The Not-So-Powerful Power Play

[CDN24]

Getting Weber back should for a few reasons.

1) Right now, there is no threat from the point. Petry, Drouin, Domi, etc. aren't getting the job done. They don't hit the net with regularity and the power just isn't there. The PK can stay down low and take away the passing, which goes into #2...

2) With Weber back, then the PK has to respect the point shot and that *should* open up things a little down by the dots and behind the net. Passing lanes will become more open, which will hopefully open up some one timer chances.

I'm not expecting Weber coming back to vault the PP to #1, but I'm very confident it will not remain #30.

This is it exactly. The skill guys down low have no room as their is no need to respect the point shot. Petry when he gets it off misses the net short side half the time and the next guy to touch it is Price as it sails around the net and down the ice.

I would use Weber on the left side (is off wing for the better angle) I would use another D-man like Mete to feed him from the other point. drouin at the half wall on the same side as Weber to distribute back to Weber or two the other two forwards or for his sneaky shot if the forward is overplaying weber. i would try Domi and Gally with them. Other unit unit gets the Kid, Tatar and Shaw, Petry and Weber plays as much of the 2 mins as he can.

 

[groovejuice]

Weber’s bomb couldn’t hurt.

That doesn't work well at all if it's the go-to strategy. A PP needs to be verstile and creative.

 

[Captain Mountain]

I addressed this...the Habs don't have a strong left handed point shot, certainly not Reilly who struggles with power & accuracy as much as any other Dman on this team.

You don't have to buy it - but it's an issue.

I actually think its way underrated...it matters a ton, way more then you think, that's what allows effective and precise East-West movement that every PP needs to be successful.

Also you can have and should have all same handedness if you're going to play the umbrella set up with 3 men up top, ideally, the 2 bottom guys are right handed.

It can also be the opposite...I can't remember which game I was watching last week where the commentators were talking about just that.

In a 1-3-1 PP setup, it is imperative that you do not have the half wall and the point be the same hand.

The placement is pretty simple. Ideally, you want a left shot on the right boards, a right shot on the left boards. You want a quick passing D-men with a decent shot, preferably right-handed, but its not that important.

You want the slot presence and the net front presence to have opposite handedness to allow for spread plays down low.

That's been the book for the setup for a long while. Any coach worth their salt knows that.

The problem with all lefty is that ignores why the 1-3-1 (or a 1-2-2) look is so useful and popular. And its because it offers so many different looks, the D shot one of the least significant.

Montreal's problems are:

-They don't have great puckmovers on D.
-They're really lefty heavy.
-They don't have much in the way of great shooters.

Their PP QB (Drouin) plays the left point, or what Markov used to play so effectively for years...it's fine if you want to have it that way.

But again, it means you need left handed shots opposite (Markov > Souray or Streit/Kovalev = all left handed shots, with power/accuracy). I'm surprised a Habs fan, who has presumably watched the Habs during those days didn't notice the recipe that made it so successful.

Galchenyuk's shot was never really all that much of a weapon for the Habs...the Habs while Galchenyuk played for the Habs were never a good PP team. We haven't had a good PP for awhile now.

The difference being that the Markov PPs you're remembering wasn't a 1-3-1, it was a 1-2-2 or 3-2.

Montreal never really ran a real 1-3-1 when Markov was here. The closest was '16-'17, but I'm not sure that really counts.

But you know when Montreal had a good PP? Last season. Especially once Weber got injured. And Galchenyk played a big role in that.

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

Weber’s bomb couldn’t hurt.

Actually it does hurt

 

[417]

In a 1-3-1 PP setup, it is imperative that you do not have the half wall and the point be the same hand.

The placement is pretty simple. Ideally, you want a left shot on the right boards, a right shot on the left boards. You want a quick passing D-men with a decent shot, preferably right-handed, but its not that important.

You want the slot presence and the net front presence to have opposite handedness to allow for spread plays down low.

That's been the book for the setup for a long while. Any coach worth their salt knows that.

Sorry - when you say handedness is not that important.

I can't agree with you, so agree to disagree.

The problem with all lefty is that ignores why the 1-3-1 (or a 1-2-2) look is so useful and popular. And its because it offers so many different looks, the D shot one of the least significant.

I agree that my premise is based on how they set up...which is as you say, 1-3-1 (or 1-2-2).

Typically, the 1-3-1 (or 1-2-2) is QB'd by the player at the top of the umbrella...but the Habs insist on making Drouin, who plays the left side of the 2.

So if they're going to do it that way, the player playing the point (1) HAS to be left handed because it forces the PKers playing at the top of their box to respect that option, which of course, opens up the middle of the box to pass it across to Domi (2).

But as its set up now, with a left handed Drouin passing to a right handed Petry...Petry can't one time the puck, he has to re-adjust his body just to get into shooting position - and by that time, you've lost the element of surprise.

It's not ideal to describe this on a message board...so perhaps i'm not being clear, cause it's pretty obvious when I see it in my head.

Montreal's problems are:

-They don't have great puckmovers on D.
-They're really lefty heavy.
-They don't have much in the way of great shooters.

Agreed...it's as much about personnel as it is about schematics.

The difference being that the Markov PPs you're remembering wasn't a 1-3-1, it was a 1-2-2 or 3-2.

All hybrids of each other as Markov tended to roam high/low on the left side...but the key was that he was the QB of those PP from the left side. Much like Drouin is now, so i'm advocating for them to use those same principles even though they're lacking key personnel (big shot form Souray/Streit & Kovalev).

But you know when Montreal had a good PP? Last season. Especially once Weber got injured. And Galchenyk played a big role in that.[/QUOTE]
Montreal's PP finished 13th last year, which was decent but it did improve significantly after Weber got injured and they weren't trying to set him up for the one timer like everyone in the building knew.

That and Drouin became much more of a shooting threat, he must of scored a good 4-5 goals shooting from the left side...so that's definitely something they should look at.