Power Play - how to fix it...

[gillyguzzler]

The PP has become unwatchable.

Two major problems need fixing. Every start to the PP goes as follows.

Lose draw. Retrieve puck in our zone - 20 seconds gone.
Failed zone entry. Retrieve puck in our zone - 20 seconds gone.
Failed zone entry. Second PP comes on. Schlemko carries the puck, loses the puck, goes back to retrieve the puck.

Faceoffs. So, who can win a draw on the left side? Danault and that's about it. Maybe let him start every PP and replace him quickly if the puck comes out of the zone. On the right side? Nobody really. Shaw?

Zone entry. Not Drouin. Not Domi. Not Tatar. Not sure. Petry is capable. Gallaguer is great with the soft dump. I say let Weber carry it to the red line and rip it in with the four forechecking like crazy (and not stationary at the blue line). A low 104 MPH low bullet right on net and hope for the best. It can't be any worse than what we've been enduring. They're actually much more dangerous 4 on 4.

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[417]

The PP's main issue is not schematics or X's & O's...it's a personnel issue.

There is only ONE willing/able shooter on this team and it's Shea Weber and everyone in the rink knows the Habs are trying to work it around to him.

When the Habs are able to diversify their attack and not be so predictable, their PP will improve.

This isn't a coaching issue, at least not IMO.

 

[Habs Halifax]

The PP's main issue is not schematics or X's & O's...it's a personnel issue.

There is only ONE willing/able shooter on this team and it's Shea Weber and everyone in the rink knows the Habs are trying to work it around to him.

When the Habs are able to diversify their attack and not be so predictable, their PP will improve.

This isn't a coaching issue, at least not IMO.

Agreed. We don't have the pieces to have a top 10 PP.

 

[Habs]

We traded our only guys who shot on the PP, Alexa and Max. We have a lot of setup guys, and Weber. Traded Scherback without seeing if he could help on the PP, and they hate Hudon... which is odd because the fans will tell you they only hate Russians in Montreal.

 

[gillyguzzler]

The PP's main issue is not schematics or X's & O's...it's a personnel issue.

There is only ONE willing/able shooter on this team and it's Shea Weber and everyone in the rink knows the Habs are trying to work it around to him.

When the Habs are able to diversify their attack and not be so predictable, their PP will improve.

This isn't a coaching issue, at least not IMO.

I somewhat agree. The problem is not that the Habs are trying to set up Weber and everyone knows it. They lose the initial draw every time. No zone time to set up Weber. They can't enter the zone on the next re-entry. No zone time to set up Weber.

Once they're set up in the zone, they're able to put pressure. The first unit is hardly ever set up in the zone.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Frustrating to watch our PP.

- Lack of shooters
- Pass first mentality
- Lack of PMD at the point
- Lack of centers who can carry the puck in with possession.

I'm sure they will improve but I'm not expected much from our PP. Even with Weber

 

[peate]

They can't figure out that when you're trapped at the blue line, don't try and deke three guys, just dump it in and chase it, you're a fast team, use it FFS. The other team is shorthanded, you should be able to retrieve the puck 8 times out of 10. Then you set up. Kotka is getting much better on the face off, and why oh why wasn't he on the ice for the 5 0n 3 last night, Clode???

 

[417]

I somewhat agree. The problem is not that the Habs are trying to set up Weber and everyone knows it. They lose the initial draw every time. No zone time to set up Weber. They can't enter the zone on the next re-entry. No zone time to set up Weber.

Once they're set up in the zone, they're able to put pressure. The first unit is hardly ever set up in the zone.

They struggled with entering the zone yesterday - but I find they've been generally pretty good at gaining the zone with possession.

Max Domi & Jonathan Drouin especially excel at gaining the zone with speed and helping the team set up.

I find the issue is, again, once they're set up...there's either no one whose a shot threat, thus no one for the opposition to cheat - which creates bigger passing seams in their PK box or they try too hard to try to set Weber up for the one timer, even if the other team is cheating overplaying it.

Jonathan Drouin needs to go back to what made the PP successful towards the tail end of last year - and that was him becoming a shot threat, he must of scored 4-5 goals down the stretch last year shooting from the left point/half wall.

He's got to go back to shooting because I don't think the Habs are acquiring an Ovechkin or Laine any time soon.

 

[Habs Halifax]

They struggled with entering the zone yesterday - but I find they've been generally pretty good at gaining the zone with possession.

Max Domi & Jonathan Drouin especially excel at gaining the zone with speed and helping the team set up.

I find the issue is, again, once they're set up...there's either no one whose a shot threat, thus no one for the opposition to cheat - which creates bigger passing seams in their PK box or they try too hard to try to set Weber up for the one timer, even if the other team is cheating overplaying it.

Jonathan Drouin needs to go back to what made the PP successful towards the tail end of last year - and that was him becoming a shot threat, he must of scored 4-5 goals down the stretch last year shooting from the left point/half wall.

He's got to go back to shooting because I don't think the Habs are acquiring an Ovechkin or Laine any time soon.

Agree about Drouin. Shoot man, you have a great shot. Be a little selfish at times and know when to be selfish and when not to be. Comes with Maturity.

Every single team in the NHL knows that we need to watch the shot from the point and put pressure up high. Habs will look for passes and they know it.

 

[eklund the clown]

They should fire whoever is responsible for coaching the power play.When you have the likes of Domi,Drouin and Weber on the PP play it should be a lot better than it is(it can't be any worse).Other teams keying on Weber and the one timer is for the most part the problem.Was the same when Subban was here.They should be using Weber as a decoy and they would have a lot more success .When they do get setup they waste 3/4 of the pp time trying to set up Weber.Also i get tired of repeating myself but Kotka is not ready to be put on the #1 PP unit.Anyone who watches these games can see that.The kid has scored 2 goals in the same game and 1 since.

 

[gillyguzzler]

I believe Muller is in charge of the PP but Julien is the head coach so it's on him too.

 

[Burke the Legend]

Another vote for Drouin NEEDS TO SHOOT. Habs have some decent left shooters who should be releasing more, instead they just want to pass to Weber. Is it a question of personal reluctance or direction from the coaching? I don't know. have the coaches been asked about this recently by reporters?

 

[the]

Just pass the puck to Man Mountain and let him figure it out.

 

[417]

They should fire whoever is responsible for coaching the power play.When you have the likes of Domi,Drouin and Weber on the PP play it should be a lot better than it is(it can't be any worse).Other teams keying on Weber and the one timer is for the most part the problem.Was the same when Subban was here.They should be using Weber as a decoy and they would have a lot more success .When they do get setup they waste 3/4 of the pp time trying to set up Weber.Also i get tired of repeating myself but Kotka is not ready to be put on the #1 PP unit.Anyone who watches these games can see that.The kid has scored 2 goals in the same game and 1 since.

It's not going to fix the power play - I remember arguing this very thing when they hired Kirk Muller, who was supposed to fix everything that ailed the Habs PP.

 

[peate]

It's not going to fix the power play - I remember arguing this very thing when they hired Kirk Muller, who was supposed to fix everything that ailed the Habs PP.

They did have a good PP under him once, but that was a while ago. What happened since, who knows?

 

[417]

Another vote for Drouin NEEDS TO SHOOT. Habs have some decent left shooters who should be releasing more, instead they just want to pass to Weber. Is it a question of personal reluctance or direction from the coaching? I don't know. have the coaches been asked about this recently by reporters?

I think it's more to do with the types of players we have.

Drouin, Domi, Tatar, Kotkaniemi...they're reluctant shooters, only shooting when they absolutely have too.

Gallagher likes to shoot, but he's not someone whose a shot threat from outside...Petry misses the net 9 out of every 10 shot attempt he has.

 

[417]

They did have a good PP under him once, but that was a while ago. What happened since, who knows?

They also had Andrei Markov, Alex Kovalev , Sheldon Souray & Mark Streit on those PP's.

I think that had more to do with their success

 

[euhchepas]

The best PP in the league have a right handed player on LW and a left handed player on RW both at the top of the circle and capable of one-timers.

I would try weber on the left circle, Drouin on the right circle, Domi at the point, kotka in support down low and gallagher in the high slot.

 

[eklund the clown]

I think it's more to do with the types of players we have.

Drouin, Domi, Tatar, Kotkaniemi...they're reluctant shooters, only shooting when they absolutely have too.

Gallagher likes to shoot, but he's not someone whose a shot threat from outside...Petry misses the net 9 out of every 10 shot attempt he has.

Agree with you there.We don't have the SNIPER type of player needed.Drouin and Kotka have to shoot more

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

Another vote for Drouin NEEDS TO SHOOT. Habs have some decent left shooters who should be releasing more, instead they just want to pass to Weber. Is it a question of personal reluctance or direction from the coaching? I don't know. have the coaches been asked about this recently by reporters?

Drouin has been shooting a lot lately

 

[sansabri]

Fire Muller.

 

[De Montreal]

As much as I love Domi, I miss Galchenyuk for that. He was our only good shooter on the squad last year.

One thing we need to do though is send Reilly out there. Maybe it help balance offense a bit too.

..........Shaw.....
Tatar.............Drouin
Weber.......Reilly


..........Gallagher........
Domi...............Kotkaniemi
Petry...........Schlemko

 

[Burke the Legend]

As much as I love Domi, I miss Galchenyuk for that. He was our only good shooter on the squad last year.

One thing we need to do though is send Reilly out there. Maybe it help balance offense a bit too.

..........Shaw.....
Tatar.............Drouin
Weber.......Reilly


..........Gallagher........
Domi...............Kotkaniemi
Petry...........Schlemko

Galchenyuk's problem is he has a hard time finding the open ice and lanes, even on the PP. That and he sucks on the boards when he needs to win a battle there. So while with his great one-timer he SHOULD be a 30+ goal PP specialist, his brain hinders him.

As you say, maybe Reilly could be the answer as a right side shooter. Lekhonen has a decent one-timer also so maybe he could get another look.

 

[Capitano]

They also had Andrei Markov, Alex Kovalev , Sheldon Souray & Mark Streit on those PP's.

I think that had more to do with their success

Agree. But I think it boils down to having more than one threat. I think option 1 should always be to get Shea the puck and let him blast it, and go for the deflections (if we're brave enough) or rebounds. Markov would always find that cross-ice seam on the PP...it's too bad because he would create Option 2 by default. I think we have enough decent puck handlers and shooters to make a decent PP though...it's not like we have nobody out there. And having Shea should at least create a bit of space out there to take advantage of.

Muller has to fix this.

 

[417]

Agree. But I think it boils down to having more than one threat.

Agreed...strong PP's make your PK unit pick their poison.

Right now, the Habs PP is entirely reliant on one poison (Shea Weber's one time shot).

I think option 1 should always be to get Shea the puck and let him blast it, and go for the deflections (if we're brave enough) or rebounds. Markov would always find that cross-ice seam on the PP...it's too bad because he would create Option 2 by default.

I've mentioned this often but look at how the Habs PP was deployed back then. The role Markov played is the role Drouin plays right now.

The reason Markov could always find that cross-ice seem pass on the PP (other than his superior hockey sense and ability to deceive) is because the PKers had to choose if they wanted to cover the point shot (Souray/Streit) or cover the cross seam option (Kovalev/Cammaleri).

Right now, under this same set up, the point shot is eliminated when Drouin plays the "Markov role" (i.e left point) because Weber's is a right hand shot.

When Drouin & Weber play opposite points to free him up for the one timer - it's too obvious, teams just overplay Weber while daring Drouin to shoot (which for some reason, he refuses too) or pass it to Domi whose not really a threat there.

I still think the PP would stand to get a great deal better if Drouin decided to be more of a dual threat...

I think we have enough decent puck handlers and shooters to make a decent PP though...it's not like we have nobody out there. And having Shea should at least create a bit of space out there to take advantage of.

Muller has to fix this.

Not enough shooters IMO - and that's not something Muller can fix.