Speculation: 2024-2025 General Lightning Discussion: Preseason Edition

[Rschmitz]

I am trying to understand moving Kucherov away from the right circle.

Maybe better opportunities for him to shoot against the goalies blocker side?
Hedman being a lefty actually makes the distance for the puck to travel from the point not so bad?

This is a pretty big change and not something done on a whim.

 

[StammerHammer]

If they keep Kuch on the left side, which I don't think they will, you can kiss his Art Ross for the upcoming season goodbye.

 

[JoVel]

That experiment will last approximately three power plays. Kucherov's one touch ability is exactly the key to what has made this power play so good for years.

 

[These Are The Days]

If Kucherov goes to the left side he might bag 100 assists again.

Without exaggeration, the 2020 playoff power play was probably the most unpredictable and spontaneously generated attack we have had in the Jon Cooper Era minus Drouin/Kucherov/Hedman. Just re-watch the 2020 playoff games. Kucherov would seemingly wander off and get lost low in the corner and then bam, he'd come back into the picture to do something productive and unpredictable. Whether to feed Point in the slot for a goal. Or something like an unexpected pass to the blue line that no one was covering and suddenly there's a screen that the goaltender cannot see through.

I absolutely love this and it's a welcome change for me. We have had masterful powerplay efficency in recent years but it's because we have such dominant players. Our strategy was "Lol you know it's coming, so stop us then" and I was very ready to get away from it. 18,000 people a night knew the puck was going to Stamkos and I actually cannot believe it worked as well as it did for as long as it did.

I might be wrong about the 100 assists but we're gonna see some Gretzky lite stuff out there. Kucherov doesn't really need to be on his forehand to be efficient. He's going to dissect every inch of ice and defenders are gonna be too scared to even come at him

 

[Felonious Python]

PP1 is favoring the left side, but Point is netfront while Guentzel is bumper, which makes a lot more sense, IMO.

Who is in the left circle doesn't really matter too much. There's nothing special about that spot. The question is who is the one to take the Stamkos role, and that's Hagel.

If I had to guess PP2 (favor right)
netfront: Cirelli
left circle: Raddysh (as reported)
bumper: Atkinson
right circle: Paul
blueline: Moser

PP2 (favor left)
netfront: Atkinson
left circle: Raddysh
bumper: Cirelli
right circle: Paul
blueline: Moser

Nick Paul and Anthony Cirelli are somewhat interchangable on either side, but I think of Cirelli as more of a distributor, and Paul as more of a shooter.

Having both PPs prefer the same side makes more sense, IMO. It makes players more interchangeable between units, and partial line changes less confusing.

 

[DFC]

I am trying to understand moving Kucherov away from the right circle.

Maybe better opportunities for him to shoot against the goalies blocker side?
Hedman being a lefty actually makes the distance for the puck to travel from the point not so bad?

This is a pretty big change and not something done on a whim.

I'm wondering if it's something Kucherov himself wanted to try to give himself a bit more protection with the puck. I'll bet it's happening now because they're not married to the idea.

I suspect we will see Kucherov back on the right by Game 1.

Really wondering if we might put Point in Stamkos's spot, not for one timers so much as just good decisions. If Guentzel can be even close to as effective as Ppint in the bumper, it might pay off to put Point in a spot where he can control and (most importantly) retrieve pucks.

 

[DFC]

If Kucherov goes to the left side he might bag 100 assists again.

Without exaggeration, the 2020 playoff power play was probably the most unpredictable and spontaneously generated attack we have had in the Jon Cooper Era minus Drouin/Kucherov/Hedman. Just re-watch the 2020 playoff games. Kucherov would seemingly wander off and get lost low in the corner and then bam, he'd come back into the picture to do something productive and unpredictable. Whether to feed Point in the slot for a goal. Or something like an unexpected pass to the blue line that no one was covering and suddenly there's a screen that the goaltender cannot see through.

I absolutely love this and it's a welcome change for me. We have had masterful powerplay efficency in recent years but it's because we have such dominant players. Our strategy was "Lol you know it's coming, so stop us then" and I was very ready to get away from it. 18,000 people a night knew the puck was going to Stamkos and I actually cannot believe it worked as well as it did for as long as it did.

I might be wrong about the 100 assists but we're gonna see some Gretzky lite stuff out there. Kucherov doesn't really need to be on his forehand to be efficient. He's going to dissect every inch of ice and defenders are gonna be too scared to even come at him

It worked because it didn't always go to Stamkos. We had a guy scoring even more often in front of the net. So giving Kucherov both options, and a semi-third option to hit the low man to relay to Point, is what made us near impossible to stop. Can't double team everybody.

The only guy he couldn't hit for a split second goal was Hedman...

Which is maybe why they're trying this out. Give Kucherov the option to hit Hedman for a one-timer too. All about the bang-bang(sometimes -bang) plays.

 

[BoltSTH]

PP1 is favoring the left side, but Point is netfront while Guentzel is bumper, which makes a lot more sense, IMO.

Who is in the left circle doesn't really matter too much. There's nothing special about that spot. The question is who is the one to take the Stamkos role, and that's Hagel.

If I had to guess PP2 (favor right)
netfront: Cirelli
left circle: Raddysh (as reported)
bumper: Atkinson
right circle: Paul
blueline: Moser

PP2 (favor left)
netfront: Atkinson
left circle: Raddysh
bumper: Cirelli
right circle: Paul
blueline: Moser

Nick Paul and Anthony Cirelli are somewhat interchangable on either side, but I think of Cirelli as more of a distributor, and Paul as more of a shooter.

Having both PPs prefer the same side makes more sense, IMO. It makes players more interchangeable between units, and partial line changes less confusing.

I think that Moser will only be PP2 QB if he is not being paired with Hedman even strength.

 

[Rschmitz]

I'm wondering if it's something Kucherov himself wanted to try to give himself a bit more protection with the puck. I'll bet it's happening now because they're not married to the idea.

I suspect we will see Kucherov back on the right by Game 1.

Really wondering if we might put Point in Stamkos's spot, not for one timers so much as just good decisions. If Guentzel can be even close to as effective as Ppint in the bumper, it might pay off to put Point in a spot where he can control and (most importantly) retrieve pucks.

I think it goes without saying that it was Kucherov's idea. Only an idiot coach would change up what was working last year, when everything is run through Kucherov and not Stamkos.

 

[DFC]

I think it goes without saying that it was Kucherov's idea. Only an idiot coach would change up what was working last year, when everything is run through Kucherov and not Stamkos.

I need to qualify the following statement by first mentioning that I do believe this was probably Kucherov wanting to try it out:

...I mean... it's not like we've never seen Cooper try to out-think the league.

 

[Point21]

Kuch and Guentzel are gonna be buddies real quick

 

[These Are The Days]

Delete

 

[Fan from AK]

Just freaking start the season already!!!!!!!! Go Bolts and welcome Jake!!!!

 

[Rschmitz]

I need to qualify the following statement by first mentioning that I do believe this was probably Kucherov wanting to try it out:

...I mean... it's not like we've never seen Cooper try to out-think the league.

I don't put anything past Cooper, but I think even he would need to get the OK from Kucherov here. We also know our guy Kuch loves to experiment with shit, someone will ask soon enough and we'll know.

 

[DFC]

I don't put anything past Cooper, but I think even he would need to get the OK from Kucherov here. We also know our guy Kuch loves to experiment with shit, someone will ask soon enough and we'll know.

Coop: "You know, Kuch, I'm thinking you should play the left this year on the PP."

Kuch: "OK, coach."

Coop: "You know, I'm just thinking, you came back from summer a few lbs heavy. And the right circle is really a thin man's circle...."

Kuch: (psychopath stare)


And that's the story of Nikita Kucherov's 200 point season.