OK just when i think they got it right w QB on PP1, I see they moved Clarke to PP2? File this under Make it make sense
I like that Hiller has proven he's not afraid to get creative with his lineup decisions...... But I reallllllly think he overdoes/overthinks it sometimes.
Clarke is very good at manning the point on a powerplay- He knows how to get pucks through defenses and either on net or to the front of the net for rebound opportunities. It's honestly one of the biggest strengths to his game IMO. He's also just an exceptional playmaker in general who sees the ice really well. He's not the issue with your struggling powerplay.
TBH, it's probably not a personnel issue to begin with... I definitely understand trying to change things up a bit but you have a powerplay with Clarke, Kempe, Kopitar, Fiala, and Laferriere.... As an NHL coach, you should be able to get at least decent production out of that group. There's plenty of offensive ability among those 5 players.
Maybe instead of jumping to "lets try 5 forwards on the PP" they should take a look at "lets try to get these guys cycling around the ice so we can generate some different looks for different players instead of constantly setting up the same 2-3 shot attempts"??
We don't need 5 forwards on the PP - we need a PP that isn't completely and totally predictable.