Showing posts with label power play. Show all posts
Showing posts with label power play. Show all posts
Monday, April 13, 2015
Monday, April 6, 2015
Changing Up The Canadiens' Power Play
Since December 5th, 2013, the Montreal Canadiens power play has been a one-trick pony, and ranked in the bottom third of the National Hockey League.
Many believe the problems starts behind the bench, with a collective lack of offensive prowess among the Canadiens’ brain trust. Some would have you think that analytics dictates who gets to play with the man advantage. While that may be true on teams with a plethora of offensive talent, like Chicago or Pittsburgh, a team like Montreal needs to look at its power play proficiency historically and pinpoint what could work for them.
The Bomb From The Point Is Mandatory
The Habs have always been blessed with some of the best point shots in the league, with the likes of rear guards Vladimir Malakov, Sheldon Souray, Mark Streit,Marc-Andre Bergeron and now P.K. Subban.
Despite the big shot, since the 2000-01 season, there has been one constant on the point. The presence ofAndrei Markov to help distribute the puck. The native of Voskresensk, Russia has shown an incredible ability to read penalty killing formations, finding passing lanes or sneaking in back door when the situation allowed it.
Essentially, a howitzer from the point and a puck distributor is a must for any power play strategy.
Creating Offense Off The Half-Wall
There was no one better than former Habs’ right winger Alex Kovalev as far as offensive productivity from the hash marks in is concerned. His incredible stick handling ability, along with his vision and patented outside-in deke were unparalleled in his stint with the Canadiens.
Prior to Kovalev’s arrival in Montreal, former captain Saku Koivu, as well as right-winger Mark Recchi, had the same ability to see the ice and pick their spots, although their skill level didn’t compare to that of “L’Artiste.”
Movement Is The Key
Whether it was the 80’s, where the power play had Bobby Smith, Mats Naslund and Kjell Dahlin, or the 90’s with Vincent Damphousse and Brian Bellows, or the 2000’s with the aforementioned components, there was one constant. Not a single player was stationary.
Defenseman were given the liberty of moving from the slot to the point and forwards could switch wings ad-nauseaum.
For example, when Bobby Smith would carry the puck deep into the offensive zone on the power play, Naslund would shade over to the right-wing as an option should Smith continue behind the net. If Smith would stop in the corner, “The Little Viking” would cut through the slot, giving Smith a passing option. If that wasn’t available, the puck would come back to the point to Chris Chelios, while Smith would take position in the slot and Naslund would post up at the hash marks on the strong side
Mandatory Power Play Prerequisites
As a hockey coach myself, I always look for two out of three skill components when assessing a player’s potential power play effectiveness. Speed, vision and size are the keys to an effective power play.
Using those factors, players like David Desharnais and Brendan Gallagher would not get a stiff of power play time, despite their effort level or offensive gifts.
The Tools Are There For Success
Using the requirements I’ve laid out, these are the power play units that I would have on the Canadiens:
Alex Galchenyuk – RW, Lars Eller – C, Max Pacioretty – LW, P.K. Subban and Nathan Beaulieu – D
Tomas Plekanec – RW, Jakob De La Rose -C, P-A Parenteau – LW, Andrei Markov and Jeff Petry – D
Some of you may think I’m mentally unstable at this point, but look at the dynamic.
Beaulieu & Markov – Point quaterbacks
Both defenseman have the ability to skate up and down the offensive zone, alternate their positions to find passing lanes and create confusion for the defending team.
Subban & Petry – Point-side shooters
Everyone knows that both these rear guards can hammer a puck on goal without missing the net the majority of the time. Shot accuracy is of key importance for any shots coming from the point, since they oftentimes create second chance opportunities because of their velocity.
Galchenyuk & Plekanec – Half-wall quarterback
Both players have the ability to shuffle up and down the half-wall while looking for options. Galchenyuk more than Plekanec has the skill set that is best suited to replace the power play creativity lost after the departure of Kovalev. Their skill set also lends itself to carrying the puck into the offensive, maintaining possession of the puck, and finding the right outlet for distribution. They would also serves as the second centre on their respective units.
Eller & De La Rose – Net-front & support
These youngsters show the physical attributes that are required to retrieve pucks that are dumped into the zone when the situation dictates it, or come in support to another forward that may get to the puck first. They also have the physical strength to establish position in front of the net to fend off defenders and screen goaltenders, while having hands that are soft enough to finish on rebounds in tight.
Pacioretty & Parenteau – Shooters
These veteran forwards have shown success up until this point in their careers when their sole responsibility is to shoot the puck. While Parenteau can also serve as a puck distributor, Pacioretty’s ability to drive the net and wreak havoc in the mid-ice lane would open up second chance opportunities for anyone that may be trailing the Canadiens’ leading goal scorer as he enters the attacking zone.
Sound thinking? You be the judge.
Special teams aren’t rocket science, but they require strategy and knowledge of the abilities of every player on your roster. I’m sure that Habs’ head coach Michel Therrien knows his wards very well, but his reluctance to use set units for his power play instead of just rolling his lines has even the most knowledgeable hockey mind baffled.
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Dale Weise, P.K. Subban And The Habs Power-Play Struggles
Greetings Habs Addicts!
The Montreal Canadiens are 8-2-1 heading into this evening's game against the Calgary Flames. The record is certainly misleading on how they have played to this point. They have shown tremendous character by winning six of those games by one-goal margins, often after trailing to start the game. They have also scored three goals or less in eight of their eleven games (5-3 in those games) this season. The team is even in goals for/against at 29/29 and they are averaging only 2.4 goals per game while allowing 2.6 goals per game. While the penalty-killing is just as strong as last year (86.7%; 6th best in the NHL) the power-play has been power-less with only a 9.4% conversion rate (three goals in 32 attempts; two of the goals were scored in the same game). The Canadiens have been relying on all-world goaltender Carey Price to keep them in the games and he has thus far delivered. But is this a smoke and mirrors start or will the team turn things around offensively?
A couple of weeks back, HabsAddicts' own Fred Poulin analyzed the struggling power-play and offered up a hockey player's perspective on what is going wrong and how it can be corrected. Since that time, the Canadiens have not converted a power-play goal (five games; 12 power-play opportunities). Clearly the rest of the NHL has keyed in on P.K. Subban being the catalyst to the Habs' offense with the man advantage. Subban spends most of his time at the point awaiting an opportunity to unleash his booming slap-shot at the net. But Subban is rarely moved from the point this season and any hockey player will tell you that a stationary target is much easier to defend then a moving target.
Subban is an extremely talented offensive defenseman. His right-handed shot is one of the hardest point shots in hockey. He is very similar in that regard to Shea Weber, the right-handed shooting all-star from the Nashville Predators. Weber last year led all defensemen in scoring with 23 goals. A video montage of all of his 2013-14 goals can be found on YouTube. For those who do not wish to take the link to the video, the summary of this goals based on location on the ice are as follows:
The same page on YouTube also has a summary video of all of P.K. Subban's goals from last year's regular season and playoffs. Again, for those who do not wish to view the video the summary of those goals relative to position on the ice are as follows:
One noticeable difference, aside from Weber having more goals (23 regular season vs 15 for Subban in regular season/playoffs) is that Weber pinches more on rushes and power-plays and scored eight of his goals from within the face-off circles or the slot area whereas Subban is more content to stick to the blue line and fire lasers. As we have seen from some of his rushes, including his gorgeous breakaway goal against Colorado this season, Subban has the stick-handling ability to fight through traffic and score from in close. Having a player like Subban floating along the blue line waiting for one-timers is a waste of his immense talent. There is no reason why Subban cannot score 20+ goals in this league if utilized correctly.
Another difference in the videos is that in almost every single one of Weber's goals, there is traffic in front of the net. The Predators have never had top-level scoring talent on their roster. They are always a defence-first grinding team who scores by committee and yet they have a player leading the NHL in goals by a defenceman; one who's biggest weapon is a slap-shot, not necessarily creative stick-handling. They achieve this by having one or two bodies in front of the net, providing enough of a screen on the goalie that he cannot pick up the shot right away. If you cannot locate the shot coming at you from that velocity, you are not saving it. Ask a Major League Baseball hitter if he can hit a 100 MPH fastball if he does not pick it up right away out of the pitcher's hand. He will tell you there is no chance. And they are not being screened.
P.K. Subban has that kind of shot.
The Canadiens do not have a big body in front of the net on the power-play this year. Teams are keying on Subban and the goalie is getting a view of the shot as it comes in. Brendan Gallagher does what he can up front, but he does not have the size to truly screen the goalies, as most of them in the NHL are well over six-feet tall. Max Pacioretty is a sniper, not a net crasher. Little David Desharnais is not screening anyone and Alex Galchenyuk is not a power-forward.
Good power-plays have traffic in front of the net. In their primes, both Todd Bertuzzi and John LeClair were forces to deal with in front of the net. Boston uses Milan Lucic in that role. Pittsburgh has Chris Kunitz to bang home rebounds. Montreal does not have skilled players with size like this on the roster. But they do have one gritty player who is skilled enough to hold his own with the puck and big enough to stand in front of the net and bang in rebounds. One player who can use his tremendous speed to get to the corner and win battles for the loose puck off dump-ins. That player is Dale Weise.
Weise is not a sniper. He is not a pure goal-scorer, but he is a strong and sturdy presence who can get in front of the net and take the abuse from an opposing defender. He showed in the playoffs that he can score a big goal and win the battles. With skilled shooters such as Pacioretty and Subban on the ice along with puck-handlers such as Galchenyuk or Desharnais and the general at the point in Markov, having a player like Weise on the ice to take the onus off Gallagher in front of the net could be an effective way to occupy a defender up front and force two bodies to be blocking the view of the goaltender. If the Canadiens can find ways to move Subban into the slot or pinch from the blue-line more, there is no reason why the Habs cannot have a Shea Weber of their own. We do not need Weise to score 20 goals, just create a solid screen and occupy a defender and let the goal scorers do their work.
When trying to score goals the conventional way is not working, it may be time to think outside the box. Teams are keying on the point with Subban and the Canadiens are not generating any traffic in front of the goal. That is allowing the four defenders to box them out and keep the Canadiens on the perimeter. There is no reason to take a defender away from Subban. Forcing one of those four to fight Weise in the slot will open up more space for Subban to maneuver around. Allowing him to pinch into the circles or the slot to shoot will give a screened goalie even less time to locate and react to one of the NHL's hardest shots. Like a the ball player trying to hit the fastball, you will not hit what you cannot see.
Michel Therrien is making some changes to his line pairings tonight against Calgary. What he should be doing is changing his power-play strategy. It has been ineffective all year long.
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The Montreal Canadiens are 8-2-1 heading into this evening's game against the Calgary Flames. The record is certainly misleading on how they have played to this point. They have shown tremendous character by winning six of those games by one-goal margins, often after trailing to start the game. They have also scored three goals or less in eight of their eleven games (5-3 in those games) this season. The team is even in goals for/against at 29/29 and they are averaging only 2.4 goals per game while allowing 2.6 goals per game. While the penalty-killing is just as strong as last year (86.7%; 6th best in the NHL) the power-play has been power-less with only a 9.4% conversion rate (three goals in 32 attempts; two of the goals were scored in the same game). The Canadiens have been relying on all-world goaltender Carey Price to keep them in the games and he has thus far delivered. But is this a smoke and mirrors start or will the team turn things around offensively?
 |
| Dale Weise & P.K. Subban. Photo Credit: montreal.ctvnews.ca |
A couple of weeks back, HabsAddicts' own Fred Poulin analyzed the struggling power-play and offered up a hockey player's perspective on what is going wrong and how it can be corrected. Since that time, the Canadiens have not converted a power-play goal (five games; 12 power-play opportunities). Clearly the rest of the NHL has keyed in on P.K. Subban being the catalyst to the Habs' offense with the man advantage. Subban spends most of his time at the point awaiting an opportunity to unleash his booming slap-shot at the net. But Subban is rarely moved from the point this season and any hockey player will tell you that a stationary target is much easier to defend then a moving target.
Subban is an extremely talented offensive defenseman. His right-handed shot is one of the hardest point shots in hockey. He is very similar in that regard to Shea Weber, the right-handed shooting all-star from the Nashville Predators. Weber last year led all defensemen in scoring with 23 goals. A video montage of all of his 2013-14 goals can be found on YouTube. For those who do not wish to take the link to the video, the summary of this goals based on location on the ice are as follows:
The same page on YouTube also has a summary video of all of P.K. Subban's goals from last year's regular season and playoffs. Again, for those who do not wish to view the video the summary of those goals relative to position on the ice are as follows:
One noticeable difference, aside from Weber having more goals (23 regular season vs 15 for Subban in regular season/playoffs) is that Weber pinches more on rushes and power-plays and scored eight of his goals from within the face-off circles or the slot area whereas Subban is more content to stick to the blue line and fire lasers. As we have seen from some of his rushes, including his gorgeous breakaway goal against Colorado this season, Subban has the stick-handling ability to fight through traffic and score from in close. Having a player like Subban floating along the blue line waiting for one-timers is a waste of his immense talent. There is no reason why Subban cannot score 20+ goals in this league if utilized correctly.
Another difference in the videos is that in almost every single one of Weber's goals, there is traffic in front of the net. The Predators have never had top-level scoring talent on their roster. They are always a defence-first grinding team who scores by committee and yet they have a player leading the NHL in goals by a defenceman; one who's biggest weapon is a slap-shot, not necessarily creative stick-handling. They achieve this by having one or two bodies in front of the net, providing enough of a screen on the goalie that he cannot pick up the shot right away. If you cannot locate the shot coming at you from that velocity, you are not saving it. Ask a Major League Baseball hitter if he can hit a 100 MPH fastball if he does not pick it up right away out of the pitcher's hand. He will tell you there is no chance. And they are not being screened.
P.K. Subban has that kind of shot.
The Canadiens do not have a big body in front of the net on the power-play this year. Teams are keying on Subban and the goalie is getting a view of the shot as it comes in. Brendan Gallagher does what he can up front, but he does not have the size to truly screen the goalies, as most of them in the NHL are well over six-feet tall. Max Pacioretty is a sniper, not a net crasher. Little David Desharnais is not screening anyone and Alex Galchenyuk is not a power-forward.
Good power-plays have traffic in front of the net. In their primes, both Todd Bertuzzi and John LeClair were forces to deal with in front of the net. Boston uses Milan Lucic in that role. Pittsburgh has Chris Kunitz to bang home rebounds. Montreal does not have skilled players with size like this on the roster. But they do have one gritty player who is skilled enough to hold his own with the puck and big enough to stand in front of the net and bang in rebounds. One player who can use his tremendous speed to get to the corner and win battles for the loose puck off dump-ins. That player is Dale Weise.
Weise is not a sniper. He is not a pure goal-scorer, but he is a strong and sturdy presence who can get in front of the net and take the abuse from an opposing defender. He showed in the playoffs that he can score a big goal and win the battles. With skilled shooters such as Pacioretty and Subban on the ice along with puck-handlers such as Galchenyuk or Desharnais and the general at the point in Markov, having a player like Weise on the ice to take the onus off Gallagher in front of the net could be an effective way to occupy a defender up front and force two bodies to be blocking the view of the goaltender. If the Canadiens can find ways to move Subban into the slot or pinch from the blue-line more, there is no reason why the Habs cannot have a Shea Weber of their own. We do not need Weise to score 20 goals, just create a solid screen and occupy a defender and let the goal scorers do their work.
When trying to score goals the conventional way is not working, it may be time to think outside the box. Teams are keying on the point with Subban and the Canadiens are not generating any traffic in front of the goal. That is allowing the four defenders to box them out and keep the Canadiens on the perimeter. There is no reason to take a defender away from Subban. Forcing one of those four to fight Weise in the slot will open up more space for Subban to maneuver around. Allowing him to pinch into the circles or the slot to shoot will give a screened goalie even less time to locate and react to one of the NHL's hardest shots. Like a the ball player trying to hit the fastball, you will not hit what you cannot see.
Michel Therrien is making some changes to his line pairings tonight against Calgary. What he should be doing is changing his power-play strategy. It has been ineffective all year long.
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Nick Malofy is a transplanted Montrealer, currently living in evil LeafLand. He is a contributor here at HabsAddict.com and give him a follow, as he can often be found rambling on Twitter.
Friday, October 31, 2014
Assessing The Habs New Blue Line Addition: Tom Gilbert
Tom Gilbert was coming off of one of his better seasons in the NHL playing for the Florida Panthers where he signed only an affordable one-year pact worth $900,000 due in part to having a few under-rated seasons in Minnesota and eventually being bought out. Now it appears Bergevin has welcomed Gilbert to the Montreal Canadiens in hopes he will continue his great run from the season before.
What can be said about Gilbert is his size serves us, along with his ability to cycle the puck. Gilbert who has logged big minutes per game, comes at a small risk to our defensive line, so you would think.
So far Tom Gilbert has played 11 games with the Habs and the fans are already not too happy with the 6' 3'', 206-lb defensemen. Having only two points while logging an average of 22:33 minutes a game thus far, Gilbert is not turning out to be the player Habs fans have hoped for, especially when Gilbert was called for a minor penalty in the last minutes of overtime against the Vancouver Canucks and costed the Habs a loss. Gilbert's recent play shows how much of a flaw defensively he can be on the ice: Gilbert is a non-physical big body defenseman who pinches at the wrong time trying to create offense when he should not; this is not something you look to add to a team. Hab fans were expecting a physical defensive player that can shut down offensive plays in the defensive zone after the loss of Josh Gorges and Douglas Murray, but Tom Gilbert is a puck moving rearguard who is not known for physical style of play. Tom Gilbert has been notoriously known around the league since his NHL debut as a soft oversized defenseman. Habs fans have to be reminded that Bergevin did not sign Tom Gilbert for such a role. So why did Bergevin sign him in the first place?
In my opinion Tom Gilbert was signed by the Habs for his capability of playing long minutes to help lighten the workload of Andrei Markov and PK Subban and for his offensive playing skills so that he can play on the second power play unit. His talent of cycling the puck and setting up plays in the offensive zone will be greatly needed for a power play that is lacking the mobility in moving the defensive players out of position in order to create scoring chances. Tom has played on his previous teams' power play units before averaging nine points on the man advantage per season and averaging 1:21 on the PP per game during his best years in Edmonton. It is not many points but it shows Gilbert has the experience to run an effective power play. We all saw how placing Gilbert on the power play even when only seconds expired after the roughing minor to Giordano ended Gilbert scored his first goal as a Hab which was the tying goal against Calgary and eventually led to a shoot out win for the Habs.
The Montreal Canadiens power play thus far is terrible, the Habs are ranked 24th in the NHL having scored only 3 goals out of 32 power play opportunities which translates to a 9.4% efficiency on the power play. You don't need more statistical facts to show that the Habs are in dire need of improvement. Tom Gilbert may or may not be the solution to the Habs' lack of scoring on the power play but Therrien should consider him at times to try and shake things up, it is not as if Michel has anything to loose on the power play at this point in time.
The Montreal Canadiens can only hope that Tom Gilbert improves over the next couple of games and hopefully he can be a positive addition to the non-existent power play. The fans have to be a bit more patient with Gilbert as there are many more games to come and many more opportunities for Therrien to utilize Gilbert's experience on the power play unit. Being a new player on a team which is highly scrutinized after each play is something that will take time getting used to, it's normal for a new player to play out of sync at first, but hopefully Gilbert can get back to playing his best hockey soon and cut on the turnovers.
We will all have to adopt a wait-and-see approach.
Written by Jon Saxe
Written by Jon Saxe
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
How To Improve The Habs' Struggling Power Play
After four contests, the team has yet to light the lamp up on the power play this season, generating practically nothing offensively when up a man, going 0-for-14. The Habs have been very predictable so far and have had problems getting organized in the offensive zone.
The team's first line of Max Pacioretty, David Desharnais and Brendan Gallagher have scored three power play goals in their last 107 combined NHL games and yet, head coach Michel Therrien keeps playing them together for the most part of the man advantage without getting good results.
The five-man unit needs to stop looking for PK Subban at the point as the opposing teams now designate a defender to check him carefully and force him to pass the puck to Andrei Markov or a forward instead of using his booming slap shot.
The Canadiens need to move the puck faster down low to open the point and facilitate quality shots from the point. Right now, the players are too still and are easy to put in check because of their lack of overall movement.
The Canadiens don't have a lethal weapon such as Steven Stamkos or Alexander Ovechkin, but they have a pretty good player named PK Subban.
The team could use Subban on the left side of the ice where he could use his great one-timer and slide up and down the ice to create scoring chances. Markov would be the general on the point and he would dictate the play by moving the puck around the ice and sliding down low to the back door like he used to do on a more consistent basis.
The team should also split Desharnais and Pacioretty as DD is trying to find Patches too hard and, as a result, he doesn't shoot the puck enough and he gets too predictable. I would mix the lines on the power play and send Tomas Plekanec with Max Pacioretty and Alex Galchenyuk on the first wave of the PP. Patches could stay in the slot and wait for the one-timer and go after rebounds while Plekanec would stay on the right side of the ice to feed the best open player. Galchenyuk would play behind the net and keep the opposing defensemen on their heels by constantly moving from one side of the net to the other.
The second unit could be Nathan Beaulieu at the point, PA Parenteau on the left side looking for the one-timer, Rene Bourque screening the goalie, David Desharnais controlling the play on right side and Brendan Gallagher or Lars Eller playing down low.
The Habs need to simplify things and stop looking for the perfect play. Find the open lanes, shoot the puck at the net, screen the opposing netminder and bury the rebounds. The players have to display a bigger sense of urgency, because right now they don't seem to care at all.
Another small detail, but why Markov and Subban start on their even-strength side when they know they will eventually switch sides for the one-timer?
The players also need to improve the zone entry as they have a tendency to make soft passes that are easily intercepted or they dump the puck and are unable to retrieve it first because the opponent is too fast and first on the puck.
Michel Therrien will have to start adapting his strategy or the team will become even more predictable than it is right now. Use a forward at the point, put a left winger on the right side of the ice, mix the lines, use the hot players more, bench the struggling players, etc. Therrien needs to be better at reacting and improvising during games when things don't work out well.
And also, practice, practice and practice!
Follow me on Twitter @FredPoulin98.
No Foolin' Fred Poulin
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!
Friday, March 2, 2012
Habs/Wild, Plekanec's TOI, Ellis, Nashville and More
So, what's that saying again? The more things change, the more they stay the same.
The Montreal Canadiens scored three power play goals against the Wild, a feat that has been virtually unprecedented this season. Big change.
Then, after building a comfortable 4-1 cushion, the Habs were again unable to protect their lead, allowing the Wild to eventually force overtime with ten seconds left in the game. Same old.
In the end, David Desharnais provided the only goal in shootout, allowing the Canadiens to snap their five game losing skid.
Oddly enough, although the Canadiens were afforded seven powerplays, Tomas Plekanec only received forty seconds of duty on the man-advantage.
Punishment? Maybe. But, then again, Scott Gomez got a full two minutes of powerplay work. Perhaps, as Francois Gagnon points out, Randy Cunneyworth is not the only one pulling the strings.
In any case, do you think Plekanec's recent utilization is a bit strange?
Habs News
HabsAddict.com - Canadiens-Wild Post-Game Notes: Habs Grab Strange Shootout Win
HabsAddict.com - Dissecting the Montreal Canadiens: Late February 2012 Edition
HabsAddict.com - Habs Press Release - Carey Price Earns Molson Cup For February
HabsAddict.com - Press Release - Montreal Canadiens Sign Morgan Ellis
HabsWorld.net - Younger Habs Fans Will Appreciate The Next Cup More Than The Old Guard
Hockey Inside / Out - About last night …
La Presse - Pourquoi faire simple...
RDS - Les joueurs préfèrent finalement en rire
TSN - Canadiens blow big lead, beat Wild in Shootout
Hockey News
ESPN - Teen plants hockey roots in the South
ESPN - Numbers don't lie, Preds creating buzz
IIHF - What’s the value of being 1st?
Sports Illustrated - Vrbata becoming a name player
SportsNet - A Coaching Conundrum
The Hockey News - Kennedy: Battle over North Dakota Fighting Sioux nickname ramps up
TSN - McKenzie: Saskatoon expresses interest to NHL for a franchise
USA Today - Film 'Goon' a love letter to hockey enforcers
USA Today - Roundup: Flyers dominate; Gaborik nets 30th of season
(Photo by Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images)
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)
