT 40 4 4 8
7 Carlyle Randy TOR 40 3 5 10
8 Oates Adam WAS 40 2 8 6
9 Richards Todd CLB 37 3 5 7
10 Babcock Mike DET 7 0 2 1
11 McLellan Todd SJ 3 0 1 0
12 Sutter Darryl LA 1 0 0 1

 

[Mario le Magnifique]

My mind is ALWAYS open to fresh arguments. But they have to be valid ones.

You haven't brought countless arguments forward.

I've seen:

He's a good coach because we got 100 points and went to the ECF
and
We went to the ECF and got 100 points because he's a good coach

One supports the other... that is circular reasoning, not a valid argument. Scotty Bowman isn't a valid argument either. There are tons of examples as to why he's been bad. I haven't seen anything from you that really illustrates how he's been a good coach. Our PP is broken. Our 5 on 5 is broken. The only thing that's working is the goaltending and the PK (of which goaltending is a huge part) so why does he deserve the credit?

I think you're putting too much on the coach only. What if players themselves regressed due to bad conditionning and / or minor injuries. Guys like Eller for example, why didn't he came back to pre-injury form ?

Like I said multiple times already on these boards, I don't think we can quite qualify our forward corp 'average to good', in reality and IMO, it's 'average to bad' when you compare with the rest of teh league. The Habs are driven by the goalie and the team defense. Offense is driven by our defense.

We can crunch numbers all we want, a forward corp with no dominant top line and with a few good second lines will lose the numbers war when playing against much more rounded forward corps. Shots for vs shots against, etc. What matters is goal differential, and if the team wins that way. There's no way the Habs have positive shots for, for example, untill we can outplay relatively consistently the other team's top line (s). Even bad teams have better top lines.

In our situation, Plek's line will shutdown the other team's top line, but will rarely put up more shots for than against, VS those much better lines. I hope you understand where I'm going.

IMO, Therrien is playing with a very overrated forward group and despite posting really terrible puck possession and whatever other advanced stats, came out with juicy results, props to him for that. I wouldn't even be surprised if the Habs miss the playoffs untill Galchenyuk is ready for top line center.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

That's what you chose to see.

I did mention I team that shows up to play every night and competes.

Yeah you said it. Didn't support it at all but that's what you said. And I've showed you that we're consistently outplayed and backed it up with numbers.

Where's the support for your argument that they "show up to play?"

Was it the Washington game where we were outshot 15-2 in the first period or the Philly game where we got outshot badly in the first two periods? Did we show up to play in Tampa where Stamkos almost outshot us by himself?

No signs whatsoever that he's lost the room.

You mean apart form the fact that everyone regressed last year? Apart from the fact that our PP has tanked? Apart from the fact that Eller has basically been relegated to 3rd line scrub? Did you watch the decline in Subban's play last year? How's he doing this season?

What has to happen for you to think he's "lost the room?" Does Carey Price have to go on live tv and quit the team in the middle of a game?

It's one thing for you to make a statement like "no signs whatsoever that he's lost the room" - it's a whole other thing to actually support it. There's plenty of evidence that he actually has lost the room and did so a long time ago. Our numbers suck and we rely on our goalies to bail us out. How is that "having the room behind you?"

I also mentioned Galchenyuk miles ahead of Yakupov in his development.

And we should credit MT with this? Yakupov is in a gongshow situation over in Oilerland. Galchenyuk will win that by default.

How's Eller's development going btw? Why did Beaulieu have to wait until midway through the Bruins series to be brought in? Where is Tinordi these days?

I mentioned Crosby talking about how good he was to him and how good he is at developing young players.

PK Subban has great things to say about him too, even when he gets benched. Does that make it true? No.

Why was he sacked in Pittsburgh with a winning record just before the playoffs? Crosby isn't going to put down a coach... but look at the facts. Even with that awesome team MT's possession numbers were bad. And after he leaves they win the cup.

Again, he's a bad coach who holds good teams (and bad teams) back.

Feel free to see what he was doing to the Penguins before they came to their senses here:
http://www.habseyesontheprize.com/2...recap-the-last-time-michel-therrien-was-fired

Once again, you want to credit somebody for last year... credit Carey Price.

And I mentioned that he finished 4th in total votes for the Jack Adams in 2012-2013.

In 2013 he actually did a good job overall. Some stupid stuff but at least he had a good system. If he'd at least continued down that vein, my complaints about him would be isolated to specific incidents but that hasn't been the case. His system sucks. His direction on the PP sucks. He doesn't manage the bench well. He throws players under the bus and he plays favourites with inferior players. The end result has been poor play from a team that should be playing much better than it is and an over-reliance on goaltending to save the team and the coach's sorry ass.

If Price gives us an average season this year or only plays "pretty well" then we're seriously ****ed unless our coach makes some radical changes to his gameplan or the GM does what he already should've and hires a real coach. And the sad thing is that I think we've actually got a really good roster. No reason for us to be playing like this.