Wins will follow if Petes can resolve scoring dry spell
Gogolev, Timleck, Robertson, SDA off to slow start, need to start sniping more
The pucks haven’t been going in for the Peterborough Petes as of late. That was the theme of last week as the Petes pounded 82 pucks at the net and came away with only four goals.
It hasn’t just been a recent dry spell either. At the 20-game mark of the season, the Petes are one of only three teams averaging fewer than three goals per game. Only the lowly Firebirds and Frontenacs — last place in their respective conferences — are finding the twine less often.
For the Petes, the struggles start at the top, with leading returning scorers Pavel Gogolev, Adam Timleck, Nick Robertson and Semyon Der-Arguchintsev all putting the puck in the net less often than in seasons past.
Timleck has 50 OHL goals prior to this season with a shooting percentage over 12 per cent. Gogolev scored 30 last year with a 16 per cent scoring rate, both players are seeing less eight per cent of their shots go in this season.
For Robertson and Der-Arguchintsev it’s been even worse as they’ve seen their shooting percentages — both over 12 per cent for their OHL careers as well, dip below 5 per cent.
First round pick import pick Liam Kirk has yet to find his scoring stride as well, with just two markers on the season, despite being among the team leaders in shots on goal.
To some extent, these numbers should be expected to return to their previous averages — despite the frustrating early results, we’re talking about players who have taken more than 900 combined shots prior to this season and seen more than 12 per cent of them go in — there’s no reason to believe these players have all suddenly forgotten how to score.
One area where the Petes have forgotten how to score is on the power play, where the Petes sit 19th out of 20 clubs with the man advantage.
As with the play at even strength, maintaining possession of the puck and gaining the offensive zone haven’t been an issue but once they do, quality scoring chances have been hard to come by.
So far the puck movement just hasn’t been there for the Petes, a fact compounded by watching teams like Hamilton come to town and move the puck like they’re inside a pinball machine, forcing the defenders and goaltender to move and open up opportunities.
It may seem like the power play is an issue every year but the past two seasons, mostly with Matt Timms quarterbacking, the team was in the top half of the league. This year without Timms, the Petes have often used five forward units, with Declan Chisholm the only defenceman consistently seeing time with the man advantage.
Despite the offensive struggles, and on the back of strong play in the defensive zone and between the pipes, the Petes have won more games than they lost for the season and remain right in the thick of a tight Eastern Conference.
It should be only a matter of time until the snipers start sniping once again and the power play shows some power. Once they do, combined with the overall improved defensive players, the wins should follow.