The PP...scheme or personnel?

ChiHawks10

Registered User
Jul 7, 2009
27,916
21,138
Chicago 'Burbs
Up until last night the PP's biggest problem was the set-up, not getting the puck to net, and movement, or lack thereof.
Last night, Babcock exposed another flaw in Q's so-called PP system, the entry. By standing up at their blue line, the team's entry speed was nullified. When the Hawks did finally dump it in, the Leafs defense was on the puck first. Just an awful display.

If coaching were better, the Hawks entry on the PP would have been to recognize guys standing still at the blue line, and chip&chase moving forward. Having our wings standing still at the blue line doesn't help this much...
 

coolhand

Registered User
Jan 20, 2016
2,624
1,937
Streamwood, IL
Joel Quenneville has had some of the deepest rosters in the league at his disposal, and short of a few sh% spikes, has never managed to ice a PP that was better than mediocre (as measured by shot and chance generation per 60 minutes of 5v4 ice time).

It's entirely systems driven, and at some point people in the media will surely have to stop making excuses for him and pinning it on assistant coaches.


All that said, a strong PK is faaaaaaaaaaar more important than a strong PP, so if I had to choose a point of emphasis, it would be the PK.
Unfortunately, the Hawks don't play defense on the PK either. They let guys stand unchecked in front of the net for tips and rebounds. They never pressure the puck on the boards or the point. And when they do get the puck, they cough it up and can't clear the zone.
 

BobbyJet

I am Canadian
Oct 27, 2010
29,736
9,838
Dundas, Ontario. Can
Unfortunately, the Hawks don't play defense on the PK either. They let guys stand unchecked in front of the net for tips and rebounds. They never pressure the puck on the boards or the point. And when they do get the puck, they cough it up and can't clear the zone.
The passive PK has pretty much been the case since Frolik was traded away in what, 2013?

Kruger got the credit but it was Frolik's aggression that made the PK effective back then. Hossa was pretty good at rushing the ops into mistakes as well.
 

coolhand

Registered User
Jan 20, 2016
2,624
1,937
Streamwood, IL
The passive PK has pretty much been the case since Frolik was traded away in what, 2013?

Kruger got the credit but it was Frolik's aggression that made the PK effective back then. Hossa was pretty good at rushing the ops into mistakes as well.
Yea, I agree. The Hawks play a box letting the ops pass it around until they find an opening. Which usually doesn't take too long. Hossa was great at anticipating where the puck was going. You can't teach that I guess, but with the Hawks speed they have to have a winger that could step into that role, but who? Kampf? Hayden? Kahun maybe?
 

BobbyJet

I am Canadian
Oct 27, 2010
29,736
9,838
Dundas, Ontario. Can
Yea, I agree. The Hawks play a box letting the ops pass it around until they find an opening. Which usually doesn't take too long. Hossa was great at anticipating where the puck was going. You can't teach that I guess, but with the Hawks speed they have to have a winger that could step into that role, but who? Kampf? Hayden? Kahun maybe?
Fortin? I'd like to see Fortin kill penalties in RFD to see how he does.
 

hawksfan50

Registered User
Feb 27, 2002
13,980
1,964
So the latest has D-Cat as slot and Schmaltz at the left side shooting 1 timers and on then other unit Keith is now slot distributor...Now Keith off the top point makes sense since he has no shot ....but to have him direct traffic from the slot seems insane ..since he fumbles too many passes on reception and I am skeptical how accurate his set up for one- timers will be. AS for D-Cat now directing traffic in the slot ...they remove his shot threat to place Schmaltz as the left side shot threat ...a guy who refuses to shoot when presented with chances...this seems insane too!

They are either grasp gcatcstaraws or are plain Loco ...

Neither Keith nor Schmaltz have any business being on pp units
..period.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BobbyJet

Rick C137

Registered User
Jun 5, 2018
3,671
6,092
Pretty good article breaking down the hawks PP numbers:

History repeating itself with Blackhawks lackluster powerplay - The Point

Summed up really well at the end with this quote:

It’s one thing to lack the talent, and/or ability to execute, however, failing to understand that the plan of attack is inherently flawed is an even greater concern.

More speed and variety on entries, less time hanging onto the puck on the wall in the attacking end / teeing up point shots and more of a commitment to getting pucks to the middle of the ice. This is what’s needed to improve Chicago’s powerplay.

Until the Chicago Blackhawks learn from their mistakes, they are unfortunately destined to repeat them.
 
Last edited:

hawksfan50

Registered User
Feb 27, 2002
13,980
1,964
I am dumbfounded when I read the John Dietz article on the PP problem and his mentioning that Dinero spent 20 minutes on practice entries with his PP units on the practice yesterday ...But as Dietz pointed out,there was only two toke defenders out there and not a full 4 man pk unit to simulate real conditions our PP would face with the oops! !! THIS IS INSANITY!!! How can you practice enries correctly again st either no defenders or just 2 defenders and expect to improve when you will face 4 defenders when you have a man advantage in the 5x4 ?I t boggles the mind Dineen would do this or that Q would allow this at practice...It would seem this may be a coaching staff perogative issue. ..that is Dineen realizes he mist get his PP to get more production...entries seem to be a problem so he,Dineen orders his PP units to spend 20 minutes at practice to work just on this 2 aspect ...But the coach running our PK apoears to have other ideas for his place units to practice ..does this mean when he takes his pk units on in practices he works with them without a simulated PP situation (that is without of our PP guys simulating a real PP on ice...such that the pk too practices against no bodies trying to attack our net ..or with less than 5 extras to help simulate the oops PP? )

If our 2 specialty team coaches cannot get their acts together to provide a proper simulation,but instead run their own separate kingdoms and just practice against phantoms or bless than the required real situation numbers. .then is is unacceptable and totally crazy ..Q should be overseer and order the 2 specialty into to practice against each other ...as LOGIC would dictate..but is Q logical?I guess not ...or he is negligent in overseeing what his coaching assistants are actually doing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BobbyJet

ChiHawks10

Registered User
Jul 7, 2009
27,916
21,138
Chicago 'Burbs
I am dumbfounded when I read the John Dietz article on the PP problem and his mentioning that Dinero spent 20 minutes on practice entries with his PP units on the practice yesterday ...But as Dietz pointed out,there was only two toke defenders out there and not a full 4 man pk unit to simulate real conditions our PP would face with the oops! !! THIS IS INSANITY!!! How can you practice enries correctly again st either no defenders or just 2 defenders and expect to improve when you will face 4 defenders when you have a man advantage in the 5x4 ?I t boggles the mind Dineen would do this or that Q would allow this at practice...It would seem this may be a coaching staff perogative issue. ..that is Dineen realizes he mist get his PP to get more production...entries seem to be a problem so he,Dineen orders his PP units to spend 20 minutes at practice to work just on this 2 aspect ...But the coach running our PK apoears to have other ideas for his place units to practice ..does this mean when he takes his pk units on in practices he works with them without a simulated PP situation (that is without of our PP guys simulating a real PP on ice...such that the pk too practices against no bodies trying to attack our net ..or with less than 5 extras to help simulate the oops PP? )

If our 2 specialty team coaches cannot get their acts together to provide a proper simulation,but instead run their own separate kingdoms and just practice against phantoms or bless than the required real situation numbers. .then is is unacceptable and totally crazy ..Q should be overseer and order the 2 specialty into to practice against each other ...as LOGIC would dictate..but is Q logical?I guess not ...or he is negligent in overseeing what his coaching assistants are actually doing.

There is a reason most people who understand hockey want Q and the rest of the coaches gone at this point...
 
  • Like
Reactions: jls24

pvr

Leather Skates
Jan 22, 2008
4,685
2,083
When your crappy PP (with Toews) practices against an subpar at best PK (also, doubt Toews and first unit is out there, making the PK even worse), the PP can get a false sense of success for their efforts.

Setting aside for a moment the inability to enter the offensive zone, there’s nothing that I’ve seen with the PP that leads me to believe they’re going to turn it around any time soon. They don’t move or rotate. They don’t force confusion. They don’t attack the net, and they only accept perimeter play. Etc, etc, etc... Just pathetic all around.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jls24

Putt Pirate

Registered User
Dec 15, 2015
5,226
2,976
To have a SEVERE special teams problem and not even legitimately attempt to spend time coaching, practicing, and addressing it shows how lost Q and his staff are. Maybe he wants fired. Maybe he is placing too much emphasis on rest.....when you have 4 flipping days off. It borders on insanity.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jls24

Jeffrey Lebowski

The Chicago Little Lebowski Urban Achievers
Jul 31, 2009
6,078
908
North Side
Without reading any previous posts, my answer to the thread title is: scheme.

We have (and have had!!) the personnel to have a ~top 10 pp for at least 6 of the past 10 years. Without looking it up, i would guess that we haven't.

Guess who just celebrated their 10 year anniversary with this team?
 
  • Like
Reactions: BobbyJet

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->