Line Combos: 2024-2025 Powerplay Discussion

[Rapala]

Hutson moves, everybody else stands still. It isn't difficult to understand.

The only other player who moves around is Nick Suzuki but he often has less in his tank than others because he's expected to carry the mail all the time.

 

[CharleyHorse]

Fire MSL bro, and if Kent Hughes don't want to do it, fire Kent Hughes

Fire everybody that has a hand in that historically terrible powerplay

I've been saying this for a while, mainly out of frustration. Clearly, MSL won't be fired anytime soon and neither will HuGo, and honestly, they probably shouldn't be. But the fact that the PP issues have been an afterthought for everyone who's run this team for the past 7 or so years, makes me want to make to beat the shit out of something.

 

[Rafafouille]

Laine or not. The key to this year's success is whether MSL can fix that PP. he still has enough pieces to do it w/o Laine. If that PP gets us 1-2 goals a game, we’ll be in the

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That'd be the best PP in the league by a wide margin. Tampa led with 71 last year(0.87 PPG per game). Edmonton's elite PP had 64 PPG(5th in the league). We had 44 goals last year(24th in the league). If we go from bad to elite it's only a 20 goals swing and moves us from 25th in goals for to 19th. We need far more offense in general, not just the PP.

 

[Tabarouette]

i'm joining the thread with fresh ideas

what if instead of wheeling the puck for 90 seconds we tried taking shots

 

[Habit11]

i'm joining the thread with fresh ideas

what if instead of wheeling the puck for 90 seconds we tried taking shots

By simply shooting more it will get the PK moving out of their position, which is good to create further opportunities, and they need to stop attempting so many cross ice, low percentage passes.

 

[SwiftyHab]

i'm joining the thread with fresh ideas

what if instead of wheeling the puck for 90 seconds we tried taking shots

 

[Trabdy2]

The players have to move more and the puck has to move faster, in order to create more disruptions and confusion in the opposing PK structure.

We're so static and we don't move the puck quickly, which makes it easy for teams to keep their PK structure against us.

Also, it doesn't help that we've been so poor on pass execution. So many missed passes and fumbled receptions in zone, giving more time for opposition PK to get positioned and maintain their structure.

Hutson, and to a lesser extent, Suzuki are the only ones who seem to have shown a lot of movement so far in the preseason on the PP.

At least gaining the zone doesn't seem.to have been much of an issue. If there is any bright side here.

 

[Adriatic]

The power play is such a weird thing, sometimes the amount of skill is irrelevant. It helps when you have more skill but that's not always the answer. The chemistry between the 5 players is the most important aspect and we just don't have that. We've seen bad teams with amazing power plays and really good teams with all kinds of talent have an atrocious man advantage. Penguins are great example, Crosby/Malkin/Guentzal/Letang/Karlsson and yet one of the worst pp in the league. Maybe Hutson will change that for us.

 

[HuGort]

Big body who can handle the puck in front of net. Like Monahan last season. Dach fits description but can't win faceoffs. Put him on wing? Newhook plays center on PP?

 

[schwang26]

Exhibition is one thing, but that first line better pull their heads out of their asses when the season starts. They’ve been pretty invisible and clearly look terrible on the PP. i was questioning whether Caulfield was even dressed he’s looked so invisible. Slaf too aside from his fight.

 

[Rapala]

i'm joining the thread with fresh ideas

what if instead of wheeling the puck for 90 seconds we tried taking shots

Taking shots requires opening up lanes and having net front otherwise it's just another way to turn the puck over or create a stoppage.
I'd love nothing more than having a PP that could take more MEANINGFUL shots. I already complain about many of the shots we do take.
We aren't moving the puck fast enough we aren't moving ourselves or the defenders nearly enough.
No one attacks the box to create confusion and our puck retrieval isn't where in needs to be.
We also have players who can't execute under duress and those guys are constantly under attack.
How do we practice creating a good PP when our PK is so passive. Very few teams are passive against us.

That's an awful lot of issues to deal with before saying let's take more shots. If it was that easy they would have done it already.

 

[Tabarouette]

Taking shots requires opening up lanes and having net front other wise it's just another way to turn the puck over or create a stoppage.
I'd love nothing more than having a PP that could take more MEANINGFUL shots. I already complain about many of the shots we do take.
We aren't moving the puck fast enough we aren't moving ourselves or the defenders nearly enough.
No one attacks the box to create confusion and our puck retrieval isn't where in needs to be.
We also have players who can't execute under duress and those guys are constantly under attack.
How do we practice creating a good PP when our PK is so passive. Very few teams are passive against us.

That's an awful lot of issues to deal with before saying let's take more shots. If it was that easy they would have done it already.

I think it's a give and take and you're right, i'm just more focused on how they all refuse to shoot unless they get the PERFECT lane in front of them like we're still playing for Sheldon Souray to take a slapper

 

[Rapala]

Big body who can handle the puck in front of net. Like Monahan last season. Dach fits description but can't win faceoffs. Put him on wing? Newhook plays center on PP?

I agree the first thing we need to do is use big bodied wingers who are able to help us win more scrambled draws.
For me Caufield has never been that guy particularly along the wall on draws.

 

[Rapala]

I think it's a give and take and you're right, i'm just more focused on how they all refuse to shoot unless they get the PERFECT lane in front of them like we're still playing for Sheldon Souray to take a slapper

One of the reasons I like Lane Hutson on the point is he puts the puck to or on the net with a purpose every time.
I'm not a genius but I do know our forwards will be far more comfortable going to the net under those circumstances.
Matheson will do it sometimes but generally he's trying to blast one past the goaltender.
I'm going to the net far more often if I'm not likely to take a 90-100 mile an hour puck off any sensitive areas.

 

[HuGort]

I agree the first thing we need to do is use big bodied wingers who are able to help us win more scrambled draws.
For me Caufield has never been that guy particularly along the wall on draws.

I just would use what was successful in past. Those 20 games or so before Monahan was traded they had him in bumper position. Powerplay was decent. Hutson should improve things though.

 

[WeThreeKings]

One of the biggest things and what MSL and the coaching staff really need to do is.

What are we trying to do here? What's our A1 look? What are we TRYING to set up?

The players don't know.. and if you don't know what you're trying to set up, you can't make plays off of that to open it up, or take advantage of what the PK is taking away.

 

[CDN24]

Honestly think that Hutson may be best suited for a 2 Dman PP. I would try 13-14-20 with Hutson and Maillioux if he is there or Guhle. The other D-man is the shooter, Hutson is the set up guy and free to roam as he likes to do. More space to roam into with a 2 d setup.

Then for PP2 Its Matheson, Dach, Newhook and maybe Roy Kappanen. After the 0-15 in 2 games with 13-14-20 and MM its time to experiment a little. And just maybe forgo that damn drop pass every now and then to keep em honest.

 

[Beer and Chips]

One of the biggest things and what MSL and the coaching staff really need to do is.

What are we trying to do here? What's our A1 look? What are we TRYING to set up?

The players don't know.. and if you don't know what you're trying to set up, you can't make plays off of that to open it up, or take advantage of what the PK is taking away.

There you go.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Why is Kapanen running the PP? He's a net front guy..

MSL is a bit too in his head on offensive players need to be able to do everything and be unpredictable. Let them do the predictable thing and work off of that. Putting them in spots where they can't utilize their strengths is resulting in a toothless powerplay with no real end goal in sight.

The Sens PP went everything off the Norris one timer. They had the Greig bumper one timer off of that and generally a down low jam play by Brady Tkachuk otherwise.

 

[Rapala]

Honestly think that Hutson may be best suited for a 2 Dman PP. I would try 13-14-20 with Hutson and Maillioux if he is there or Guhle. The other D-man is the shooter, Hutson is the set up guy and free to roam as he likes to do. More space to roam into with a 2 d setup.

Then for PP2 Its Matheson, Dach, Newhook and maybe Roy Kappanen. After the 0-15 in 2 games with 13-14-20 and MM its time to experiment a little. And just maybe forgo that damn drop pass every now and then to keep em honest.

I don't know the most success we've had with a forward on the point has been with Suzuki on RD.
I'm good with that and using an umbrella approach.
What I'd like to see us do is constantly change the tip of the umbrella as we probe overloading one side or the other.
This means Hutson will slide down to the half wall on either side. This should give us multiple points of attack.
We know Hutson is the tip Suzuki should be one branch and I'd probably use Dach as the other.
Those three guys will be the ones handling the puck the most and getting creative.
Our success would depend on them constantly being in motion.
Kirby and Nick would also have to become the tip of the trianagle down low edging in an out of that traditional bumper slot.
Our wingers have to move from net side to net front to bumper to half wall depending on how we are probimg.
Each componenet has to move and has to be given a reason for moving otherwise they simply won't and we'll get more of what we are seeing.
Hutson's engine at the back is what can put this all in motion Matheson's not so much.

 

[Rapala]

delete

 

[Canadienna]

I feel like there's an option staring us in the face that no one mentions and we've never tried.

Kaiden Guhle.

 

[morhilane]

I feel like there's an option staring us in the face that no one mentions and we've never tried.

Kaiden Guhle.

Nah, Guhle is already spending 110% of his energy fixing Matheson's screw ups. No time for the PP.

 

[Skip Bayless]

I think one of the main reasons we've been able to tank is having a dogshit PP.

So when Marty says he's just getting into it now...I kinda believe him.

He said he's getting into offense in general. I hope we start seeing some nice rush plays on odd man rushes, and nice movement in the offensive zone.

That Grillo guy, he was brought for offense me thinks.

 

[Habby4Life]

I’m predicting first PP goal scored in Game 4 reg season.

Didn’t think it could look worse but it’s dead!