Speculation: Wild Powerplay Discussion

[BigT2002]

I just think it may be time to pass the torch and move [Koivu] to the 2nd PP line with Suter and move Spurgeon and Granlund to the top

Parise-Granlund-Pommers-Haula (always have 2 faceoff guys just in case)-Spurgeon

Nino-Koivu-Coyle-Vanek-Suter

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[nickschultzfan]

I'm with this thinking. If Koivu wants to win and compete at the level we all know, he just needs his minutes slowed down a bit. If we sign Vanek, there is a very good chance that Koivu's line doesn't even change from Nino and Coyle on his wings. If we play 3 scoring lines, they will still get good offensive time and we all know he's going to take the blunt of the faceoffs.

I just think it may be time to pass the torch and move him to the 2nd PP line with Suter and move Spurgeon and Granlund to the top

Parise-Granlund-Pommers-Haula (always have 2 faceoff guys just in case)-Spurgeon

Nino-Koivu-Coyle-Vanek-Suter

I think that is the key. Stop giving Koivu 1st PP minutes and play him 18-20 minutes a night. He'll have fresher legs at the end of games.

 

[ThatGuy22]

I think that is the key. Stop giving Koivu 1st PP minutes and play him 18-20 minutes a night. He'll have fresher legs at the end of games.

Koivu on the 1 PP is not even the problem. He is consistently in the top 10 of A/60 of PP time(and A1/60, so its not based on 2nd assists), and Parise was #1 this year in G/60.

Its the rest of the personal. Pominville isn't good on the point, Suter is adaquate at distributing but doesn't have a PP cannon.

We don't have a threat from the point, so it allows teams to collapse in and take away the middle.

The rotating third wheel at wing was absolutely useless this year. I'd be shocked if we got 10 points from the Coyle/Heatley/anyone else we tried there. If they are going to run basically exclusively 1 powerplay like we did this year, it needs to include Granlund, Koivu Parise up front, and a better shooter up top.

Folin is rumored to have a Cannon, maybe a

Parise-Koivu-Granlund
Suter-Folin

 

[nickschultzfan]

Koivu on the 1 PP is not even the problem. He is consistently in the top 10 of A/60 of PP time(and A1/60, so its not based on 2nd assists), and Parise was #1 this year in G/60.

Its the rest of the personal. Pominville isn't good on the point, Suter is adaquate at distributing but doesn't have a PP cannon.

We don't have a threat from the point, so it allows teams to collapse in and take away the middle.

The rotating third wheel at wing was absolutely useless this year. I'd be shocked if we got 10 points from the Coyle/Heatley/anyone else we tried there. If they are going to run basically exclusively 1 powerplay like we did this year, it needs to include Granlund, Koivu Parise up front, and a better shooter up top.

Folin is rumored to have a Cannon, maybe a

Parise-Koivu-Granlund
Suter-Folin

I would be ok with that if Koivu is down-low, Granlund on the half-wall, and Parise in front of the net.

 

[ThatGuy22]

I would be ok with that if Koivu is down-low, Granlund on the half-wall, and Parise in front of the net.

That is certainly my prefered arrangement.

 

[MuckOG]

I would be ok with that if Koivu is down-low, Granlund on the half-wall, and Parise in front of the net.

Who would take the faceoffs for the 2nd PP unit?

 

[Mubiki]

Having a "cannon" on the point is overrated. The MOST important aspect is the ability to get the puck ON NET. Soft, hard, whatever, it needs to be on net. When we got pucks to the net, we scored.

 

[ThatGuy22]

Who would take the faceoffs for the 2nd PP unit?

How many faceoffs does our second unit take? If our usage doesn't change, it doesn't matter. 90% of the time, our 2nd unit was getting 40-30 seconds of any given PP, and the change was almost always happening in transition.

If they need a Center out there, They can send Haula or Use Coyle and hope for the best.

 

[Mubiki]

How many faceoffs does our second unit take? If our usage doesn't change, it doesn't matter. 90% of the time, our 2nd unit was getting 40-30 seconds of any given PP, and the change was almost always happening in transition.

If they need a Center out there, They can send Haula or Use Coyle and hope for the best.

Agreed. We need to focus on getting legit production from the first pairing. Then we worry about the second.

 

[Avder]

I think it's high time we have a thread on this subject, so I split some stuff off the Koivu thread so we can discuss this at length without taking that thread too far off topic.

 

[Victorious Secret]

Well, it'd be nice to have dedicated units, rather than running the first unit out there half assed for a minute and a half.

 

[Lapa]

The problem is we have no movement. Plain and simple.

 

[Minnesota]

The Wild's powerplay. It's bad.

 

[Victorious Secret]

And their stupid low down slam dunk move. Quit that ****.

 

[Avder]

Even that talking head Edzo had productive suggestions for our powerplay.

The biggest thing is getting the defenders to move in order to counter our threats. You get the defenders to tire themselves out and lanes start to open really wide to get a good shot on net.

And we need decent quarterbacking. Suter just ain't cutting it.

 

[Victorious Secret]

I hope he puts out Folin/Blum on the 2nd unit with Spurgeon quarterbacking the top unit with a Pominville to his left and Granlund to his right. Honestly, I could see us going with 4 forwards.

 

[ThatGuy22]

Well, it'd be nice to have dedicated units, rather than running the first unit out there half assed for a minute and a half.

I would be fine with that, and having Koivu and Granlund seperated. If they actually used them like that. Switched off who started, etc.

Put if they are going to use the "1st unit" for 3/4ths of every PP, just stack the deck.

 

[nickschultzfan]

I would think about putting Nino on the half-wall in the 2nd unit. Would be nice to have a sniper, rather than a passer, from that situation. That would leave Coyle for the front of the net guy.

 

[57special]

I don't want to see Pominville on the point ever again.

 

[llamapalooza]

Even that talking head Edzo had productive suggestions for our powerplay.

The biggest thing is getting the defenders to move in order to counter our threats. You get the defenders to tire themselves out and lanes start to open really wide to get a good shot on net.

And we need decent quarterbacking. Suter just ain't cutting it.

Thank you!! I think the PP would be a lot better served if the focus was on the best Power Play players, and not the best overall players. Suter plays half the game already, he shouldn't need to be out there on the PP just because he's our best overall defenseman or because he's the highest paid or the oldest or whatever.

The same more or less goes for Koivu. He's one of our best overall players, but he doesn't have to be the best at every single part of the game.

 

[Avder]

Thank you!! I think the PP would be a lot better served if the focus was on the best Power Play players, and not the best overall players. Suter plays half the game already, he shouldn't need to be out there on the PP just because he's our best overall defenseman or because he's the highest paid or the oldest or whatever.

The same more or less goes for Koivu. He's one of our best overall players, but he doesn't have to be the best at every single part of the game.

Agreed. Suter is a shutdown kind of guy, and Mikko is great two-way. Both should see limited powerplay time so they can excel in other areas of the game.

A powerplay quarterback needs to be able to both distribute the puck fast and shoot the puck instantly. The way Suter plays it gives the opposition all the time in the world to get set up to take away the good shooting lanes and passing lanes.

Spurgeon can do both of those things better than Suter does. Ballard might be worth looking at as well if he can stop being a liability.

And for god sakes don't even think about Pommer on the point.

 

[roon]

Why do people feel that the problem with our powerplay is personnel? We have hands down one of the most predictable powerplay's in the league. You are going to have 3 perimeter passes at minimum while we hope for a 1-timer or a shooting lane to open. We then rely upon that shot getting through and getting a rebound to create any kind of scoring chance for us.

Sydor needs to rethink his entire strategy. There is a problem with our powerplay and it is not who is out on the ice.

 

[Avder]

Isnt bruno responsible for it and not Sydor?

I'd love to see a breakdown of each assistant coaches responsibilities at some point.

 

[DANOZ28]

bring back the ole northstars coach pierre paige. he turned the stars PP around! yeo hasn't fixed the PP yet, we need a specialist. search for a old russian red army coach sittin at the bar.

 

[Wild48]

Isnt bruno responsible for it and not Sydor?

I'd love to see a breakdown of each assistant coaches responsibilities at some point.

Yes, Bruno was brought in specifically to help with the PP. Not sure if he's "in charge" or just an adviser.