Interesting bit on the D system/scheme.
Colin Larkin’s unlikely journey from UMass Boston to NHL prospect - The Boston Globe
On March 3, as Paul Byron carried the puck through the neutral zone during a Montreal power play, Sean Kuraly almost paid the Canadien no mind. Kuraly practically skated behind Byron without even so much as a hint at attacking the puck carrier and denying him entry into the Bruins’ zone. This was by design.
Like many teams, Montreal runs the delay on its power play. Its intention is to drop the puck back to one of its two trailers — the wizardly Jonathan Drouin being the No. 1 option — and disrupt the penalty killers’ gaps. Because of this approach, they want the opposing forward to close on the puck carrier. Once that happens, the Canadiens will drop the puck back to Drouin and force F1 to re-gap.
Kuraly didn’t take the bait.
“Our read is that if they have two trailers and he passes me, we’re still in a three-on-three,” Kuraly explained. “It’s going to be the puck carrier and two guys. I have three guys back. So if it’s a three-on-three, you leave it, because it’s a penalty kill. If we have an even number, that’s to our advantage.”
Colin Larkin’s unlikely journey from UMass Boston to NHL prospect - The Boston Globe
On March 3, as Paul Byron carried the puck through the neutral zone during a Montreal power play, Sean Kuraly almost paid the Canadien no mind. Kuraly practically skated behind Byron without even so much as a hint at attacking the puck carrier and denying him entry into the Bruins’ zone. This was by design.
Like many teams, Montreal runs the delay on its power play. Its intention is to drop the puck back to one of its two trailers — the wizardly Jonathan Drouin being the No. 1 option — and disrupt the penalty killers’ gaps. Because of this approach, they want the opposing forward to close on the puck carrier. Once that happens, the Canadiens will drop the puck back to Drouin and force F1 to re-gap.
Kuraly didn’t take the bait.
“Our read is that if they have two trailers and he passes me, we’re still in a three-on-three,” Kuraly explained. “It’s going to be the puck carrier and two guys. I have three guys back. So if it’s a three-on-three, you leave it, because it’s a penalty kill. If we have an even number, that’s to our advantage.”
