Any hockey fan with half of a brain knows that the solution to the Pens situation hinges on fixing the PP success rate. It can’t get any worse than 30th.
Goaltending and the attention the PK gets from most teams when combined with the Pens playing the same-old PP with only minor modifications makes it one of the easiest to defend in the NHL. The stats don’t lie. This is hard to believe (30th) with the likes of Gonchar, Malkin and Crosby out there but the results clearly point the major need for a change. Is this group of coaches so blockheaded so determined……
….. so sure their methods are correct that they refuse to change it up.
Any PP to be successful long term requires someone in front of the goalie… and while they do this once in a while it isn’t consistent. Usually the player assigned to distract the attention of the goalie and/or defensemen isn’t there… they are seen floating around. If Cooke is on the ice during a PP (the last game) I think he’s the player assigned to be in front of the net, same as if Rupp is on the PP. Too often they are not there.
We have Malkin who said he is not comfortable playing the point and particuraly on the left side. Yet, there he is game after game now and not very productive. This sort-of reminds me of when Jagr, playing for the Capitals, went to McPhee and Wilson because of a failing PP with the idea of providing suggestions for improvement and they told him to buzz-off and just do what his is told. Sometimes the management are the blocksheads.
There are four players who I think can handle that spot in front of the goalie… that would be Staal, Rupp, Kunitz, and Cooke. All four are large enough and solid on their skates and none are afraid of being physical. Setting-up two PP units is another option of a change-up to throw into the mix. Remembering that you can’t get lower than 30th in the ranking. I’ve always believed that if your oppenent kills your PP and you’ve had your stars on the ice for the complete PP your opponent now has the advantage because your stars now sit. The exception being if your losing the game and the clocks winding down you do need to load up.
Knundle posted an article in regard to where Crosby scored his goals and it wasn’t from the perimeter. Why play him on the PP there? Our opponents coaches have to be laughing their asses off while watching Malkin and Crosby on the perimeter playing what Errey just referred too as the umbella offense.
Granato (who seems to get a free pass) and Yeo have been assigned to the PP and it really doesn’t matter which one or both… it isn’t working and the responsibility for the problem solving rests with Bylsma. If he can’t get it fixed a remedy might be for Marioto get involved and call in his buddies EJ and Robbie Brown. They knew how to do it and it hasn’t changed THAT much.
Sorry about the rambling but I’ve had it with these coaches not changing it up. If you think you know what’s wrong… let’s hear it.
This is DR Hook… carry on.
I am thinking that you put Gonchar/Goligoski on the right point to “quarterback” the PP, put Letang on the left point (right handed shot so he can one time the cross ice passes that Malkin and Crosby love), let Malkin play the half wall (it is where he is happy, he can shoot real well from there & he is not right for the left point), put Guerin, Rupp, Cooke, Staal….whomever in front (and they must play in front) and let Crosby play the goal line/behind/in front of the net (I think Crosby will not complain about being moved from his spot and he is awesome at digging the puck out of the boards and getting open space). Allow the defensmen to move the puck the full width of the ice and get the goalie moving side to side.
(IMHO) While Letang on the left is a good idea Goligoski looks better on the left side than on the right side leaving Letang the only other option to play that right side (besides Gonchar)… that’s why Letang has been on the 2nd PP unit and not the first for most of the season unless gonchar is not playing.
Personally, I don’t think it’s where they line up at all. It’s more the design. There’s like zero movement most of the time and I also question if there is a zone-entry plan of any kind as the enter the zone and then appear to do a (now what?) and figure it out from there.
A player in front of the net is hard work and in general floating the puck around the perimeter with long passes looking for cute spot-on passes (if successful)replaces the hard work.
You can move all the pieces all over the place but if you have the general lack of hard work on the PP it won’t make one smack of difference. Note that last night it was the 2nd PP unit that got it and I’m sticking with that (right now)as being the best fix to the problem.
Does anyone have the stats on the PP after they made the change. I was keeping track of it for a while and at the the end of last month it was around 22%. Last night 25% – that’s at Montreal’s rate.
I just say Letang because they love to throw the cross-ice pass from the right side. Only a right-handed shooter can one time that pass. As good as I think Go-go is and can be, he cannot one time a pass from the right side….effectively. I certainly agree that the work ethic has to be there regardless of what strategy they use.
It isn’t panic-ville but Mario attended a long practice that wasn’t scheduled. One thing about the Pens is they don’t screw around and not do something if it calls for it. I like the EJ and Robbie Brown as PP advisors!
Cuputi is called up to replace Kunitz. He has no problem going to the net. Kunitz has a abdominal muscle tear. That explains his play. Gutsy to play with an injury like that.
Any bets on Cuputi immediately going to the first PP unit?
Caputi won’t end up on the first PP unit, but don’t be surprised to see him on Malkin’s line. He showed some chemistry with Geno during his earlier appearance with the Pens.
Plan B is to figure out — what would Macgyver do? BOOM-BOOM-BOOM