GDT: Game 4: Eaaaaaagle! | Predators at Hawks | Oct. 18, 2014 | 7:30 CT | WGN

[OhCaptainMyCaptain]

If they would just shoot more on the PP, then we would be better at it.
That was especially frustrating against Nashville.

But when we miss, that hurts our shooting %. If you ever listen to fiddy, that is not a good thing.

 

[member 151739]

I've gotten to the point with the PP woes that I just don't think our great players are great Power Play players.

What use is Kane's great stick handling when you don't need to stick handle on the PP?
What use is Keith's transition game and great stick when you get free outs on the PP?
What use is Hossa's forecheck when you have the puck for a full 2 min?

The only power play weapons I think the Hawks have are Shaw and Sharp. The rest are great players, just not great PP players. How many good coaches does this exact same group have to run through before we just admit to ourselves that this team isn't built to be great at the power play?

This is ridiculous. Kane is a fantastic PP player. Toews is great too. The powerplay strategy is bad. Not the players.

 

[Taze em]

This is ridiculous. Kane is a fantastic PP player. Toews is great too. The powerplay strategy is bad. Not the players.

He should be a fantastic PP player. Has he been a fantastic PP player in his career? Not really. Pretty large sample size too.

Toews is truly bad on the PP. 5 goals last year on the PP from a first PP player. 120 players had 5 or more goals on the PP last year.

Try to divorce your thoughts about the player overall from the player on the PP.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

He should be a fantastic PP player. Has he been a fantastic PP player in his career? Not really. Pretty large sample size too.

With almost exclusively one coach. Bad PP player? No.

 

[Hawkaholic]

I'm fairly certain the coaches strategy isn't to keep passing it back and forth and passing it along the perimeter of the opposing end. The PP is 80% execution, and 20% strategy, to quote one of the better hockey analysts out there (Ray Ferraro). The fact that this team has struggled on the PP regardless of who runs it (Q, Haviland, Kompon, Kitchen, Dineen) should speak volumes to that.

But as usual, it's always easier to blame the coaches instead of the players.

 

[Taze em]

With almost exclusively one coach. Bad PP player? No.

What? There have been a lot of coaches come through Chicago to coach the PP and none of them have worked. At what point do yew all just admit it's just not a skill our stars possess.

 

[jls24]

Last year early in the season I thought our PP still looked like garbage even though it was scoring at a decent clip. This year I think the PP looks much better even though we're not having much success. Seems like we're using the middle of the ice much better and have more movement. I'm expecting our numbers to look better with a bigger sample size.

 

[member 151739]

He should be a fantastic PP player. Has he been a fantastic PP player in his career? Not really. Pretty large sample size too.

Patrick Kane

'08-'09: 80 games played, 35 PP points (70 points), Chicago with 19.3% (12th)
'09-'10: 82 games played, 29 PP points (88 points), Chicago with 17.7% (17th)
'10-'11: 73 games played, 24 PP points (73 points), Chicago with 23.1% (4th)
'11-'12: 82 games played, 12 PP points (66 points), Chicago with 15.2% (26th) [Injury recovery/center experiment season]
'12-'13: 47 games played, 17 PP points (55 points), Chicago with 16.6% (19th) [Lockout season]
'13-'14: 69 games played, 25 PP points (69 points), Chicago with 19.5% (10th) [Injury]

Seems like he does very well on the powerplay despite things.

 

[Hawkaholic]

I wouldn't say all the stars aren't good on the PP, but Kane and Toews are good for it. We lack a great net presence and guys who will shoot the puck first and ask questions later.

 

[member 151739]

I wouldn't say all the stars aren't good on the PP, but Kane and Toews are good for it. We lack a great net presence and guys who will shoot the puck first and ask questions later.

Put Sharp on the left point and he'd be one timing it no questions asked.

 

[Taze em]

I wouldn't say all the stars aren't good on the PP, but Kane and Toews are good for it. We lack a great net presence and guys who will shoot the puck first and ask questions later.

No way. Shaw is fantastic. The best way we score goals is a Sharp point shot with a Shaw screen. In fact, that's the only way the PP scores goals.

Toews and Keith are the problems. Kane is underwhelming for his skillset but still decent.

Duncan Keith endlessly walking the line to miss the net and Toews ridiculous down low stuff attempts/cross crease passes that never work are the problem.

 

[member 151739]

No way. Shaw is fantastic. The best way we score goals is a Sharp point shot with a Shaw screen. In fact, that's the only way the PP scores goals.

Toews and Keith are the problems. Kane is underwhelming for his skillset but still decent.

Duncan Keith endlessly walking the line to miss the net and Toews ridiculous down low stuff attempts/cross crease passes that never work are the problem.

Stop spouting nonsense.

And you're complaining about the PP strategy. They do what they do because they are told what to do.

 

[Hawkaholic]

No way. Shaw is fantastic. The best way we score goals is a Sharp point shot with a Shaw screen. In fact, that's the only way the PP scores goals.

Toews and Keith are the problems. Kane is underwhelming for his skillset but still decent.

Duncan Keith endlessly walking the line to miss the net and Toews ridiculous down low stuff attempts/cross crease passes that never work are the problem.

Shaw can be fantastic, but a lot of times he is off to the side and/or is too short to even screen the goalie. He is one of the better ones, but he isn't amazing at it and is only out there half the time.

 

[Hawkaholic]

Stop spouting nonsense.

And you're complaining about the PP strategy. They do what they do because they are told what to do.

So they are told to pass it around endlessly yet Q complains that they never shoot the puck. Somehow that doesn't jive.

 

[Taze em]

Stop spouting nonsense.

And you're complaining about the PP strategy. They do what they do because they are told what to do.

I don't know what nonsense I've spouted, I suspect you don't like me saying Toews and Keith aren't good PP players?

It's just not a part of some peoples games. Getzlaf is an example of someone who isn't very good on the PP. Hossa as well. Meanwhile there are less skilled players like Simmonds and Shaw who's game fits pp time more.

 

[LordKOTL]

Some people just get off on complaining when things go well, just like if we were terrible there would probably be some people spewing sunshine.

The Hawks have played very good hockey. Not perfect, but more than acceptable even for a Cup contender.

I think there's room for improvement. The numbers say the team is good enough and I don't argue with that, but the mistakes the 'hawks have been making? The other teams aren't yet capitalizing on every mistake--part due to Crawford's great play and the play of a stingy D in tandem--as well as a dangerous PK. The 'hawks shouldn't be relying on those to eek out a win.

 

[here come the]

No way. Shaw is fantastic. The best way we score goals is a Sharp point shot with a Shaw screen. In fact, that's the only way the PP scores goals.

Toews and Keith are the problems. Kane is underwhelming for his skillset but still decent.

Duncan Keith endlessly walking the line to miss the net and Toews ridiculous down low stuff attempts/cross crease passes that never work are the problem.

Do you think Toews has gotten worse on the PP as his career has gone along? His first 4 years in the league he had over 20 PPP, hasn't reached that since. So either we haven't been able to adapt scheme wise, or Toews has become worse at PP offense as he reaches his mid 20's? When Sharp used to play the left point and come sliding in when Toews got the puck on the goalline he was a very effective PP player, when they made it so his only outlets are a GAG with Kane or trying to stuff it from no angle, his PP production suffered. I'm one of Q's biggest fans, but there's no question that he and his staff have not been putting players in the best position to succeed on the PP.

 

[BobbyJet]

Last year early in the season I thought our PP still looked like garbage even though it was scoring at a decent clip. This year I think the PP looks much better even though we're not having much success. Seems like we're using the middle of the ice much better and have more movement. I'm expecting our numbers to look better with a bigger sample size.

It started out that way, and I loved that Sharp especially was shooting first ... but we quickly went back to the cutesy pass, pass, pass, perimeter PP we are all too familiar with. If it's not the system then Q needs to bench a few of these guys and give others a shot. I'm thinking Ben Smith, Hammer as examples of guys who deserve at least 2nd PP time if we sputter.

 

[member 151739]

Do you think Toews has gotten worse on the PP as his career has gone along? His first 4 years in the league he had over 20 PPP, hasn't reached that since. So either we haven't been able to adapt scheme wise, or Toews has become worse at PP offense as he reaches his mid 20's? When Sharp used to play the left point and come sliding in when Toews got the puck on the goalline he was a very effective PP player, when they made it so his only outlets are a GAG with Kane or trying to stuff it from no angle, his PP production suffered. I'm one of Q's biggest fans, but there's no question that he and his staff have not been putting players in the best position to succeed on the PP.

The second unit would suffer, but this would be the best first unit:

Kane - Toews - Hossa
Sharp - Keith

Kane hardly ever one times it. He shoots when he has the time and space. He mostly looks to pass. Hossa does one time it and looks to shoot most of the time. Toews is fantastic in front of the net and middle of the zone. Sharp on the left side just seems like an easy solution they don't try. Same with Keith.

The second unit could be:

Saad - Richards - Shaw
Hjalmarsson - TVR

 

[Taze em]

The second unit would suffer, but this would be the best first unit:

Kane - Toews - Hossa
Sharp - Keith

Kane hardly ever one times it. He shoots when he has the time and space. He mostly looks to pass. Hossa does one time it and looks to shoot most of the time. Toews is fantastic in front of the net and middle of the zone. Sharp on the left side just seems like an easy solution they don't try. Same with Keith.

The second unit could be:

Saad - Richards - Shaw
Hjalmarsson - TVR

In the playoff must score game I'd agree with putting Toews in front of the net. For a full 82 I want no part of our most valuable player taking the pucks, hits and hacks and wacks in front of the net on the PP. It is an accident waiting to happen.

The PPs importance is way overblown on this board and in hockey in general. It's especially less important for a dominant 5v5 team like the Hawks.

 

[OhCaptainMyCaptain]

It started out that way, and I loved that Sharp especially was shooting first ... but we quickly went back to the cutesy pass, pass, pass, perimeter PP we are all too familiar with. If it's not the system then Q needs to bench a few of these guys and give others a shot. I'm thinking Ben Smith, Hammer as examples of guys who deserve at least 2nd PP time if we sputter.

I would agree with this. It started off better, no doubt. But has regressed, especially last game. They're struggling to get possession in the zone and when they do, try to get too fancy and give the puck away.

 

[Xinji]

Not sure if this was posted yet, but good article that you'd wish some would read.

http://www.thescore.com/nhl/news/594202