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Our first Powerplay unit (must) change long before the playoffs

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I was going to take screenshots but SN doesn't let you do that with their streams.

If you watch the PP today though, I think you see a lot of trends that have persisted for a while.

1) Not being in scoring spots. Matthews touched the puck 2 times in the zone. One time he was along the boards and the other time he was in open space but was at the blueline. Tavares had pretty much the only great opportunity in that PP, and he made himself open in the bumper spot to get that goal.
2) We are constantly along the boards, and constantly move to the boards like it is some kind of magnet.
3) We don't move our feet away from the puck or even when we get the puck. Rielly was the only one to wheel within the zone on that entire 4 minute PP. Everyone else wouldn't take more than a stride or two before they look for a pass to an open area, which was often not dangerous. Guys get to their positions and won't move at all as the PK is pressuring.
4) We don't move the puck fast enough, which is often because of 2 and 3.

Look at these clips from earlier in the season when we were red hot:


https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/video/matthews-beats-koskanien-glove-side-power-play-goal/


Same personnel: Matthews, Rielly, Marner, Tavares, Hyman, etc. Matthews is in a spot to score, guys are moving around with and without the puck to get open, and not just waiting for the puck to come to them. They are along the boards but they are looking to make quick plays before they get swarmed.

So this is what I think we need to do:

1) Push Marner and Matthews down to the hashmarks and let Rielly be the man at the point so we are running a proper 1-3-1 rather than whatever janky 1-1-3 crap we are running right now. Marner and Matthews both are hanging around the blueline way too much and pretty much the only option Rielly has is to wheel down low, shoot towards traffic, or pass to them in a spot where they are not dangerous and the PKers can easily just swarm them, especially when they are along the boards. Rielly is on PP1 because he is a strong facilitator and an excellent puck mover, but you have to give him something to pass to.
2) Get the net front guy to move. If the flanks do not have a clear shot, get to the goal line and open up another lane beside the net. Simmonds has scored 2 PP goals because he was able to get the puck and roof it in tight:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdgdMk1pcLQ
We had guys in this similar situation waiting for a guy in Marner's spot to pass it to them right in front of the net. If Simmonds did that above, Marner would have to get it through the guy's feet. Instead, Simmonds recognizes that Marner is not getting that puck on or towards the net, gives him a different option, and he has enough time and space to roof it in the net.

Here is another segment about what is going well with the PP earlier on. Once again, we are not seeing that very much anymore.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2gm2VtUVfA
 
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I would put all the talent in one basket and all the hard nose workers in another.
 
I don't think the team can go very far in the playoffs with the special teams being so abysmal. I'm a little shocked they haven't taken drastic action like firing Malholtra or something. We're almost out of time to sort something out. I'd love to know what Keefe and management are thinking because there doesn't seem to be any urgency over this.
 
‪That hot start on the PP is something that did more harm than good and the coaching staff should have seen something was afoot when Matthews injury couldn’t hide the PP’s ineffectiveness. So why can’t the coaching staff figure this out, I wonder. Are they being fed different information from their stats team or deliberately not acknowledging things?

The zone entries do work in establishing possession in the offensive zone but what comes next is a ton of guesswork. We’ve seen some PP success from guys crashing the net but is that really the way to approach things?

I think there need to be actual questions asked: why are the Leafs unable to open any shooting lanes when they have so many players with “gravity” aside from just Matthews with his shot. Nylander can shoot, Spezza has a slap shot that can beat goalie cleanly. Guys like Tavares aren’t slouches either.
Is a net front presence really that necessary when the bumper play from the mid to high slot was providing so much value in prior years? Why Simmonds and Thornton specifically when they’ve shown an inability to support the zone entries competently? Marner’s hit jumbo more than the net in recent games.
And speaking of, why is it that a guy that’s scored 2 points since March continuing to get prime PP minutes? Kerfoot seems to know how to put up points, Mikheyev (and Engvall) can provide utility in breakouts by skating past defenders standing on the blue line, Robertson can do both of that. Baffling stuff to say the least.
 
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I’d try

Hyman
Tavares. Matthews
Marner. Muzzin

Foligno
Galchenyuk. Willy
Reilly. Spezza​

This PP needs multiple shooting options laterally to open up lanes. Having a playmaker opposite a goal scorer leads to a clogged net front favoring the shooters side. This also gives the playmakers at the point 3 options to tee up a one timer on net and the penalty killers need to respect that.

Also the current setup, with Marner and Rielly at the point, doesnt provide a high shot threat. We need someone there with a shot to keep a PKer high opening up the lateral lanes.
 
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Just toss the 5v5 lines out there at this point. I think they’re having a really hard time keeping the puck and winning 50/50 battles, and their formation isn’t helping. Two dmen might be able to keep the puck in better than just Rielly.
 
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They showed a very scary stat on Leafs PP yesterday on TSN Sportsdesk.

The Leafs are 1 for their last 83 PP attempts and have had 79 minutes & change pp time during this time.

Putting that in perspective that is just a few seconds short of 4 full periods of hockey.

Its almost unbelievable with all Leafs offensive talent that someone could suggest you could give the Leafs a 5 on 4 player advantage for nearly 4 periods of hockey and score only a single goal over those 80 minutes. :help:

:amazed::amazed::amazed:
 
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we have the personnel to ice 2 PP units that are as good as any PP1 in the league. This is a system issue, not a player issue. We refuse to work the puck down low. Makes zero sense. If you watch any powerplay we have had this year it is essentially pitch and catch between Marner, Matthews, and Reilly. While the net front and bumper positions clog up lanes, and never present themselves as a passing option. We have played over a month's worth of PP's with 3 players. Lindholm's goal last night is a play we have maybe done one time in that month. DOesn't matter how good your personnel is, if it is as predictable as what it currently is. Very simple to Defend. Pressure Matthews and Marner on the wall, force them to play it to the point which is exactly what they do every time, and let them p***y foot around the perimeter again generating zero chances. The bumper and/or net front guy needs to be more mobile. Its fine and dandy that they have a screen, but if no shot are coming in what exactly is the point? you've given up your whole advantage by stapling 2 guys in positions where they never present themselves as a threat or a passing option. This powerplay is terrible, and I blame Molhotra for not adapting. Its f***ing embarrassing for a team with this level of talent not to be able to score on the PP. I know people bitch and moan about the drop backs, its hardly even close to the issue. We can gain the zone quite effectively most nights. Not every night, but most of the times that is not our issue IMO. I don't care much for the drop back, but it does serve a purpose here and there. Just not every time
 
Hyman
Marner - Foligno - Matthews
Nylander

Jumbo/Simmonds
Nylander - Galchenyuk - Tavares
Brodie​
 
Jimmy Firecracker said:


Leafs should try this.
Click to expand...

wow what a f***ing concept. you mean if the puck moves down low, it will also draw the PK'ers down low too???? I cant believe I never thought of this. :facepalm:

in all seriousness, this video is such a perfect example of what I have been saying for weeks about the net front guy. Look how mobile he is. Always presents himself as a passing option when the puck is on the wall. And when it gets worked to the point, he stays in front of the net to screen. Such a simple adjustment. We cant get Matthews and Marner a lane if we don't make the PK'ers move. Great video, Nice Share!
 
The players look low on confidence at this point. I don't even know how to explain it, but there were points last night where they were fighting themselves to string 2 passes together in Calgary's zone.

They just don't look comfortable at all!
 
Need some movement and more down low.

Feels like we're happy with bad decisions and choices right now. A Rielly/Marner floater is a good play in the teams mind rather than getting back to going through the seems and pulling defenders out of position
 
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YES YES YES
Need to change personnel and strategy
Expect Keefer to do it ... he can't be Babs stubborn
Start by getting Rielly off PP and bring in a shooter so teams have a much harder time stopping Mitch
 
Gallagbi said:
Need some movement and more down low.

Feels like we're happy with bad decisions and choices right now. A Rielly/Marner floater is a good play in the teams mind rather than getting back to going through the seems and pulling defenders out of position
Click to expand...
Yes 2 guys who shoot like girls and other teams all know it now ... need 2 shooting threats ... and if you want to play PP up high then put mitch in middle to make his moves ... need 2 snipers on sides JT and Matty and let Willy flip sides as da floater with Zach at net front

Zach Willy
JT Mitch Matty
 
We should go back to the McCabe Kaberle days and have 2 guys on the point and good shooting options along the parameter

Nylander-Simmonds -Spezza/Galch
Rielly-Matthews

Matthews needs to watch Ovechkin/Webber. No one blocks Ovechkins shots because he'll wire it right in their face and break some bones. I don't blame Matthews though, hard to shoot on net when you have 4 opponents and 2 teammates blocking the lanes.. Literally the only option with our current system is to feather the puck through, cross ice pass, or put it back to Rielly.
 
The team is thinking too hard about this.

With Thornton and Simmonds on a PP unit we are essentially playing 3v4, they don't have it anymore. Stick to the stacked units like most other teams in the league do and leave those guys off it. Go with this when healthy:

Nylander
Matthews-Tavares-Marner
Rielly

Hyman
Galchenyuk-Foligno-Spezza
Brodie
 
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