Showing posts with label penalty kill. Show all posts
Showing posts with label penalty kill. Show all posts
Monday, April 13, 2015
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
The Underrated Value Of Manny Malhotra
As soon as teams were allowed to sign players on July 1st, 2014, the Montreal Canadiens called veteran Manny Malhotra to offer him a one-year deal worth $850,000. Many Habs fans had no clue who Malhotra was and most only remembered him from his days as a Vancouver Canuck.Three months later, the underrated impact of this signing is already felt after six games, the Habs being 5-1 and standing atop of the Eastern Conference standings.
Not known for his offensive abilities, the 34-year-old pivot has no point and no penalty minute so far this season, centering the team's fourth line. But we can't assess Malhotra's impact by looking at his offensive numbers, because his value truly likes at the face-off circle and in the dressing room.
[Related: from The Hockey Writers -> Brendan Gallagher: The Heart Of A Lion]
Malhotra currently leads the ENTIRE NHL with a face-off percentage of 66,3% among qualified players, winning at least 60% of his face-off in all but one game this year. His face-off skills also appear to help David Desharnais and Lars Eller, who have improved considerably at the dot. Desharnais' efficiency is up 5.6% while Eller's efficiency is up 1.9%. Only Tomas Plekanec continues to struggle at 46.1%.
Malhotra really improved at the dot under former Blue Jackets head coach Ken Hitchcock for whom he played between 2006 and 2009. That's where he started to take more draws and he quickly got better, consistently posting face-off percentages about 60%. It also helps a lot to have taken about 11,183 draws against a plethora of centermen during his 16-year career in both the Eastern and Western conference.
As a team, the Canadiens are currently sitting at 54.5% in their match-ups. Only two teams are better, the Carolina Hurricanes and the Columbus Blue Jackets, ironically two of Malhotra's former teams.
Malhotra's arrival has allowed head coach Michel Therrien to start Plekanec's line much more often in the offensive season as he is not the go-to-guy any more when it comes to defensive zone face-offs. Plekanec's offensize zone starts are up 7.6% from 38% last season to 45.6% this season, allowing him to start less often in his own end and get more playing time alongside his linemates, Alex Galchenyuk and Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau, in the offensive zone.
Behind the Lens: Manny Malhotra
The native of Mississauga, Ontario, is also an adept penalty killer spending a quarter of his playing time (12 minutes on average per game) down a man, and we all know how undisciplined the
Canadiens have been so far.
"That's why we wanted to acquire him this summer, said head coach Michel Therrien. We understand the importance of face-offs, but his contribution doesn't stop there. We can use him down a man or to protect a lead late in the game. He has been a very good acquisition for our team."
Playing on 2:55 minutes on the penalty kill this season, Malhotra allows Tomas Plekanec to get more rest and less defensive responsibilities. So far this year, Plekanec is spending 51 less seconds per game on the PK (2:57/game in 2013-14 and 2:06/game in 2014-15) and 49 seconds less overall on the ice per game down from 19:46 to 18:57.
This slight decrease might prove beneficial for the team over the long term as it would mean that Plekanec would play about a game less of taxing minutes over an 82-game calendar. The organization hopes that a rested and more productive Plekanec will help the team go even deeper in the playoffs than last season when the team lost in the Eastern Conference final against the New York Rangers.
So far so good as Plekanec is the team's leading scorer with seven points in six games to go along with a +3 plus/minus differential.
Do you agree that Malhotra's signing has been the best off-season move by GM Marc Bergevin?
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Can Habs Special Teams Keep Up?
Firstly, from my last article Jiri Sekac was the last man
standing when the final cuts were done. The Habs held onto Jacob de la Rose
until the very last day, and told him that he will be reporting to Hamilton
when the team flies to Toronto to play their first game of the season. De
Larose really impressed at camp at the center position, so much that head coach
Michel Therrien praised his development “It’s surprising how well he understands his position,” said Therrien.
“He was very well developed in Sweden.” Also, Francis Bouillon, a true Hab
at heart, was told on Monday that he will not be offered a contract and that
the team will be releasing him from his PTO. The Habs will now be counting on
two of their prospects on defense, Jarred Tinordi and Nathan Beaulieu. Both
were first round pics in 2010 and 2011 respectively.
If we take a look at what unfolded at training camp, we can
say that Beaulieu has a step up on Tinordi where he looks very smooth with the
puck and is able to make quick decisions. Something that Tinordi struggled to
do in every pre-season game he played, albeit he did layout a very good hit on
Nate Schmidt from the Washington Capitals. The hit did get him ejected with a
match penalty, but after review, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety ruled
that it was indeed a legal hit, and that his match penalty will be removed from
his record. Tinordi and Beaulieu play different styles, but Tinordi’s style is
something the Habs have been sorely lacking for years. That brute physical
style that can clear the front of the net, along with delivering some crushing
hits, and that can drop the gloves when the time calls for it. Based on the
aftermath of that hit, he can surely handle himself with his knuckles as he
manhandled Chris Brown when Brown tried to defend his teammate, by going after
Tinordi.
Beaulieu, in my opinion, is the heir apparent to take over
when Andre Markov is set to retire. He is listed as the sixth defenseman on a
third pairing with Mike Weaver. From his performance at camp, it would not surprise
me that he ends up as a number four, and logging over twenty minutes a night.
Again, very smooth skater, and is able to make quick decisions with the puck.
He also makes a very good first pass in the defensive zone to counter an
attack, something that is crucial when facing the bigger and more physical
teams. He will also see some power play time, as he and Tom Gilbert are slotted
as the second pairing. The first obviously will be P.K. Subban and Andre
Markov. A look to the future and we do eventually see Beaulieu and Subban
passing the puck to each other at 100 mph, and finding each other for one timers.
What concerns me is the penalty kill, and the overall
defensive zone coverage. Josh Gorges is no longer here, and neither is Brian
Gionta. Both were very good penalty killers and very responsible in their own
zone. Gorges was notably a very good shot blocker. Gerard Gallant was
responsible for the PP and PK when he was an assistant coach under Therrien. He
is now head coach of the Florida Panthers and his old role has been filed by
Dan Lacroix. Prior to his lone season with the Rangers, Lacroix spent three
seasons on the Tampa Bay Lightning's coaching staff. Before coming to the
Lightning, he was an assistant coach with Montreal's American Hockey League
affiliate in Hamilton for one season in 2009-10. He was also an assistant coach
for three seasons with the New York Islanders. He will be responsible for
getting the PP going once again, along with trying to keep the PK as good as or
even better than last season. Last season, Montreal had an 85.1% efficiency
rate in penalty killing, which is good for fourth overall in the league. But with
the last two pre-season games against Ottawa, the Senators managed to score winning
goals while they were up a man. A sign of things to come, hopefully not, but
the penalty kill was notably weaker in pre-season so far.
And what about the PP, Montreal used to be feared when it
came to the man advantage, but now going back to last season and the playoffs,
it seems that the Habs have become a bit too predictable. Last season, Montreal
was nineteenth overall with 17.2% efficiency rate, which translates into 48
goals in 279 opportunities with the man advantage. Option number one would be a
bomb from the blue line from P.K (Primetime) Subban, but if that fails then
they would turn to Max Pacioretty and his patented wrist shot. The New York
Rangers knew that too, so well that they had pretty much shut down the Habs' power play in the conference final and ultimately led to the elimination of the Habs
in six games. They really need to have that third option, where a down low play
would keep other teams honest in their penalty killing coverage.
Even strength scoring was also a concern going back to last
season, as Montreal was nineteenth overall with only 155 goals. P.A. Parenteau,
who was traded for by GM Marc Bergevin just before free agency opened, has not
particularly looked comfortable on Pacioretty’s line this pre-season, hopefully
he can find some chemistry with David Deharnais. If not, he could end up in the
press box and Michael Bournival could be his replacement.
Alex Galchenyuk was arguably the best forward in camp, with
some highlight reel goals and some sweet moves to get away from defenders. The
question is can Thomas Plekanec be the center that Galchenyuk needs to get his
career to super-stardom, or will a move to Center on a full-time basis be the
answer for getting Alex Galchenyuk to the next level. Mind you, Galchenyuk did
look very comfortable at center in the pre-season, scoring a GWG against
Colorado.
Another topic of discussion is Lars Eller, will we see the
playoff Eller where he had 13pts in 17 games, or will regular season Eller show
up, where he lost all confidence in himself and was a healthy scratch a few
times during the year. And the same goes for Rene Bourque and his 8 goals and 3
assists in 17 playoff games, or will his 9 goals and 7 assists in 63 games rear
its ugly head. Jiri Sekac is set to complete the line of Eller and Bourque, he
is a work horse, and very intense. He has something to prove for being ignored
on draft day. I’m looking forward to great things from this line.
With the addition of Malhotra, the fourth line has never
looked this good. With Brandon Prust and Dale Weise on the wings, this line can
provide a boost of energy to complement the other lines. Along with winning key
face-offs, Malhotra adds physicality from his 6’2 frame, and is very
responsible in his own end. He will be looked upon to be a stable on the
penalty kill. And he speaks French, la vie est belle!
By the time you read this article, Montreal will be either
playing the Toronto Maple Leafs or have played them and we will be discussing
the outcome. For some reason the schedulers always like to set these two teams
up for an opening night tilt, kind of like a tasty hors-d'oeuvre before the
season gets into full effect. The Leafs, have somewhat change their philosophy
of being a “Truculent” hockey team to more finesse and skill as enforcers
Colton Orr and Frazer McLaren, have both been put on waivers and replaced them
with Carter Ashton, Josh Leivo and Brandon Kozun. They might finally want to
play Hockey when they play the Habs.
This year’s edition of the Canadiens are bigger, younger,
and faster. Will that ultimately lead to more scoring…well it could not hurt. Jiri
Sekac, Alex Galchenyuk are two that I would look to have a great impact this
year. Galchenyuk, seems very poised with the puck and every time he touches the
puck, you kind of creep up to the edge of your seat and say “What are you going
to do now kid”. And when all else fails, there’s always Carey. A special thank
you goes out to Peter Budaj, who was the constant professional in what was a
very difficult situation. Good luck in Winnipeg!
This team has a quiet confidence about them, they realize
that what they have accomplished so far is nothing to brag about. They know
what their ultimate goal is. And on a final note Pierre LeBrun, ESPN and TSN
Hockey analyst, has said that he sees the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup
Finals… boy what a spring that would be.
Now drop the puck already!
Now drop the puck already!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Plus/Minus: The Montreal Canadiens' Forwards and Special Teams
by Kamal Panesar
In part one of Plus/Minus, I reviewed the Canadiens' defense and goaltending so far. Granted, it is only five games into the season, but there have been a lot of good and bad things that we have seen from the Habs over that period.
Today, in part two, I will review the good and the bad of the Canadiens' forward corp and special teams.
So, without further ado, here are the details!
Forwards
-Line numbers aside—since people tend to interchange line one and two—the Tomas Plekanec, Michael Cammalleri, Andrei Kostitsyn trio has been the Canadiens most effective offensive combo to date.
They total a combined 12 points (six goals, six assists) and a plus-8 rating over the five games played.
Plekanec is leading the way with five points (two goals, three assists), a plus-one rating, and a team leading (for forwards) average time on ice of 21:19.
Plekanec is Jacques Martin's go-to guy and plays in all situations whether even strength or short handed. In addition, he is tied for the team lead with two goals, and is second among regular centers with a 52.89% faceoff win percentage. This is one guy who is being buoyed, not weighed down, by his big ticket contract.
His linemates too are playing some of the best hockey of their careers.
While Cammalleri's three points (two goals, one assist) and brilliant plus-five rating are to be expected from the team’s number one sniper, Kostitsyn's performance is a different story.
Averaging 15:46 of ice-time, AK46 is playing some of the best hockey of his career. Not only does he have four points (two goals, two assists) and a plus-one rating over five games, but he is playing the type of game that made him the tenth overall selection in the 2003 NHL draft.
Kostitsyn is known for his quick release and blistering shot, but what he has failed to do over recent years is put in a consistent effort, night in and night out. So far this season, Kostitsyn looks like a man possessed using his speed and considerable size to bulldoze his way to the front of the net and score goals and create opportunities in the process.
Whether it is because his distraction of a brother in no longer in town, that this is a contract year for him, or for any other reason, AK46 is showing that he is a legitimate top-six forward. Moreover, is he keeps playing like this, expect him to break that so far elusive 30-goal barrier this year.
-While the Plekanec line has been scintillating, the Scott Gomez line has been anything but. Gomez himself seems to be the biggest problem on that line as his timing seems to be off.
I don't know if he is concealing an injury or is just not full in game mode, but that line has to get going in a hurry as the Canadiens won't go very far with one top offensive line.
Gionta, to his credit, has been trying and leads all Canadiens shooters with 18 shots on goal. He got his first goal of the season in a home win against the Ottawa Senators on the weekend, and hopefully he can carry that momentum into tonight's game against the Devils.
The third spot on that line is a rotating door that has been filled, at times, by Benoit Pouliot, Travis Moen, and others. Tonight, it is Tom Pyatt's turn to audition for that spot.
This line is a mess right now and needs to get sorted out in a hurry. I doubt that Tom Pyatt will be the answer and think that any of Maxim Lapierre, Ryan White, or Dustin Boyd would be great fits on that line, as all three have speed, grit and skill.
-The third line has been a solid contributor so far this season. Anchored by Jeff Halpern, who has three points (two goals, one assist) and is leading all regular centerman with a scintillating 58.93% faceoff win percentage, this line bring grit, skill, and a scoring touch.
If you'll remember, one of the biggest problems the Canadiens had last year was that their third and fourth lines rarely scored goals. Well, so far it doesn't look like the Canadiens will have the same problem this year as they have a much deeper and more skilled bottom-six.
Halpern's wingers of late have been Lapierre and Lars Eller. Lapierre has picked up where he left off during the playoffs playing a fast, skilled, in-your-face game that drives the opposition crazy and accumulates points in the process.
Eller's play has been up and down. Some game you notice him more than others but when you do notice him, he looks quite spectacular. His speed, skill, and size will make him into a formidable top-six forward. In the meantime, however, I think that if he is not going to play in his natural position—which is center—or get a shot in the top-six, then he should be playing in Hamilton.
-The Habs fourth line is doing exactly what they have to do through five games. Hitting, grinding, tiring out the opposition, and being reliable defensively. Comprised of a combination of Dustin Boyd, Tom Pyatt, Mathieu Darche, Benoit Pouliot, and Travis Moen, this line has the ability to surprise the opposition with speed, skill, grit, and a tenacious forecheck. You can't ask for much more out of a fourth line.
Pouliot, in particular, keeps getting his chances on the second line and while he has shown a few flashes or strong, tenacious play, he hasn't been getting the job done. Playing him on the fourth line will do nothing for his confidence and won't help him progress. You have to think that if things don't change in a hurry, he could be on his way out of town by Christmas.
Special Teams
-The Canadiens special teams are like A Tale of Two Cities or Jekyll and Hyde. Where the penalty kill looks like the beautiful princess, the power play has seemed more like the ugly step-sister.
Clicking at a brilliantly effective 90% kill rate, the Canadiens' penalty kill is currently tied for third overall in the league.
Led by Plekanec and Halpern, the Habs have done a great job of keeping the opposition to the outside, cutting off passing lanes, and clearing rebounds.
Their top-five ranked penalty kill is exactly where it needs to be if they are going to have a successful season.
-The power play, on the other hand, has scored one goal on 17 chances for a dismal 5.9% efficiency, dead last in the league.
Needless to say, this is just not good enough. While the upside is a considerable increase in five-on-five scoring versus last season, the Canadiens must get their power play clicking at around a 20%-plus level in order to be competitive this season
Coach Martin has tried the duo of P.K. Subban and Jaroslav Spacek as his number one power play defensive pairing but those two have not year had any success. Spacek in particular looks like he is the weaker link of the two.
Andrei Markov—who looks like he is about a week away from returning—cannot come back soon enough. This team is missing his vision and creativity from the back end. Not to mention his ability to find the open shooter and open up seems.
The good news is that the Canadiens have been winning in his absence and without an effective power play, but that could change in a hurry.
As has been the case the last few seasons, the Canadiens need to have a top-five ranked power play in order to be competitive this season and I believe that they will. Getting Markov back will not solve the whole problem, but it will definitely go a long way.
Enjoy the game tonight, folks, but in the meantime, let me know what you have liked and disliked about the Canadiens forwards and special teams so far.
(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America)
Today, in part two, I will review the good and the bad of the Canadiens' forward corp and special teams.
So, without further ado, here are the details!
Forwards
-Line numbers aside—since people tend to interchange line one and two—the Tomas Plekanec, Michael Cammalleri, Andrei Kostitsyn trio has been the Canadiens most effective offensive combo to date.
They total a combined 12 points (six goals, six assists) and a plus-8 rating over the five games played.
Plekanec is leading the way with five points (two goals, three assists), a plus-one rating, and a team leading (for forwards) average time on ice of 21:19.
Plekanec is Jacques Martin's go-to guy and plays in all situations whether even strength or short handed. In addition, he is tied for the team lead with two goals, and is second among regular centers with a 52.89% faceoff win percentage. This is one guy who is being buoyed, not weighed down, by his big ticket contract.
His linemates too are playing some of the best hockey of their careers.
While Cammalleri's three points (two goals, one assist) and brilliant plus-five rating are to be expected from the team’s number one sniper, Kostitsyn's performance is a different story.
Averaging 15:46 of ice-time, AK46 is playing some of the best hockey of his career. Not only does he have four points (two goals, two assists) and a plus-one rating over five games, but he is playing the type of game that made him the tenth overall selection in the 2003 NHL draft.
Kostitsyn is known for his quick release and blistering shot, but what he has failed to do over recent years is put in a consistent effort, night in and night out. So far this season, Kostitsyn looks like a man possessed using his speed and considerable size to bulldoze his way to the front of the net and score goals and create opportunities in the process.
Whether it is because his distraction of a brother in no longer in town, that this is a contract year for him, or for any other reason, AK46 is showing that he is a legitimate top-six forward. Moreover, is he keeps playing like this, expect him to break that so far elusive 30-goal barrier this year.
-While the Plekanec line has been scintillating, the Scott Gomez line has been anything but. Gomez himself seems to be the biggest problem on that line as his timing seems to be off.
I don't know if he is concealing an injury or is just not full in game mode, but that line has to get going in a hurry as the Canadiens won't go very far with one top offensive line.
Gionta, to his credit, has been trying and leads all Canadiens shooters with 18 shots on goal. He got his first goal of the season in a home win against the Ottawa Senators on the weekend, and hopefully he can carry that momentum into tonight's game against the Devils.
The third spot on that line is a rotating door that has been filled, at times, by Benoit Pouliot, Travis Moen, and others. Tonight, it is Tom Pyatt's turn to audition for that spot.
This line is a mess right now and needs to get sorted out in a hurry. I doubt that Tom Pyatt will be the answer and think that any of Maxim Lapierre, Ryan White, or Dustin Boyd would be great fits on that line, as all three have speed, grit and skill.
-The third line has been a solid contributor so far this season. Anchored by Jeff Halpern, who has three points (two goals, one assist) and is leading all regular centerman with a scintillating 58.93% faceoff win percentage, this line bring grit, skill, and a scoring touch.
If you'll remember, one of the biggest problems the Canadiens had last year was that their third and fourth lines rarely scored goals. Well, so far it doesn't look like the Canadiens will have the same problem this year as they have a much deeper and more skilled bottom-six.
Halpern's wingers of late have been Lapierre and Lars Eller. Lapierre has picked up where he left off during the playoffs playing a fast, skilled, in-your-face game that drives the opposition crazy and accumulates points in the process.
Eller's play has been up and down. Some game you notice him more than others but when you do notice him, he looks quite spectacular. His speed, skill, and size will make him into a formidable top-six forward. In the meantime, however, I think that if he is not going to play in his natural position—which is center—or get a shot in the top-six, then he should be playing in Hamilton.
-The Habs fourth line is doing exactly what they have to do through five games. Hitting, grinding, tiring out the opposition, and being reliable defensively. Comprised of a combination of Dustin Boyd, Tom Pyatt, Mathieu Darche, Benoit Pouliot, and Travis Moen, this line has the ability to surprise the opposition with speed, skill, grit, and a tenacious forecheck. You can't ask for much more out of a fourth line.
Pouliot, in particular, keeps getting his chances on the second line and while he has shown a few flashes or strong, tenacious play, he hasn't been getting the job done. Playing him on the fourth line will do nothing for his confidence and won't help him progress. You have to think that if things don't change in a hurry, he could be on his way out of town by Christmas.
Special Teams
-The Canadiens special teams are like A Tale of Two Cities or Jekyll and Hyde. Where the penalty kill looks like the beautiful princess, the power play has seemed more like the ugly step-sister.
Clicking at a brilliantly effective 90% kill rate, the Canadiens' penalty kill is currently tied for third overall in the league.
Led by Plekanec and Halpern, the Habs have done a great job of keeping the opposition to the outside, cutting off passing lanes, and clearing rebounds.
Their top-five ranked penalty kill is exactly where it needs to be if they are going to have a successful season.
-The power play, on the other hand, has scored one goal on 17 chances for a dismal 5.9% efficiency, dead last in the league.
Needless to say, this is just not good enough. While the upside is a considerable increase in five-on-five scoring versus last season, the Canadiens must get their power play clicking at around a 20%-plus level in order to be competitive this season
Coach Martin has tried the duo of P.K. Subban and Jaroslav Spacek as his number one power play defensive pairing but those two have not year had any success. Spacek in particular looks like he is the weaker link of the two.
Andrei Markov—who looks like he is about a week away from returning—cannot come back soon enough. This team is missing his vision and creativity from the back end. Not to mention his ability to find the open shooter and open up seems.
The good news is that the Canadiens have been winning in his absence and without an effective power play, but that could change in a hurry.
As has been the case the last few seasons, the Canadiens need to have a top-five ranked power play in order to be competitive this season and I believe that they will. Getting Markov back will not solve the whole problem, but it will definitely go a long way.
Enjoy the game tonight, folks, but in the meantime, let me know what you have liked and disliked about the Canadiens forwards and special teams so far.
(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America)
