Line Combos: 2024-2025 Powerplay Discussion

HabsAddict

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Feb 27, 2002
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This is not my home Habs forum so i don't post here as much as elsewhere.

Here are my thoughts on our PP. It may sound confusing because I'm responding to someone and you don't see that post.

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Because I'm a dumb fan and nowhere near the brilliance of MSL...

"During Carbonneau’s two full seasons as head coach the Canadiens had the best power play in the NHL. They ranked first during the 2006-07 season with a 22.8 per cent success rate and were first again in 2007-08 at 24.1 per cent. The Canadiens scored 86 power-play goals in 2006-07, led by Sheldon Souray with 19, and had 90 power-play goals in 2007-08, led by Alex Kovalev with 17."

Both of those years they had Markov quarterbacking and...Kovalev or Souray shooting. Souray was a brick when it came to vision but he had one of the hardest shots in the league and SUPRISE....he scored 19. Kovalev had a hard wrist shot from the top of the circle.

What we have NOW is a lot of perimeter and weak outside shooters. The hardest shots we have are X, followed by Mailman followed by Guhle. I have yet to see X on the power play or Mailman in the exhibition games. Same old BS from the same old players doing the same old thing run by the same old coach.

It's getting frustrating that it's so clear that PP after PP teams keep us to the outside and we keep trying to score from high angles or from unleashing powder puff shots from the top of the circle that even peewee goalies laugh at.

Even Einstein commented on our powerplay....Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former but I know Habs coaching the power play defines the later.

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I NEVER said the canon should be stationary. It's essential that defenseman move so to make guessing where the canon will fire. Also not all opposing players want to stand in front of a canon. THAT is the reason many freeze, mostly out of the way.

What i am saying is there MUST be a mobile quarterback, a canon and players that are willing to stay near or in front of the goalie. What i am saying that you need to change this stupid, wasteful, worthless one trick pony of passing around until you make the opposition dizzy. NONE of our current pp has a bomb that can beat the goalie so they depend on getting him out of position, which is NOT working.

What really pisses me off is how obvious the solution is and how worthless our coach is in seeing the obvious and implementing change. He's got a set of players that are NOT going to change because that is their only ability...and they are playing with what they are comfortable with
.

What I'm also saying that at this point, the failure rests with the coach and if he can't fix it or management brings people in to fix it they need to be changed.

BTW...X and Mailman and Guhle have canons with varying degree of control. Both power plays can practice with canons in the lineup.
 

Habssince89

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X in front of the goalie screening
CC on the goalline/OV spot
Slaf on the right wall
Suzuki Hutson on the blueline

Could lead to some all important rebound/tip goals that aren't pretty but count. You could also devise ways to use Xhekaj for his point shot with a set play, but really just parking him in front will let the others pounce on pucks. I think that's the best way to get the PP going. We need better net front presence to increase the goalmouth chances/activity. Once that gets established as a productive threat, PKers will have to play us differently and be more honest.
 

Saundies

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Jun 8, 2012
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The problem with our PP is that it's too stiff and formulaic. I feel like rather than trying to score a goal (which is the whole point of the PP), the unit is in their heads about running the system/setup correctly and trying to make the correct play. I feel like at this point, if there was a two-on-one off the rush somehow, the guy would just circle back and set it up instead (hyperbole but not really).

It all begins with that dumb drop pass. We're skating up the ice as a unit and then everyone has to stop at the blue line and wait to see if the guy who receives it can dangle his way in or not. I understand not wanting to dump it on the PP, but having the exact same entry every single time makes it way easier to defend.
 

Rapala

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Mar 29, 2013
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I’m predicting first PP goal scored in Game 4 reg season.

Didn’t think it could look worse but it’s dead!
We'll be okay as long as we don't take any penalties or give up any shorties. :sarcasm:
It often gets overlooked but shorties killed us last season to go along with the lousy %.
 
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HuGort

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Jun 15, 2012
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I hope our powerplay is better during season than camp. With addition of Laine, Hutson and Dach back, it was suppose to better but it was non existent
 

BLONG7

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I hope our powerplay is better during season than camp. With addition of Laine, Hutson and Dach back, it was suppose to better but it was non existent
The PP will only get better, once the over passing stops, and the shooting starts to take place.
One timers to CC and to Slaf have to start happening.
The over passing has them looking for the open side pretty tap in the empty side type of goal and it does not exist most nights.
 
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Skip Bayless

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Aug 28, 2014
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Well that's one way of looking at it.
A5pZ7P2.png
 

zx81

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Aug 2, 2005
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Our recent decent to good PPs all had a D with a bomb shot. Subban, Weber, Bergeron, Souray. It's something we miss. I would try Xhekaj with Hutson at the point. We need more shots from the point. For that to happen we need 2 point men. Go old style.
 
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Rapala

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I watched the first period between Florida and Boston last night. Florida used the drop pass every time.
They always had one and often two guys skating with the puck carrier back up the ice.
A minimum of two guys in motion when hitting the line. Dump ins worked give and go's worked and entering with possession worked.
Now let's visualize the shortie we gave up the other evening. One guy carrying the puck back up the ice no supporting players on the flanks
4 players standing around flat footed. This has been brought up a gazillion times this is the NHL not PeeWee.
A zone entry with no options = DENIED

Why is a our pansy assed media not bringing up stuff like this it makes no sense.
 

WeThreeKings

Demidov is a HAB
Sep 19, 2006
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At least they scored but the 5 on 3 was awful.. the Caufield one timer is the primary threat, but if its not there, you have to look for something else until it opens up. They did that earlier with using the bumper play a bunch until it opened the Caufield goal up.

5 on 3 they gotta shift Slaf over to his one-timer side and have Hutson on the point for all the motion he causes.
 

Matthew McConaughay

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May 3, 2013
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I would try, Hutson with Xhekaj on the second PP, as Hutson could feed Xhekaj for him to use his 100 mph+ shot, that would be interesting.
 

Hannibal

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Feb 11, 2007
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Put Slaf on the wall like last year and Dach down low, around the net.

Slaf can set up play from there and he’s more of a shooting threath than Dach. When Dach has the puck on the wall, everybody expect a pass, even Steevie Wonder.
 

waitin425

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Jan 10, 2009
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Does anyone have a good one time slapshot?

That is the one thing Hutson will not have from the point. But....his shiftiness and ability to create space slows the game right down. I'd sacrifice the one timer for Hutson's shiftiness.

He needs to be on that PP1. Matheson can go to 2nd unit, and if it pisses him off, too bad. Hutson is just unreal with the puck.
 

LPHabsFan

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It's about mentality. That first powerplay, those first couple of powerplays, they had it in there heads to get in good positions, make 3 or 4 passes, and shoot. It probably took 3 seconds for the puck to go from Dach to Slaf to Caulfield to the back of the net.

After that, it was the same ol same ol. All of the guys are looking for the pass that's going to lead to the easy/perfect shot. Because of that, they hold the puck longer because their mentality is pass first shoot second. Even guys like Caulfield and Slaf, who have good shots, do this. This also allows the PK unit to recover and get in to position. Then when they're back in position, they'll try and force the cross seam pass and it won't connect.

They're too slow at moving the moving the puck and at decision making. That becomes predictable and defendable. It's the mentality. This was also evident on the 5 on 3.

Hutson won't fix that. Changing the zone entry won't fix. It's the mentality of the guys on the ice that needs to change.
 

Rapala

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Does anyone have a good one time slapshot?

That is the one thing Hutson will not have from the point. But....his shiftiness and ability to create space slows the game right down. I'd sacrifice the one timer for Hutson's shiftiness.

He needs to be on that PP1. Matheson can go to 2nd unit, and if it pisses him off, too bad. Hutson is just unreal with the puck.
How many goals did Kreider score on the PP with the Rags and Adam Fox.
How many of them were the result of pucks simply being put on goal.
The Rangers one timers were all Zibanijad and from much further out than where Caufield sets up.
I'm not sure we have a player like Zibby who can onetime hard heat with a slapshot.
 
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The Real Timo

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I too can't believe nobody in the media calling out MSL for his BS on powerplay. It's not like it was just this pre-season. Special teams have been heavily contributing to bottom 5 finish for 3 seasons now. Wake the F up.
 

schwang26

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Mar 15, 2022
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I too can't believe nobody in the media calling out MSL for his BS on powerplay. It's not like it was just this pre-season. Special teams have been heavily contributing to bottom 5 finish for 3 seasons now. Wake the F up.
I honestly thought the PP looked good last night. They scored and generated chances. It’s looked much, much worse . And the PK was perfect against a very high scoring team.
 
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le_sean

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Oct 21, 2006
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That 5 on 3 was grotesque. Just a bunch of guys standing still and waiting. I’m looking forward to watching a PP with Hutson and Demidov.

5 on 3s used to be near automatic goals for the Habs. Whether it was Markov to Souray, Markov to Streit or Markov to Subban. Yes Markov was the X factor but the forwards moved around to open the lanes for a one-timer. This isn’t happening.
 

Habsfan18

The Hockey Library
May 13, 2003
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Having Matheson on that 5-on-3 over Hutson was a mind-boggingly stupid decision. It was one of the worst two-man advantages I've seen in my life.
 

Hacketts

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Play Hutson on the 5 on 3's, give the artist the canvas to work with. Way tooo static last night.
 

morhilane

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Feb 28, 2021
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One day, MSL will realize that Matheson doesn't have the required mobility (willing in his case, he has the skating for it) to be the QB on the power play.

One day.
 

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