PP units with 2 Dmen

[DieSendungmitderMaus]

I know this is a bit trivial but over the summer I watched some not-that-old playoff games on YouTube and was struck by almost all PP units being made up of 3 forwards and 2 D, including some you wouldn't see near the PP these days (Chris Butler). It's pretty incredible how quickly this went from the standard set-up through most of hockey history(?) to totally out of fashion. Got reminded of it the other day when watching the Caps as they had Chycrun and Carlson out there (I assume because of Ovi's injury).

So it got me wondering, who's still out there running a classic PP with two D manning the points? Does your team have a second unit like that, or even the first? Maybe the Sabres are a candidate with Dahlin-Power-Byram on the team, but I don't watch them enough to know. Tbh I don't watch any team enough these days which is why I ask. Or, in turn, any team out there that should go back to two Dmen out there because their 4F1D set isn't working?

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[Sam de Mtl]

PPS used to be set up around a distributor defenseman, a shooter defenseman and then the 3 forwards. The main tactic of many PPs was to shoot from the point. For the others, it still needed to be a treat to create some room down low. Defensemen tend to have a stronger shot from afar.

Nowadays, slapshots from the point is not a regular tactic anymore. Shots from the point tend to be weaker, but focused on getting through the bodies and making its way to the net for tips, rebounds or mayhem.

In a setup with one guy at the top passing around to each side, there isn't as much incentive to put a 2nd defenseman in there. Even if there was, that 2nd defenseman would be too deep in the zone to defend in the case of a turnover, so you might as well have a more offensively focused weapon.

 

[HockeyVirus]

That is because teams figured out quick puck movement is key to a great PP. Most players great at skating forward and handling the puck become forwards, not many dman with that skill set in the NHL. Makes sense to put your 1 guy back there who has experience defending odd rushes and let your forwards move the puck around

 

[tmg]

I think the ‘two point men’ structure is a thing of the past, but I wonder if any teams would revive putting a big hard-to-move defenseman up in the goalie’s face like the Sens did with Chara for a while. I think a few teams do this with a pesky bottom-6ish forward but I wonder if some team whose biggest guy with some modicum of offensive skill is a defenseman (like a Hedman) might revisit this.

 

[kerrabria]

I know this is a bit trivial but over the summer I watched some not-that-old playoff games on YouTube and was struck by almost all PP units being made up of 3 forwards and 2 D, including some you wouldn't see near the PP these days (Chris Butler). It's pretty incredible how quickly this went from the standard set-up through most of hockey history(?) to totally out of fashion. Got reminded of it the other day when watching the Caps as they had Chycrun and Carlson out there (I assume because of Ovi's injury).

So it got me wondering, who's still out there running a classic PP with two D manning the points? Does your team have a second unit like that, or even the first? Maybe the Sabres are a candidate with Dahlin-Power-Byram on the team, but I don't watch them enough to know. Tbh I don't watch any team enough these days which is why I ask. Or, in turn, any team out there that should go back to two Dmen out there because their 4F1D set isn't working?

Funny, I was just thinking about this yesterday morning.
For most of 2023-24, the Panthers' PP1 ran Montour at the point and Ekblad at the left half wall.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

Not many teams have the luxury of doing this as you need two skilled PMD to do this. Teams will always have more skilled forwards than skilled dmen who can move the puck quickly.