The power play without Kessel this season

[TheMalkinEra]

Will the Pens stay with 4 forwards on the first unit which they have done since they traded Ryan Whitney or for the first time in decade have 2D on the first unit with Letang and Schultz.

The ideal setup is net front guy(Hornqvist), a rover type(Crosby) who set up behind the net but moves around the most, guy on each wall on there off wing Letang(left) and Malkin(right). That would leave someone to run from the point. That most likely is gonna be Schultz, but I wonder how Guentzel would do on the point, he most skilled Pen after Sid and Geno

Or does Jake become the net front guy on the top unit replacing Hornqvist if the Pens use Letang/Schultz on the first unit.

Click to read more...

 

[Gurglesons]

Personally I’d put Bjugstad on the top unit.

 

[EightyOne]

No more shorthanded goals against.

That's what they should focus on.

Oh. And shoot the f***ing puck.

The PP hardly felt like an advantage last year while the preceding couple it was very strong.

And it was all pretty much the same players. I can't explain their ineptitude last year. (It still was good when compared to league, but not good enough when compared with the Pens personnel and skill)

 

[Turin]

Both Guentzel or Galch should be able to adequately fill whatever void is gone. The PP will run through Crosby or Malkin now.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Put Malkin in Kessel's spot on the powerplay and put Galchenyuk in Malkin's spot. Malkin has a lot of experience playing the left side of the powerplay as more of a PPQB and Galchenyuk's strongest attribute is his 1-timer.

 

[ZeroPucksGiven]

They essentially have to unlearn and adjust to Kessel's absence. This isn't as simple as some are making it out to be.

Their PP better have some other variants because Kessel drove and QB'd the man advantage as good as I've ever seen during the Sid/Malkin era. Kessel's passing is going to be highly missed- probably the best passer on the team next to Sid

I'd actually replace Kessel with Letang on the left wall/circle. Sid, Geno, Horny (net front guy) and Schultz are my others.

Let Schultz QB the play from the top- he'll be a threat to unleash his shot and draw one of the defenders high and eventually we might get a cross ice feed behind that defender. When Letang is up high there's really not much of a threat for it to end up in the back of the net on it's own power. We faced way too many compact PK's due to this.

Letang being able to 1 time a puck and possible sneak in for a back door play would do wonders. If Jake and Chucky were righties I'd obviously have them over on the wall.

 

[Pens1566]

One of Jake/Gally will take his 1st PP minutes, and they'll play it like they did when Neal was here.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

I think the PP is going to be a work in progress this year. Just lost a huge piece and there are no obvious answers.

 

[Ugene Magic]

The only way is to slide Letang into Kessel's spot.

Sid, geno in their usual spots and having Jake and Patric switch in and out for net front. Leaving Justin for the top of the umbrella.

Injuries and times of the PP struggling will dictate the infusion of the others. Also who was on already to draw the PP could see guys like Alex get some use.

 

[JRS91]

Guentzel on LW, Malkin at C, Hornqvist on the RW. Then Crosby and Letang on the point.

Second unit I'd probably have Galchenyuk on LW, McCann at C and Bjugstad on the RW. Then Pettersson and Schultz on the point.

 

[PensPlz]

Unless they take Malkin off the point on the PP then the SH goals allowed will still be an issue. It wasn't just Kessel. Malkin's dangling on the blueline was atrocious.

Also not putting the team's leader in goals by a dozen on the top PP last year was beyond frustrating. If Jake isn't on the top PP this year then I'm going to start giving up hope that Sullivan is a competent coach.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I'm not trying to be an ass... maybe I've just missed something... but how does Malkin have "a lot of experience" playing the left half wall in Kessel's old spot? I'm struggling to remember this. I want to say maybe they fiddled around with this here and there years ago while Disco was coaching but I'm not sure.

I'm used to seeing him mostly on the right point while drifting in and out of the right half boards spot.

As for what they'll do without Kessel... I'd like to see the setup Zero described above but they'll never do that. Though I will say that they really, really need to find a way to work their top goal scorer into their top unit. I know Hornqvist does what he does but I'd personally not hate to see what things look like with those two swapped in the above scenario.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I'm not trying to be an ass... maybe I've just missed something... but how does Malkin have "a lot of experience" playing the left half wall in Kessel's old spot? I'm struggling to remember this. I want to say maybe they fiddled around with this here and there years ago while Disco was coaching but I'm not sure.

Because that's the powerplay structure they used when they didn't have a right handed powerplay option. That wasn't just under Bylsma, Therrien and Johnston did that as well.

I specifically remember the 2013-2014 PP had Letang at the top, Malkin and Crosby on the half-walls, Neal in the slot and Kunitz in front of the net. I believe they had a similar structure when Gonchar was their PPQB too, with Malkin on the left half-wall and Crosby on the right half-wall.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Fair enough. I'm sure they've tried it... I know I remember it here and there... but I think they would use Malkin as often as possible in those days on the right side in order to set the table for his big one-timer. Especially when Gonchar was around since he could dummy the other team into it perfectly on a consistent basis.

Either way I don't at all agree in yanking Malkin to the other side of the ice to accommodate Gooch of all people. But if it works, it works.

 

[Shady Machine]

Because that's the powerplay structure they used when they didn't have a right handed powerplay option. That wasn't just under Bylsma, Therrien and Johnston did that as well.

I specifically remember the 2013-2014 PP had Letang at the top, Malkin and Crosby on the half-walls, Neal in the slot and Kunitz in front of the net. I believe they had a similar structure when Gonchar was their PPQB too, with Malkin on the left half-wall and Crosby on the right half-wall.

DB pimped the idea for a while, don't remember it under Therrien but it's possible. Malkin never really looked comfortable there IMO.

 

[Empoleon8771]

DB pimped the idea for a while, don't remember it under Therrien but it's possible. Malkin never really looked comfortable there IMO.

I think they ran with that before Letang got his feet wet in the NHL, so in 06-07 and early 07-08. I do specifically remember Malkin and Gonchar playing in those spots, because Malkin used to feed Gonchar for 1-timers in that role. That eventually became Letang's job. They did the same thing with that Tocchet powerplay that started the 14-15 season on an absolute tear.

Malkin on the left wall has been their go-to strategy when they don't have a right handed guy for that spot. That's what I'm expecting them to do this time around too. I think their powerplay to start this year will probably look similar to their 2013-2014 powerplay, with Guentzel or Galchenyuk in Neal's old role.

Edit: as much as people would be terrified of it, I actually think this powerplay structure would be the best structure they can come up with:

Malkin
Crosby Galchenyuk Letang
Hornqvist

This is Malkin at the top of the umbrella, Crosby and Letang on the half-walls, Galchenyuk in the slot and Hornqvist as the net front guy. Formatting on HF isn't working for me

 

[Shady Machine]

I think they ran with that before Letang got his feet wet in the NHL, so in 06-07 and early 07-08. I do specifically remember Malkin and Gonchar playing in those spots, because Malkin used to feed Gonchar for 1-timers in that role. That eventually became Letang's job. They did the same thing with that Tocchet powerplay that started the 14-15 season on an absolute tear.

Malkin on the left wall has been their go-to strategy when they don't have a right handed guy for that spot. That's what I'm expecting them to do this time around too. I think their powerplay to start this year will probably look similar to their 2013-2014 powerplay, with Guentzel or Galchenyuk in Neal's old role.

Oh yeah you are definitely right with Tocchet. Good call.

I'm open to whatever option makes the most sense. Just not sure making Malkin uncomfortable is in the team's best interest. Maybe he likes it on the left side, but I tend to doubt it.

 

[Dennis Reynolds]

This team is really missing a fourth defenseman who's offensively competent. I don't like both of Dumoulin and Petterson on PP2.

Hornqvist

Crosby​

Letang

Malkin​

Schultz​

Bjugstad

Galchenyuk​

Guentzel

Dumoulin​

Petterson
​

 

[UnrealMachine]

I think the PP is going to be a work in progress this year. Just lost a huge piece and there are no obvious answers.

Guentzel was 14th in 5on5 points/60 and 4th in goals/60 last season. And he seems to have okay chemistry with Crosby & Letang?

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Guentzel was 14th in 5on5 points/60 and 4th in goals/60 last season. And he seems to have okay chemistry with Crosby & Letang?

You won't find a bigger Guentzel supporter than me, we just don't know how he's going to fit on the PP or if he's even the main option they're looking at.

 

[ZeroPucksGiven]

I think they ran with that before Letang got his feet wet in the NHL, so in 06-07 and early 07-08. I do specifically remember Malkin and Gonchar playing in those spots, because Malkin used to feed Gonchar for 1-timers in that role. That eventually became Letang's job. They did the same thing with that Tocchet powerplay that started the 14-15 season on an absolute tear.

Malkin on the left wall has been their go-to strategy when they don't have a right handed guy for that spot. That's what I'm expecting them to do this time around too. I think their powerplay to start this year will probably look similar to their 2013-2014 powerplay, with Guentzel or Galchenyuk in Neal's old role.

Edit: as much as people would be terrified of it, I actually think this powerplay structure would be the best structure they can come up with:

Malkin
Crosby Galchenyuk Letang
Hornqvist

This is Malkin at the top of the umbrella, Crosby and Letang on the half-walls, Galchenyuk in the slot and Hornqvist as the net front guy. Formatting on HF isn't working for me

Who is QBing the PP then? For as great as Sid/Geno are their ability in this role compared to Schultz/Gonchar/Kessel is a vast drop off

 

[Dominance]

Guentzel - Crosby down low/net front.

Malkin - Galchenyuk up high. Gally has the lethal one timer, but I want to see Malkin unleashing his laser wrister every time teams give him space while trying to stop the cross-ice pass. These two can slice across and exchange positions to shake up the defensive structure.

Letang up top.

Run the powerplay up and down both sides of the boards and let Malkin/Gally take every clear look they get, whether it’s off the one timer or not. Lots of opportunities for tips/rebounds.



I, for one, am looking forward to a Kessel-less powerplay unit.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Who is QBing the PP then? For as great as Sid/Geno are their ability in this role compared to Schultz/Gonchar/Kessel is a vast drop off

I'd have Malkin as the PPQB. While he's not Gonchar in terms of being a PPQB, I do think he at least has the ability to be better in that role than Letang. If you go with the expected PP structure, Letang is the PPQB.

 

[ZeroPucksGiven]

I'd have Malkin as the PPQB. While he's not Gonchar in terms of being a PPQB, I do think he at least has the ability to be better in that role than Letang. If you go with the expected PP structure, Letang is the PPQB.

I think you'll be disappointed with Malkin in that role- he doesn't pass as well as the others.

Add in the fact he needs to be moving to manipulate passing lanes...well that's not Geno's forte at all. He's more of a threat as a stationary target and recipient vs distributor.
If Malkin was a righty, he'd probably have at least 50 more PP goals to his resume

 

[Gurglesons]

Who is QBing the PP then? For as great as Sid/Geno are their ability in this role compared to Schultz/Gonchar/Kessel is a vast drop off

The fact you included Schultz and even Kessel with Gonchar makes me question your take.

It’s been proven Letang is a better PP D than Schultz for awhile now.