Vancouver needs to keep it simple
Giant’s power play has had particular problems against the Victoria Royals
The Vancouver Giants have a flashy skill. They just don’t always know how to use it. That’s the opinion of coach Jason McKee, who maintains the Western Hockey League team’s power-play unit, in particular, gets in trouble when it tries to get too cute.
Vancouver finished 13th in the 22-team league during the regular season with the man advantage, thanks to a 21.9 per cent (55for-251) success rate. Along the way, there was a 3-for-35 rut in October, a 12-for-24 run in November and a 2-for-18 stumble in the final four games of the regular season.
The Giants have been fun to watch this season when they’re rolling, with their ability to push the pace and move the puck. McKee maintains Vancouver’s man-advantage unit works best when it isn’t trying for those highlight-reel goals.
“We have a lot of guys who like to pass and make plays but, at some point, somebody has to shoot the puck,” said McKee. “For us, it’s been a challenge all year.
“I believe when you get pucks to the net that’s when chaos starts, and that’s where seams open up. If they start running around, we have guys who can see the seams and make the plays. Get them out of position first, and then make the play.
“It (the power play) been hot and cold all year. Going into the playoffs, we’re hoping for consistency. You’re not going to score on every power play, but you are hoping to generate momentum.”
Vancouver’s power play has had particular problems against the Victoria
Royals, who happen to be the Giants’ first-round playoff opponent this Friday. Vancouver connected at just 14 per cent (6-for-43) against Victoria with the extra man in their 10 regular-season meetings. Victoria’s penalty kill this season was ranked 21st overall, coming in at 74.1 per cent (82 goals against, 317 opportunities).
A man-advantage marker here or there against Victoria, and Vancouver could well have home-ice advantage in this series. The Giants (36-27-6-3) wound up three points behind the Royals (39-27-4-2). They were 3-4-1-2 against Victoria in
head-to-head meetings.
“We just need to keep it simple,” said left-winger Tyler Benson, who’s usually part of Vancouver’s No. 1 power-play unit. “We can’t be trying to make those cross-seam passes if they’re not there. If we have a shot, we take it, and we get everyone to the net.
“We have our problems when we’re trying to make something out of nothing.”
Right-winger Ty Ronning, who scored 18 of his 61 goals with the man advantage, said “power plays are where you can get momentum in a game and the playoffs are all about momentum,” and there are numbers supporting that thinking.
Of the last 10 WHL champions, seven have had power-play success rates in the playoffs of at least 20 per cent, highlighted by last year’s Seattle Thunderbirds, who connected at 35 per cent (28-for-80).
Nine of the last 10 league banner
winners were good on at least 15 per cent of their power-play attempts. The 2008 Spokane Chiefs are the outlier, thanks to a 12.6 per cent (13for-103) mark.
“We have our set plays and once we execute them it’s a pass, a pass and then a shot,” said Ronning. “And then it’s get the puck back and do it again. We do that, it usually works.”
Victoria had the league’s sixth-best power play (24.9 per cent, 86-for345), while Vancouver came in fourth on the penalty kill (79.2 per cent, 57 goals against, 274 opportunities).