Line Combos: How Would You Fix the Blues' Ailing Power Play?

[MissouriMook]

Without getting into too much detail, what would you change (or start from scratch) to jump start the two PP units? Here is my wish list:

PP Unit 1 in a 1-3-1
Flex/Bumper/Below the Goal Line: O'Reilly
Net Front: Maroon
Left Half Wall: Perron
Right Half Wall: Tarasenko
Point: Pietrangelo

PP Unit 2 in the same 1-3-1

Flex/Bumper/Below the Goal Line: Bozak or Thomas
Net Front: Schenn
Left Half Wall: Parayko or Kyrou
Right Half Wall: Schwartz
Point: Dunn

However they adjust it structurally, I would really like to see more movement designed to open passing lanes through the center of the ice. I feel the worst part of the stagnation of our PP "strategy" is that we seem too married to perimeter passing and running the attack almost exclusively through the points instead of splitting the focus between the blue line and below the goal line and trying to stretch the 4 man box to create passing lanes and/or open shooters.​

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[bleedblue1223]

First, I'd check the CBA to determine the rules on declining a powerplay. If it's not allowed, I'd instruct one of the defensemen to immediately hoist the puck in the stands for a delay of game.

 

[HighNote]

Perron - ROR - Tarasenko
Pietrangelo - Edmundson

Perron in the middle, ROR down low, Tarasenko on the half wall. ROR and Tarasenko need to work the puck down low and wait for an opportunity to either get a shot from Vlady, or an opening to pass to Perron for a one-timer from the middle. Pietrangelo also has an underrated one-timer from the top of the circle, so there's another option. Whatever we do, we need more ways to attack. It's better to be good at scoring 3-4 different ways on the powerplay than it is to be great at 1 way to score because teams learn to cover that. Vlady is having trouble getting clean shots from his usual spot, and so instead of adapting, we kind of just keep doing that or shooting mindlessly from the point. Get the defenders moving around trying to cover those different options, and get the goalie moving side to side for one-timers. Our powerplay just looks so stagnant, not a lot of movement at all aside from passing it around the perimeter. We need players doing give and goes and switching sides on the point to cross up and confuse the defenders.

Here's an example of what I'd want Perron in front for:



Then you could run your second unit of:

Schwartz - Schenn - Thomas
Parayko - Dunn

Schenn in the middle, Thomas and Schwartz working the half wall and down low, try to get one-time passes to Schenn at the dot, Parayko one-timers, etc.

These are my unprofessional thoughts.

 

[HighNote]

First, I'd check the CBA to determine the rules on declining a powerplay. If it's not allowed, I'd instruct one of the defensemen to immediately hoist the puck in the stands for a delay of game.

If the other team has the lead late in the game, it's not a bad idea for them to just shoot the puck out or purposely trip a player. That would ensure they keep their lead.

 

[bleedblue1223]

Honestly though, at this point, I'm really conflicted if it's just a strategy issue or a personnel issue as well.

 

[carter333167]

We have more than adequate skill on this team for a good PP.

Steen off the 2nd unit altogether in favor of Thomas or Kyrou.

 

[Stealth JD]

Five forwards...two of them fast!


Perron
Thomas Schwartz
ROR Kyrou


Maroon
Schenn Tarasenko
Blais Bozak/Pietrangelo

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

I want to see it for a few games before I conclude it’s the same as last year.

 

[LetsGoBooze]

Honestly bad break leading to the Jets 2nd goal aside, i thought our PP looked much improved over last years version. Small sample size but i was impressed that we actually got it in the zone and 'setup' on multiple occasions.

 

[The Note]

Fire whoever is running it.

 

[PiggySmalls]

It’s not so much the personnel as it is the system. It is a stagnant system that highly predictable and non-productive.

 

[TruBlu]

I'm hoping we can trade Yeo for Q halfway through the season. Their fanbase is wanting to ship him out, and he would do wonders with the current group of players we have.

 

[simon IC]

#Yeo must go!!

 

[542365]

Shoot from somewhere that isn’t the point. We don’t have Shatty anymore. Those shots aren’t getting through.

 

[carter333167]

O'Reilly, Schenn, Tarasenko, Schwartz, Thomas, Kyrou, Bozak, Fabbri

We have sufficiently skilled forwards to put together two effective PP units.

O'Reilly should QB the first unit.

 

[BlueDream]

It is absolutely not personnel. Pure coaching.

 

[kimzey59]

I'm hoping we can trade Yeo for Q halfway through the season. Their fanbase is wanting to ship him out, and he would do wonders with the current group of players we have.

NO, he wouldn't.
He employs the same system as Yeo, and would be just as reliant on the vets as Yeo.
And given his history here, he would also be just as insistent on playing Allen.

Q has a better head for special teams, but he would not make any kind of real changes to our system or player usage.
IF you want to see a real change, you need an offensive minded coach. That isn't Quenneville.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

If OReilly’s shot went in we would have a 25% PP and this thread probably wouldn’t exist. Maybe this is an overreaction so early.

 

[Majorityof1]

If OReilly’s shot went in we would have a 25% PP and this thread probably wouldn’t exist. Maybe this is an overreaction so early.

Us, over-react? NEVER!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[KirkOut]

I'd get the guys who are our top 2 point getters last year on the first f***ing unit is what i'd do

 

[Linkens Mastery]

Get rid of the entire coaching staff.

 

[Majorityof1]

#1 Shoot the puck more quickly. There was actually improvement last night. We had a few chances. Hellebuyck just made a few great saves. We still dust the puck off too long before shooting giving goalies time to get set. If ROR one-times his chance, he scores.

#2 Screen the goalie - If we are going to shoot from the point, get someone in front of the goalie to screen him. None of this net side garbage.

#3 Hit the net - You don't need a slap shot from the point if it will go wide. A seeing-eye wrister through traffic is more dangerous than a 120 mph slapshot to the boards

 

[Saint Loser]

Fire Yeo

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

Fire Yeo

Hire who?

 

[Falco Lombardi]

Hire who?

Coach Q once the Hawks foolishly fire him