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!
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