Monday debate: the power play

I noticed several PP sets starting with Staal behind the net with the puck. He's pretty good with the puck, but, assuming there's no chance for a wrap-around or to bounce the puck off the goalie's back, it's pretty hard for him to score from there. I guess Staal's first choice is to pass to someone cutting into the slot. If that's not available, then I guess he is supposed to pass to the point or half wall and move in front of the net for a return pass, deflection, or rebound. Obviously, that is not working, but it is hard to see why when watching on TV because I usually can't see the whole zone. sparks1 noted that guys like Whitney are getting pressured and beaten at the half wall. I'd like to try Cullen at the half wall for this set rather than Whitney or Samsonov.

They've become very predictable on the power play. The opposition knows what to expect as it's been the same for three seasons now.

It’s frustrating. When you watch the teams with successful powerplays, the passes are crisp and tape-to-tape. The good teams never have to fight for the puck in the corner while on the man advantage - they maintain possession at all times. The canes hold onto the puck too long and allow the defenders to get on them. Then they’re stuck throwing the puck to the corner. This results in the Canes powerplay losing possession and they end up spending half of the PP battling for the puck in the corner. Then once they lose those battles, the other half of the PP is spent retrieving the puck from their end. I wish they kept stats on the # of times the puck is cleared against a powerplay. The Canes would surely be at the bottom of that list. The Canes need to spend some time watching how teams like Detroit move the puck on the PP. They move the puck quickly and when they have a shot available they take it and get traffic to the net. Its not rocket science. Wake up coaches!

Did anyone else's shoes fall off when Pronger rifled a shot that hit the glass and could have easily broken it? The 'Canes have one arm like that - Babchuk - and obviously hitting the glass isn't the idea, but if you fire shots like that A LOT, odds are that one is going to hit the back of the net at some point. If nothing else, shots like that can intimidate the other team whenever 'that arm' is on the ice. A shot like that makes you want to get out of the way, not block it.

A paid employee of the Carolina Hurricanes Inc as any other player,coach or staff employee is..If Mr. K and Company get tired of losing money...trust me he'll do something about it, just like his companies who own the jr team the whalers did recently...I guess Mr. K hadn't seen the vidoe tape of all the fans leaving early yet...maybe someone should send him one ? Pond Hockey at the NHL level isn't entertaining...it is down right pittiful...:-{

1 - Dump the dump & chase. It's not working. All we end up doing is dumping the puck in and chasing it down the ice when they clear it. Waste of time!

2 - Bodies in front of the net. We need big bodies screening the goalie. Bodies moving in front of the net. If the goalie can't see it, he's going to have a hard time stopping it!

3 - Staal. During warm-ups, he snipes corners. During the game, if he gets time to shoot, he snipes the goalie's crest. Great job Eric, you've got that move down. Now get it BEHIND the goalie!! Preferably in the net.

4 - Put Samsonov on the PP. He took a few sneaky shots yesterday, shots that goalies have a hard time with. A quick little wrister that the goalie doesn't hear coming (unlike a slapshot) with a body screening him has a great chance of going in. Staal booming a slapper center mass on the goalie from 8' away...no chance of going in.

5 - NO Kaberle on the PP. He rarely shoots anymore, keep him off the PP. We need shots, not more passes.

6 - Ward. Either get more active playing the puck or sit on the bench & run the door. Standing back there is useless, help out.

7 - Eliminate the whole "Regroup & start over" mentality that we have. EVERY TIME the puck gets cleared, all 5 skaters come back to the defensive zone, puck carrier up the middle, 2 skating up each wing. It's not necessary, and it wastes time. Improvise. Be creative. There's no reason we should be coming back en masse like that every time. All the teams we play know we do it, and they just set up the trap in the neutral zone....and we skate right into the trap. It's getting old.

8 - Babchuk. Welcome back kid. Air out that shot. Get the puck to the net and make something happen. One more pass doesn't help.

9 - Pitkanen. Keep at it, the forwards are learning to roll back when you get agressive. Teach Babchuk to do it too.

I could go on, but I'll just get more ticked off. Sometimes I'd rather see us decline the penalty (can we do that??) or just put 4 skaters out there....our PP is pathetic, repetitive, and hard to watch.

Better yet...start attacking short-handed...can't fix the PP? Start scoring on PK. Works well for Philly.

Pitkanen is underachieving, and so is Corvo.

Simply they need to demote those on the PP and try other players. Put Sutter and LaRose out there with Ruutu and let Wallin and Babchuk or Melichar on the back end. Put players on the ice that show the desire to compete 5 on 5 and they will surely compete 5 on 4.
Give ice time based on the effort, not the name on the back.

One sign of intelligence is the willingness to change patterns when those patterns are not working. The power play has not worked for 2 1/4 years. To continue doing the same things that are not working would be the height of foolishness. The best solution would be to add a center/forward who has a wide body and speed and who can carry the puck himself and who will set up in front of the net. The dump and chase hasn't worked for over 2 years; so only a fool would continue to coach that approach as the primary power play approach. In the interim, play three defense men and put Babchuk or Melichar in front of the net. Both have the size and wingspan to create havoc there and take up space. Leave Brind'Amour and Staal on the bench during power plays for the time being. Put Cullen, Ruutu, Samsonov, Whitney, Walker (when he returns), Williams (when he returns), LaRose and Sutter, rotating shifts on the ice. If Eaves continues to improve put him in. Play two defense men (in addition to Babchuk or Melichar) so at least there won't be endless short-handed rushes. Staal and Brind'Amour at this point in time are impeding the power play for a number of reasons. They'll come around on 5 on 5; and eventually Staal will work his way out of the slump to be integral to the power play. Brind'Amour is more a leader in the clubhouse than on the ice; so reduce his ice time on power plays unless and until he can shoulder the load. He is still the emotional leader of the team; even though he is nowhere his pre-injury abilities.

November was a bust and December will be no better. The team needs a rebuilding effort for future seasons. 2 or 3 goals a game will get you a .500 season and a lot of talent wasted. Teams had solved the Hurricane's system and it's time for a new coach, a trade for a young forward and a bruising enforcer to stem the injury tides. Rutherford, you're losing fans willing to buy tickets in a tight economy.

We all know the 'Canes PP sucks donkey, and I can't for the life of me figure out why any man-advantage situation fails to produce pretty much every single time it arises, but the bigger question (or perhaps the question that might ultimately answer why the PP sucks) might be 'why do these guys so often play like they've never met?' What's wrong in that locker room? Is there a battle for/question about leadership? Is there just no chemistry? Do the players just not like it here? Is it the coaching staff and the almost squirrely approach to line combinations? Do the players need a Herb Brooks-type guy to go in and strongarm them into hating the coach and playing well to spite him? Or ... what? No chemistry anywhere (except for that LaRose, Helminen, Ruutu line that was actually working and got shot down anyway.)

*sigh* I'm going to bed. Hopeful, but not expectant, about Thursday's game against the Pens.