Line Combos: Special Teams -- PP and PK Unit Discusion
- Thread starter MyBudJT
- Start date
Eternal Leaf
Registered User
Load up the first unit.
Get your best 5 on and give them 1:20-30 per PP. This nonsense about splitting up units doesn't work. It takes the 1st unit completely out of rhythm.
We don't have 10 superstars where that would work.
Matthews - Tavares - Marner
Rielly - Barrie/Nylander
You can play around with how these guys are set up and who you choose to put on the first unit between Barrie and Nylander.
Get your best 5 on and give them 1:20-30 per PP. This nonsense about splitting up units doesn't work. It takes the 1st unit completely out of rhythm.
We don't have 10 superstars where that would work.
Matthews - Tavares - Marner
Rielly - Barrie/Nylander
You can play around with how these guys are set up and who you choose to put on the first unit between Barrie and Nylander.
moon111
Registered User
- Oct 18, 2014
- 2,890
- 1,283
Leafs 1st power-play line might cost the same as the entire Ottawa Senators roster.
FlareKnight
Registered User
They need to make a call. If you want to split it even on talent then split it even on time. But if they want to load it up again...give them the time to work with. It just hurt watching us be stuck with 1 minute powerplays since once that top unit was off...the chance to score was gone. But new assistant hopefully means a fresh perspective on time management.
This team was:
2nd in PP G/60 in 2016/17 with two strong units (behind only Buffalo)
2nd in PP G/60 in 2017/18 with two strong units (behind only Pittsburgh)
9th in PP G/60 in 2018/19 with a stacked 1st unit (behind Tampa, Boston, Florida, Winnipeg, Pittsburgh, San Jose, Edmonton and Colorado)
No doubt this team will load their PP1 again this year because players like Matthews and Marner are going to demand it. Fans are going to cry all season long that the PP1 does not get enough time. Half the time either Matthews or Marner/Tavares will be starting the PP tired. The PP2 will suck badly again.
The stacked PP1 will help out - although just by a bit - the production of players like Matthews and Marner, but it will be less effective than being able to hit opposing teams with two strong units, each being rested when they hit the ice, each with a different setup so they are near impossible to prepare against. Tavares-Marner-Rielly-Guy-Guy; Matthews-Nylander-Barrie-Guy-Guy. No top unit. Which ever is more rested starts. Which ever is up second gets to feast on secondary PKers (or sometimes tired primary PKers).
Yes, the other strong PPs stack a PP1 and play them for a long time - and then have all their top guys tired once ES starts after the PP. But no other team has the amount of talent to run two really strong PP units - and then continue to the pressure immediately after at ES with strong offensive lines that haven't been overtaxed. It is a waste that Toronto probably won't end up doing so.
2nd in PP G/60 in 2016/17 with two strong units (behind only Buffalo)
2nd in PP G/60 in 2017/18 with two strong units (behind only Pittsburgh)
9th in PP G/60 in 2018/19 with a stacked 1st unit (behind Tampa, Boston, Florida, Winnipeg, Pittsburgh, San Jose, Edmonton and Colorado)
No doubt this team will load their PP1 again this year because players like Matthews and Marner are going to demand it. Fans are going to cry all season long that the PP1 does not get enough time. Half the time either Matthews or Marner/Tavares will be starting the PP tired. The PP2 will suck badly again.
The stacked PP1 will help out - although just by a bit - the production of players like Matthews and Marner, but it will be less effective than being able to hit opposing teams with two strong units, each being rested when they hit the ice, each with a different setup so they are near impossible to prepare against. Tavares-Marner-Rielly-Guy-Guy; Matthews-Nylander-Barrie-Guy-Guy. No top unit. Which ever is more rested starts. Which ever is up second gets to feast on secondary PKers (or sometimes tired primary PKers).
Yes, the other strong PPs stack a PP1 and play them for a long time - and then have all their top guys tired once ES starts after the PP. But no other team has the amount of talent to run two really strong PP units - and then continue to the pressure immediately after at ES with strong offensive lines that haven't been overtaxed. It is a waste that Toronto probably won't end up doing so.
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Just alternate Rielly and Barrie with who ever is fresh. And stack the rest of the unit too. Also, Rielly is going to have to kill more penalties this year so he will lose some PP time.
LeafalCrusader
Registered User
Wonder if Babs will get away from the 4 forwards PP?
Marner Tavares Matthews
Barrie Rielly
Would be an interesting set up.
Marner Tavares Matthews
Barrie Rielly
Would be an interesting set up.
I think the leafs have numerous options on the PP (obviously) and it will be really good this year. Not worried about this at all.
In terms of the PK, the leafs have a few options at forward to kill penalties (Hyman,Kapanen,Shore,Marner,Mikheyev,Moore), but really on defence all they have is Muzzin and Ceci. I wonder if Babs dresses a Harpur/Marincin/Gravel type over Holl/Schmaltz for the simple reason of penalty killing. Im not too sure how I'd feel about that
In terms of the PK, the leafs have a few options at forward to kill penalties (Hyman,Kapanen,Shore,Marner,Mikheyev,Moore), but really on defence all they have is Muzzin and Ceci. I wonder if Babs dresses a Harpur/Marincin/Gravel type over Holl/Schmaltz for the simple reason of penalty killing. Im not too sure how I'd feel about that
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HamiltonNHL
Parity era hockey is just puck luck + draft luck
- Jan 4, 2012
- 20,895
- 11,409
Our potential PP units, regardless of make-up, can be wonderful; if new structures are incorporated. In another thread, @Nithoniel argued against the static setups we used last year. A position with which I am in total agreement. We have the skill sets for both units to be involved in much greater physical movements making the D group facing us having to switch off and regroup to manage seams and high danger positions on the ice. We should utilize this strength to break down the positional stability of the PK unit we are facing.
On D we have 2 puck moving players in Rielly and Barrie who are both capable of carrying the puck, passing to an open team mate and getting the puck on net.
Our forwards include at least two who can help augment from the point in Marner and Nylander.
Matthews, Tavares, Spezza, Kapanen, Johnsson, Mykayev (potentially) and Bracco all could succeed in PP roles up front.
I’m not sure another team is as blessed with this variety of options.
The PK offers us players such as: Muzzin, Ceci, Marincin, Kerfoot, Hyman, Kapanen, Marner, Dermott, Holl, Moore, Spezza and Gauthier for face offs...there’s some size, some speed, some skill, some physicality...does it really look that bad? Fundamentally, if we reduce the high danger shots better than last year - which I think we can as our D alone should allow us to more successfully move the puck out of our zone better than Hainsey and Zaitsev and adding Spezza, Kerfoot and Goat should increase our puck control after face offs in our zone - we’ll see Andersen facing less high danger shots resulting in fewer PP goals against (and the same for the back up goalie).
Essentially, I’m fairly confident in the potential for both the PP and the PK. My hope is the coaching staff aggressively uses strategies that force upbeat tempo vs static/passive/set play strategies.
On D we have 2 puck moving players in Rielly and Barrie who are both capable of carrying the puck, passing to an open team mate and getting the puck on net.
Our forwards include at least two who can help augment from the point in Marner and Nylander.
Matthews, Tavares, Spezza, Kapanen, Johnsson, Mykayev (potentially) and Bracco all could succeed in PP roles up front.
I’m not sure another team is as blessed with this variety of options.
The PK offers us players such as: Muzzin, Ceci, Marincin, Kerfoot, Hyman, Kapanen, Marner, Dermott, Holl, Moore, Spezza and Gauthier for face offs...there’s some size, some speed, some skill, some physicality...does it really look that bad? Fundamentally, if we reduce the high danger shots better than last year - which I think we can as our D alone should allow us to more successfully move the puck out of our zone better than Hainsey and Zaitsev and adding Spezza, Kerfoot and Goat should increase our puck control after face offs in our zone - we’ll see Andersen facing less high danger shots resulting in fewer PP goals against (and the same for the back up goalie).
Essentially, I’m fairly confident in the potential for both the PP and the PK. My hope is the coaching staff aggressively uses strategies that force upbeat tempo vs static/passive/set play strategies.
MyBudJT
Registered User
- Mar 5, 2018
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MyBudJT
Registered User
- Mar 5, 2018
- 7,429
- 4,576
I'm guessing we're going to go with:
PP1
-----------Tavares-----------
Marner-Johnsson-Matthews
------------Rielly--------------
PP2
---Hyman/Kapanen---
Nylander-------Kerfoot
----Spezza----Barrie----
Thats too bad, I'd really like to see Muzzin and Barrie work off eachother on the PP.
PP1
-----------Tavares-----------
Marner-Johnsson-Matthews
------------Rielly--------------
PP2
---Hyman/Kapanen---
Nylander-------Kerfoot
----Spezza----Barrie----
Thats too bad, I'd really like to see Muzzin and Barrie work off eachother on the PP.
Fogelhund
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- Sep 15, 2007
- 21,206
- 23,630
ShaneFalco
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supermann_98
Registered User
Its not your fault
Registered User
- Nov 24, 2016
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- 474
Its not your fault
Registered User
- Nov 24, 2016
- 1,740
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I want a loaded top PP.
Matthews - Tavares - Nylander
Rielly - Marner
Give them ~3/4 of the PP time, and some good offensive schemes, they’ll dominate. We still have enough skill left over to have an acceptable 2nd PP (Barrie, Johnsson, Spezza, Kapanen, etc.).
Matthews - Tavares - Nylander
Rielly - Marner
Give them ~3/4 of the PP time, and some good offensive schemes, they’ll dominate. We still have enough skill left over to have an acceptable 2nd PP (Barrie, Johnsson, Spezza, Kapanen, etc.).
TheBeastCoast
Registered User
Nithoniniel
Registered User
Not only that, he's a legit sniper from mid-range. Probably better than most of our forwards.
MyBudJT
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- Mar 5, 2018
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- 4,576
1) Because Bracco isn't going to make the team
2) Spezza is a better PP guy than Bracco.
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