Power outage in Cup playoffs
HAVING A potent power play is certainly useful in getting to the playoffs. Once there, maybe not as much.
Eight of the top 11 power-play teams in the playoffs this year lost in the first round, and the Ottawa Senators pushed the Pittsburgh Penguins to double overtime in Game 7 despite going 1 for 20 in the Eastern Conference final. It doesn’t hurt to have a good power play, as the Penguins showed in getting some big goals with the man advantage, but it’s far less important in the chase for the Stanley Cup than strong 5-on-5 play.
Contrary to popular opinion, referees don’t swallow their whistles in the playoffs — at least not this spring. Through three rounds, power-play opportunities are up to 6.22 per game from 5.97 during the regular season
But power-play goals are coming less frequently in the playoffs — an average of 17 percent, down from 19.1 percent in the regular season. The Penguins buck that trend with a success rate of 25 percent going into Game 1 of the Cup Final against Nashville on Monday night.
Senators coach Guy Boucher has a theory on why power plays are less successful in the playoffs: “It’s a lot easier to destroy something than it is to build something.”
“Guys are so dedicated to defending: They’re in the lanes and blocking shots with a much higher percentage,” Boucher said. “It’s like there’s five goalies out there, and it’s very tough to manufacture goals. ... The playoffs are about paying the price. They’re about desperation. And there’s a lot of that on penalty kills.”
Blocked shots are part of that, as the Penguins average 18 a game. Penalty kills are also far more aggressive in the playoffs as defenders get their bodies and sticks in shooting and passing lanes.
For Nashville, it’s all about timely stops on the penalty kill and goals on the power play.
“Power plays and when you’re short-handed, they make all the difference,” defenseman Ryan Ellis said. “You might get one or two chances the whole game and if you can go 1 for 2 or 2 for 2, that’s a big boost. If you can kill off whatever chances they get, I think special teams are probably one of the biggest factors in winning in the playoffs.” — AP Monday at Penguins, NBC Wednesday at Penguins, NBCSN Saturday at Predators, NBCSN June 5 at Predators, NBC June 8 at Penguins, NBC June 11 at Predators, NBC June 14 at Penguins, NBC