Special Teams

[FissionFire]

Well they don't call them "special" teams for nothing. Wings are just playing to the name.

 

[pdd]

Agree with that he should not be on the point.

But what if we turn it totally around? Let's not make him the shooter on the left circle, let's make him the main right-handed playmaker there, with 4 left-handed options waiting a pass for onetimer on the right side.

That would be something.

Assuming the skill executed, it would almost be the 2008-09 Wings' second unit pushed through a mirror; even with the same center, opposing winger, and one of the defensemen. And it would be another instance of Brunner playing Hudler's role.

 

[TheOtherOne]

PK 68% (29th) 25 opportunities.
PP 7.7% (28th) 26 opportunities.

The only 2 teams behind us in PP have a decent PK. The only team behind us in PK has a decent PP. We are by far the league's worst overall special teams.

How do we fix this? Helm being injured is not a sufficient excuse for how pathetic that is.

 

[Iowa Wingsfan]

How do we fix this?

Punt.

 

[Frk It]

PK 68% (29th) 25 opportunities.
PP 7.7% (28th) 26 opportunities.

The only 2 teams behind us in PP have a decent PK. The only team behind us in PK has a decent PP. We are by far the league's worst overall special teams.

How do we fix this? Helm being injured is not a sufficient excuse for how pathetic that is.

We don't have the personnel that you need on either units for them to be good.

For the PP... We have no one with a big shot on the point. We have a team full of playmakers that don't shoot. We have Franzen pretending to be Holmstrom, when he's really a big wimp. Then we have a powerplay unit with Dan Cleary and Justin Abdelkader on it. I mean c'mon are you kidding me? Those guys are absolutely no offensive threat at all.

Then on the PK. We have 5 offensive D. Our 1 defensive D has no mean streak and doesn't clear the crease even though he is huge. We don't have enough forwards/defensemen who are willing to block shots and get in shooting lanes.

How the current team is constructed I don't see how you could expect our special teams to be top 5 or 10 in PP or PK anymore.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

How do we fix this?

Call up Sproul, I am not even really joking at this point.

 

[Dacop]

.... We have no one with a big shot on the point.....

I didn't watch the game last night, but from what I saw the previous games, there is just no one in front of the net. Brunner (who shouldn't play the point in the nhl imo) has a sufficient shot, but there has to be some traffic in the slot as well. There are enough good examples for nice wrist-shots from the blue line who found their way into the net, so there's no need for a huge slapshot.....

Edit:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0DZemZansc

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

I didn't watch the game last night, but from what I saw the previous games, there is just no one in front of the net. Brunner (who shouldn't play the point in the nhl imo) has a sufficient shot, but there has to be some traffic in the slot as well. There are enough good examples for nice wrist-shots from the blue line who found their way into the net, so there's no need for a huge slapshot.....

Edit:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0DZemZansc

Not really true at all, we have taken our best power play shot and had him sit in front of the net. Part of our problem, while Franzen is a pretty good net front guy, he is our most dangerous trigger man. Has been the team leader in PP goals the last couple years. He can slide there from time to time, but just parking him there isn't helping at all in my opinion.

 

[ProPAIN]

Keep things simple and play to your strengths. Lidstrom isn't there anymore to orchestrate a successful PP, so they need to revert back to basics and stick to a more effective system. I still think they should look to SJ, Chicago and Tampa for PP systems. Get the puck down low and look for garbage goals.

How many of Marleau's goals have come from rebounds because he was right outside the crease and stuffing the puck. The goalie has no chance. Even if he makes the save, he has no time to react since Marleau is already on the puck.

I find it surprising that teams haven't found a way to move block Marleau. You just need a big body to push him off the puck when it gets near him (easier said than done, but it's a start)

Oh, another thing that makes a PP successful...SHOOTING THE PUCK! If you have less shots than PP opportunities, that's a major problem.

Is Tom Renney working the PP? He's done a god awful job so far. But the players aren't really helping.

 

[Dacop]

He can slide there from time to time, but just parking him there isn't helping at all in my opinion.

Well, that's what I'm talking about. Being there from time to time is not what i call a good screening or a lot of traffic. If it's his job to be in front of the net, "from time to time" is not enough.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Well, that's what I'm talking about. Being there from time to time is not what i call a good screening or a lot of traffic. If it's his job to be in front of the net, "from time to time" is not enough.

You are missing what I am saying, he is anchored there a lot, taking our heaviest shot out of the picture. He is doing exactly what you're claiming doesn't happen. When Cleary is out there he is trying to do the same thing if they can even enter the zone on the second unit. Thus far Cleary is also doing a great job of blocking our shots for the other team as well.

Most of the good powerplays have a lot of motion, the net front guy will also slide out and become a target from time to time dragging the defender with him.



Smyth does it here it opens up the lanes. When someone like Hornqvist or Holmstrom does it right, it can be hard to stop. But you're essentially giving a man up to the goalie and playing four on four hockey. The lanes are clogged, that player needs to shift out and around if the other way isn't working. Get the sticks and bodies moving on the other teams PK. Right now we face a packed in box that just keeps us at arms reach and on terrible angles.

 

[Winger98]

What will help is just plain ol' practice. It's not like we don't have the players capable of running a good powerplay, but we had some massive turnover on the first unit and we brought in a new coach for it. I think the powerplay will sort itself out as the season goes along. One big positive I've noticed is that they're finding ways to set Z up for his shot. It's a welcome change. I'd shuffled Franzen to the second unit, though, and free him up to take his shot.

with the pk, it's sucked for three years now. It continuing to suck is just par for course.

 

[jroc86]

Zetterberg Datsyuk Betruzzi
Kronwall White
Bert net front, kronwall quarterback, white token right clapper.


Franzen Filpula Brunner
Smith Samulsen

(2 right shots to tee up ... Franzen as net front smith as quarterback)

 

[14ari13]

If I remember right our PP and PK were terrible last season as well.
And now as we do not have Lindstrom and Federev we are even worse.

 

[ProPAIN]

What will help is just plain ol' practice. It's not like we don't have the players capable of running a good powerplay, but we had some massive turnover on the first unit and we brought in a new coach for it. I think the powerplay will sort itself out as the season goes along. One big positive I've noticed is that they're finding ways to set Z up for his shot. It's a welcome change. I'd shuffled Franzen to the second unit, though, and free him up to take his shot.

with the pk, it's sucked for three years now. It continuing to suck is just par for course.

I guess that could be one of the reasons. A shortened season, no time in between games, new players, no preseason to work on these aspects of the game. But other teams are successful on the PP. And what they are doing isn't rocket science. Just have a look at how SJ and Vancouver are scoring on the PP. Yes, they shoot from the blueline, but a lot of their play is getting the puck down low, and creating chaos near the net.

Passing the puck non-stop is not an excuse for not having enough time to prepare. That's a confidence issue. Shoot the puck, get the rebounds, try one-timers with cross-ice passes. It's simple and professional hockey players should know how to do this.

 

[Dacop]

Most of the good powerplays have a lot of motion, the net front guy will also slide out and become a target from time to time dragging the defender with him.

I totally agree with your post and maybe I had a wrong impression regarding no one standing in front of the net (as you say, Franzen was there a lot). But you still don't need a hell of a shot from the blue line then.

 

[TheOtherOne]

Who is in charge of coaching special teams? Not Babcock, right?

 

[kuick]

Who is in charge of coaching special teams? Not Babcock, right?

Tom Renney coaches the power play, Bill Peters works with the defense and penalty kill mainly.

 

[TheOtherOne]

Tom Renney coaches the power play, Bill Peters works with the defense and penalty kill mainly.

So is anyone talking about Tom Renney and/or Bill Peters being replaced? I honestly don't know to what degree they are at fault, but maybe someone else has a better idea?

See attached DRW clocking in at 25th in the league for (shots on goal)/(minutes on power play).

 

[SoupNazi]

So is anyone talking about Tom Renney and/or Bill Peters being replaced?

Not yet.

 

[kuick]

Renney is a new coach for Detroit starting this year, I think they give him more than a handful of games before giving him the boot.

 

[pdd]

Who is in charge of coaching special teams? Not Babcock, right?

Ultimately it is all Babcock's responsibility. If he ever says otherwise, he should be fired ON THE SPOT.

 

[Brick Top]

So is anyone talking about Tom Renney and/or Bill Peters being replaced? I honestly don't know to what degree they are at fault, but maybe someone else has a better idea?

See attached DRW clocking in at 25th in the league for (shots on goal)/(minutes on power play).

Yikes. Not a lot of shots coming from the Wings, and it's hard to believe there are a few teams shooting less per min than Detroit. I think it's worse for Detroit to be that low on the list since they are an alleged puck possession team, and they should be keeping the puck in the offensive zone longer than other teams and generating more shots.

I don't think it helps having a roster full of guys outside of Brunner who play like they all have contract incentives tied to assists. Even Mule seems to be channeling his inner Filppula and not taking the shots that are there.

 

[Heaton]

Ultimately it is all Babcock's responsibility. If he ever says otherwise, he should be fired ON THE SPOT.

Dunn, dunn, dunnnnnnnnnnnnn.

 

[Run the Jewels]

So is anyone talking about Tom Renney and/or Bill Peters being replaced? I honestly don't know to what degree they are at fault, but maybe someone else has a better idea?

See attached DRW clocking in at 25th in the league for (shots on goal)/(minutes on power play).

It's obviously brutal but it will take more than a half dozen games to get anyone into hot water. Heck we are using guys like Cleary and Ericsson on our second PP unit. We've seen some good stuff as far as puck movement down low and it's nice having a guy like Brunner who will shoot the puck.

I think having Pavs and Z on separate PP units could help. Giving Smith consistent PP time should help. Getting White back should help. I'd like to see something like:

Fil-Pavs-Brunner
Kronwall-Eaves (right shot)

Bert-Z-Mule
Smith-Lashoff (has a good shot)

Once we get healthy White can slot onto the top PP unit in place of Eaves.