Power Play - how to fix it...

JianYang

Registered User
Sep 29, 2017
17,753
16,114
Incompetence on the draws is a problem. You lose 30 seconds right off the bat. This will be hard to change this season.

But what really baffles me is the difficulty they have in entering the zone with possession. This should be executed more frequently with Drouin and Domi, heck even Tatar on the 2nd unit.

Anyways, desperate times call for desperate measures. Maybe the habs need to simplify things.... maybe dump and chase a little more frequently. This might mean to get agostino on the PP, because he has some skill, to go along with the forecheck, and it also utilizes gallagher's strengths.

If they dump a bit more frequently, maybe it will open up the direct entry route for domi and drouin too.

Bottom line, they really can't do too much about the 30 seconds wasted on the lost draw, but they can certainly be better on the entries and setting up. They have the tools for this.
 

ECWHSWI

TOUGHEN UP.
Oct 27, 2006
28,604
5,423
Habs have the wrong mind-set. Their PP is built around the wrong guy, you don't build your PP around a finisher unless you have crazy good passers like Kuznetzov or Backstrom for example...

but since we don't, PP needs to be built around the playmakers, the setup guys, that's what Habs were doing with Markov here, sure they added weapons (Kovalev, Souray, etc), but the PP setup always went trough the playmaker, Markov, HE was the one choosing to use this or that weapon... The PP was built around Markov strenght (cross ice pass to Kovy, and then Galchenyuk or the pass to his D partner, sometimes he was also moving up the ice to the half-board)
 
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Spearmint Rhino

Registered User
Sep 17, 2013
8,851
8,484
As much as I cringe when the 2nd pp unit comes over with Schlemko and Agostino they actually show some desperation to gain the line and then hustle to move around when they're in there

The 1st PP unit is way too casual gaining entry and then everyone stands in the same spot so it's easy to defend

And give up trying to win the face-offs, assume you'll lose and attack their d-man and have our d-men cover the boards to block the clearing attempt
 
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Pointed Finger

Registered User
Feb 25, 2012
20
14
The problem with the power play is the lack of movement once they set up into their respective positions. It's not enough to pass it back and forth looking for a lane - legs MUST move to jiggle the defenders out of their optimal positions. There is no fluidity because in large part, they are all stationary. Yes, a better FO win percentage and better zone entry would help, but I don't think those are the key issue.
 

gillyguzzler

Registered User
Jan 21, 2007
2,966
701
Ontario
Domi, Tatar and Kotka all have good shots but not the one timer ability of Kovalev or Galchenyuk. It limits the effectiveness of the Drouin cross ice pass and they're all left handed shots to boot.
 

76

Registered User
Jul 1, 2014
942
213
Canada
For now I think they just have to do what they do at even strength, keep oponent on its heels and lead the play toward the net without hesitation. Don't wait for the perfect play.
If they have enough talent to be one of the highest scoring rate at even strength they surely have enough to score on PP.
 

Belial

Registered User
Oct 22, 2014
26,142
14,323
Montreal
The problem with the PP is gaining the zone and establish possession. Once they're set they are actually able to move the puck and get decent looks.

They should probably try and be less predictable when entering the zone... That back pass with the forward entering with speed is getting old...

Mix it up FFS!

Dump it in a couple of times if you see the opposition is not giving the blue line, nothing wrong with that... Just assure yourself to have someone with speed on the other side of the ice to get the puck.

We definitely have the personnel to be much better than we are! This is a coaching problem.

Get creative...
 

Habs Halifax

Loyal Habs Fan
Jul 11, 2016
68,164
25,915
East Coast
Sign Markov to a contract with the mutual intentions of termination if it don't work. He gets his min 10 games to reach 1000.

Worth a shot IMO.
 

Kraken Jokes

Registered User
May 28, 2010
3,928
1,419
The problem with the PP is gaining the zone and establish possession. Once they're set they are actually able to move the puck and get decent looks.

They should probably try and be less predictable when entering the zone... That back pass with the forward entering with speed is getting old...

Mix it up FFS!

Dump it in a couple of times if you see the opposition is not giving the blue line, nothing wrong with that... Just assure yourself to have someone with speed on the other side of the ice to get the puck.

We definitely have the personnel to be much better than we are! This is a coaching problem.

Get creative...

Totally agree.

I'd like to see Drouin shoot more from the left side once we're in too.
 

peate

Smiley
Sponsor
Feb 16, 2007
20,085
14,939
The Island
Another 0 for last night. Watching them all just standing still waiting for a pass is so damn futile.
 

shamrun

Registered User
Jun 5, 2008
3,569
989
vancouver
Losing the initial face off is bad. Then watching us trying to bring the puck in is even worse. Start sending different bodies in there. Not much else we can do at this point.
 

Rapala

Registered User
Mar 29, 2013
38,382
33,258
Montreal
What is Gallagher doing in the high slot? If we want to use that formation Tatar should be the one posting there. When we have control in the Ozone we don't have any big bodies trying to take away the goaltender's eyes and yet every team does it to us. Net front presence has been a long standing issue with my Habs going back decades now. As far as winning face offs we need to scramble more draws and win the ensuing battle with the odd man advantage. It's easier to plan for a scrambled draw than to win it outright particularly with our center position being what it is. Zone entries have always been a pet peeve of mine with this team going back to the Subban/Markov pairing where zero speed was generated at the back end. Quite simply we need a number of players attacking the blue simultaneously so a retrievable dump in can become an option. How many times do we see just the one player carrying the puck and running himself out of options. Great power plays isolate the opposition using 2 v 1 all over the ice which requires 5 guys being ready and willing to move at all times. From what I see on most occasions we regularly have 3 or even 4 stationary players. They need to start fixing this one issue at a time. Finally there is nothing wrong with trying your regular lines when things are so messed up just keep the Drouin line intact and only tweak the second wave.
 
Aug 25, 2009
10,563
3,719
éal
Maybe something we should try is have someone to a backdrop pass to Drouin and have him deke the opponents to enter the zone

Have we thought of this yet?

Have we


- Kirk Muller
 

Licentia

Registered User
Jun 29, 2004
1,832
655
We are only 5 points behind the Leafs right now, having played the same number of games. I wonder how many more points we'd have, if we had a functional powerplay?
 

JianYang

Registered User
Sep 29, 2017
17,753
16,114
The PP has reached a new level of low. It cant do anything well right now, which makes me believe that the issue has reached their heads.

They just need something good to happen now, before things can start getting fixed.
 

Junohockeyfan

Registered User
Dec 16, 2018
13,669
11,268
Its not just the PP that is terrible. The Habs are bottom in the league in PK, Faceoff% and Goals Against. BOttom in PP, PK and FO and still in the playoff hunt is remarkable.
 

Junohockeyfan

Registered User
Dec 16, 2018
13,669
11,268
It will be dificult to continue to be in a playoff spot if those three things do not improve.

The optimist in me sees a team that is on the rise, once those things improve.
The pessimist in me sees the bottom falling out as a result of those issues.

30 games in and i have seen zero improvement in all facets. That is concerning to me.
 

Cole Caulifield

Registered User
Apr 22, 2004
27,967
2,465
They should take a page out of Therrien's book and keep everything the same on the PP as 5v5. Keep throwing the same lines and D pairings in the same rotation as before. At least it won't make us lose momentum.

If you look at the best PP over the years in the NHL... only 2 teams have maintained elite PPs... Washington with Carlson+Ovechkin+Backstrom/Kuznestov... and Crosby+Malkin+Letang+Schultz...

You need elite players to have an elite PP.
 

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