Lesson learned with man advantage Canucks have plenty of tools to capitalize on these 12 aspects of the NHL power play
Earlier this year, a pair of hockey analysts, Topher Scott and Brandon Naurato, published an interesting study in how goals are scored on NHL power plays. They drew a bevy of conclusions from their research.
Let’s apply those lessons to what we’ve seen in five games from the Canucks’ power play:
1.
You need a shooter who will draw the attention of penalty killers
Elias Pettersson’s prowess last season in firing one-timers from the top of the right faceoff circle on the power play led to the spot being nicknamed the PetterZone.
Assuming the rest of the power play unit proves themselves to be a threat, Pettersson’s success in the spot is no surprise.
2.
Everyone uses the 1-3-1 Having a single shooter at the point, two players on the wings, a player in front and another in the slot has become the most consistent power play setup across the league.
Each team’s deployment is slightly different, based on personnel and their best shooting and passing positions.
J.T. Miller’s addition to the top unit and his ability to perform both in front and in the “bumper” — essentially in the slot — has added an intriguing dynamic.
3.
Sixty per cent of goals come from structured play
It’s probably no surprise that in the end most goals are created by skilled players executing their routines perfectly. Sure, this also means that 40 per cent of goals come from chaos — scrambles, rebounds, turnovers, etc. — but it really is worth spending time getting your best players to finetune specific sequences. Are the Canucks standing still or are they just going for a set play?
4.
Nearly 60 per cent of goals are off a team’s first shot
This follows from Lesson 3: the first cut really is the deepest. So having Alex Edler or Quinn Hughes teeing the puck up for Pettersson makes lots of sense.
5.
Seventy-five per cent of goals were preceded by a pass
Hey, there’s that structured concept again: a goal really does require two teammates working in concert to create the opportunity. And, take note, if the first shot isn’t successful don’t fret, 25 per cent of goals still came off rebounds. Hello, Bo Horvat: net-front presence!
6.
Just 25 per cent of goals come off point shots
NHL penalty-killing units do one thing very well: they cut off the point shot. Edler’s goal and assist Tuesday against the Detroit Red Wings were exceptional plays, not normal efforts. It’s all well and good to have the guy at the point as an option, but once again, you need shooters elsewhere too.
7.
Just 15 per cent of goals are scored by defencemen
You may have noticed in recent years that power plays go heavy on forwards, with most top units sporting just a sole defenceman. It’s clear, forwards really are just more talented shooters. This has led to some dreaming of five-forward power play setups. In the Canucks’ case, this does make an interesting riddle to solve on the second unit. As it stands, both Tyler Myers and Hughes are lining up there. But does it perhaps make more sense to try Hughes, freelancing puck artist supreme, in a different spot, say, like in the bumper? His skill set tells you that he’s not like most defencemen we’ve seen before.
8.
Three-quarters of goals involve the puck moving through the slot before the shot
More and more we understand how important it is to get goalies moving, both to break up their stance and to make them move their eyes. If Pettersson and Brock Boeser can complete more crossice passes, the Canucks will surely benefit.
9.
Traffic in front matters, a lot Three out of four goals scored on the power play involved traffic between the shooter and the goalie. The Canucks scored all three power play goals on Tuesday at Rogers Arena with a man in front. Red Wings netminder Jonathan Bernier looked a little lost on all three.
10.
Forty per cent of goals are scored from within two feet of the crease
Interestingly, 40 per cent of those net-front goals were scored by a player other than the net-front presence: 25 per cent were by the bumper player. It’s not just about Horvat or whoever is in front of the net being ready for tips and rebounds, it’s about the other non-shooters being alert to scoring chances.
11.
Good hands matter
Half of all power play goals come off one-timers or first-touch shots. Again, hello Pettersson, hello Boeser! And 13 per cent of goals come off tips. Is there any athletic feat in hockey as good as the handeye co-ordination displayed by an NHL forward tipping a point shot? After Russia finished warming up before their 2010 Vancouver Olympics’ opening game versus Latvia, the last two players on the ice were Evgeny Malkin and Alex Ovechkin ... they were working on tipping each other’s shots.
12.
Faceoffs lead to 35 per cent of goals
Winning faceoffs matters, but not quite how you’d expect: just 10 per cent of goals come directly off a winning faceoff. But a further 25 per cent come off an extended sequence that followed a faceoff, no matter whether the power play team won or lost the draw. Miller’s faceoff prowess is an underrated element for why the Canucks sought him. He makes for a second top-end faceoff taker, after Horvat.