Leafs powerplay simply unacceptable given the amount of money on it

[LeafsNet]

It’s the entry that gets me….those back passes absolutely infuriate me. Dump it in a chase or smash through.

This pack pass nonsense almost never works and always wastes time.

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

If you play them together for longer than a minute than you can maximize their combined ice time. If they are separated the max is two minutes.

I think the answer is a new blueprint but still having Matty and Willy on the sidewalls. Maybe go:

Knies
Willy-X-Matty
OEL

JT or Marner take the X and they max out minutes, or JT and Marner take the sidewalls on PP2 and PP1 has to earn the extra minutes.

How would you set em up and split time?

PP1

Knies
Marner-Domi-Matthews
OEL

PP2

McMann
Nylander-Pacioretty-Tavares
Rielly

Marner on the flank for a one timer isn't optimal.

But him and Nylander are the only two right shot forwards on the team and the objective was to split Nylander away from Matthews. Marner's got a credible enough shot that I think it would work better than what they have been doing with him out in no man's land along the half wall lobbing wristers from up near the blue line hoping for a tip. Marner is a better puck distributor than Nylander so I think he would be better flanking Matthews.

Time can be split more or less evenly with adjustments made depending on which unit is producing better.

 

[Mulletman]

Targeting Laine next year would be the answer to all powerplay problems. Plus it would piss off Montreal too. Laine could break the single season record for most powerplay goals by a Canadiens player this year if he scores another 11 goals on the powerplay. And Canadiens doesn't have anybody as good as Marner passing the puck...

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

Whether it’s Auston missing or John, the PP getting hot when one of the Core Four is out tells me that they can’t be on the same PP when they’re all healthy. It just doesn’t work.

 

[wingman75]

Whether it’s Auston missing or John, the PP getting hot when one of the Core Four is out tells me that they can’t be on the same PP when they’re all healthy. It just doesn’t work.

I don't disagree.

However, last night was the first time where I saw an actual change in the plan. They were shooting from the point with a purpose, creating havoc and generating either goals or momentum from it. This was always the play... the nonsensical passing around the perimeter was pointless. Now, if you are able to mix in the point shots (do not have to be bombs), then you get the PK scrambling a bit, you can open up the flanks for the shooters.

The issue of this being an absolute shite passing group still limits their potential imo.

 

[notDatsyuk]

I don't disagree.

However, last night was the first time where I saw an actual change in the plan. They were shooting from the point with a purpose, creating havoc and generating either goals or momentum from it. This was always the play... the nonsensical passing around the perimeter was pointless. Now, if you are able to mix in the point shots (do not have to be bombs), then you get the PK scrambling a bit, you can open up the flanks for the shooters.

The issue of this being an absolute shite passing group still limits their potential imo.

They also did it on Thursday, with Willy taking the shot, Knies screening, and Matty burying the rebound.

 

[wingman75]

They also did it on Thursday, with Willy taking the shot, Knies screening, and Matty burying the rebound.

Berube has spoken recently of generating more shots on the PP, and there was a stat shown recently showing how their shots per PP went from something like 5.2 down to ~2 or less even.

Fits with the eye test of them just passing around the perimeter. Hopefully this is the start of something that carries forward!