BACK AT FULL STRENGTH
Canucks’ power play ready to strike
There was always reason to believe the power play could be much better than advertised.
There was a proven faceoff specialist. There was the option of loading up one of two deadly shots from the dots. There was a strong down-low presence, a smart slot specialist, and point puck distributor. So much for assistant coach and special teams architect Newell Brown to tinker with and build upon.
As much as the Vancouver Canucks have had to experiment with first-unit deployments because of injuries to Elias Pettersson, Sven Baertschi, Alex Edler and Brock Boeser, there was still an emerging talent pool to draw from, and confidence that varied man-advantage manipulations in a changing, fast-paced game could work in their favour.
Even in the absence of hotshot Boeser, who missed 11 consecutive games with a groin strain that morphed into an adductor irritation and hernia scare, the Canucks still struck for power-play goals in seven games without the right winger.
And now that Boeser has returned to join Pettersson, Horvat, Edler and Sam Gagner on the first unit, the Canucks can dare to dream of making Pacific Division headway. After all, with four power-play goals in three games to start this NHL season, there was already a foundation.
It’s why being a mid-pack team at even-strength scoring should be trumped by a power play potentially better than 18th-ranked at 19.5 per cent proficiency. It could eventually crack the NHL’s top 10.
Horvat and Pettersson have four power-play goals apiece and Pettersson’s gaudy 27.7 per cent shooting accuracy is why he was the go-to guy in Boeser’s absence. However, three shots and 10 attempts by Boeser on Tuesday — including ringing a backhander off the post — suggests he’s healed, because the 21-year-old sniper looked leaner and his stride was stronger.
“He’s a proven goal scorer and it’s tough, when you have a guy like that out, for other guys to fill that void,” said Horvat, who owns a 54.5 per cent faceoff success rate. “It’s going to be great to have that double (power-play) threat.
“Obviously, Petey has established himself on the half wall pretty well and guys respect his one-timer. To have Brock on the other side and Eagle (Edler) feeding both of them, they’re going to have to pick and choose which guy they’re going to cover now. It’s going to be huge for our group.”
The popular 1-3-1 power-play formation — three players aligned down the middle like an ‘I’ formation in football — remains viable. It allows the forward in front of the net to provide screens and tips and move from side to side to allow other options. The middle man does more than just shoot; he acts as a puck distributor and sets high screens.
The Canucks have the personnel, pace and big-shot potential to be even more creative and maybe one day rival the glory days.
The Canucks had the No. 1-ranked unit in 2011 (24.3 per cent) and were No. 4 in 2012 (19.8). They got 18 power-play goals from Daniel Sedin and 15 from Ryan Kesler in 2010-11, and watching the smooth-skating Christian Ehrhoff run the show is a fond memory. After all, Sami Salo was limited to 27 regular-season games that season, but his two 5-on-3 power-play blasts in Game 4 of the Western Conference final series paved the way for a Stanley Cup final appearance.
“It (power play) has become a lot more specialized,” Brown said of today’s game. “Teams really study what you’re doing and put up good defences, and you have to change with the times and know what’s going on in the game.”
Out of injury necessity — and to advance the rebuild with promise instead of panic — possessing two terrific shot options on the opposing dots has given the Canucks a crucial element for planning and productivity. As always, zone entries are vital and the Canucks
struggled with that Tuesday during a 2-1 overtime loss to Los Angeles. They were 0-for-2 on the power play, but Boeser and Pettersson had hard shots on the first chance.
Puck movement is also of paramount importance on any power play to keep the penalty kill off balance, but better shot options and smart puck distributions are just as crucial.
Sam Gagner had eight powerplay goals and 18 power-play assists on the Columbus power play during a 50-point season in 2016-17. The role he played with the Blue Jackets in an alignment with Alexander Wennberg, Cam Atkinson, Nick Foligno and Zach Werenski is the same as the one he now plays here.
He’s off the half-wall. He’s back in the slot to take a quick shot off a fast feed, like he did Saturday in Los Angeles, and help co-ordinate the attack.
“I definitely feel comfortable there, and I can be a support piece in the middle, win races to pucks, battle and make plays,” said Gagner. “The way power plays are going and penalty kills are going, that can be important to relieve some pressure. It helps to soften penalty kills when the penalty kill tries to be aggressive.”
It’s tough, when you have a guy like that out, for other guys to fill that void. It’s going to be great to have that double (powerplay) threat.