Leafs test four-forward power play
Babcock may adopt strategy that paid off for him last season with Detroit
Maple Leafs forwards are definitely curious to see whether their Mike Babcock-led coaching staff includes a four-forward power play this season, and whether it can mirror the tremendous success that format had in Detroit a year ago.
“We used it (four forwards) in the pre-season in a game, and I know they did it in Detroit last year. They were successful and last year, I wouldn’t say we had a (league leading) power play, we were good, we had good execution, but we weren’t consistent . . . and I don’t think you’ll see that this year,” Leafs forward Joffrey Lupul said as the Leafs prepared for their next wave of pre-season games, Friday against Buffalo and Saturday against Montreal.
Babcock was expected to use the pre-season as a testing ground for the four forward format, which ushered in a dramatic turn around in Detroit’s power play and demonstrated Babcock’s abilities to adapt to changes in his roster and keep the Red Wings on one of sports all time great playoff runs.
Babcock credited assistant coach Jim Hiller with the success in Detroit last season, and Hiller — whom Babcock says “loves to score goals” — is now part of a Leafs coaching staff that will tackle, among other things, improving a 26th-rated Leafs power play from last season.
The four-forward format made wide spread sense for the Red Wings, whose power-play unit slipped into the lower half of the league in 201314, rated 18th overall at 17.7 per cent.
With Hiller drawing up the new format, Detroit rocketed to second overall in the NHL a year ago at 23 per cent. Included in that result were 70 power-play goals — first overall in the league.
Detroit led the league in drawing penalties with 294.
“I like it, it’s not the traditional three and two (three forwards, two defenceman),” Nazem Kadri said. “It definitely brings more offensive potential to the power play, and we all saw Detroit had a No. 1 power play last year.”
Babcock’s teams made the playoffs in all 10 of his seasons in Detroit and extended the franchise’s playoff streak to 24 consecutive seasons, the fourth-longest streak in NHL history.
That Hiller directed four-man format also reflected a change in the internal game plan for a team that was losing some of its iconic players over the past three seasons (most notable, the retirement of defenceman Nicklas Lidstrom, arguably the best power-play quarterback of his era).
The Red Wings power play last season boasted two units featuring not only superstars such as Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, but superb young players such as Tomas Tatar and Gustav Nyquist, both of whom learned the Detroit style of hockey by grinding out 265 and 137 games in the AHL, respectively.
Toronto can manage two powerplay units featuring four forwards: Kadri and Lupul could lead one group, while Tyler Bozak and James van Riemsdyk could spearhead a second.
But the Leafs, should they adopt the four-man approach, will be facing a stiff challenge to match Detroit’s 2014-15 success: the Red Wings converted about one-quarter of their power plays a year ago (the Leafs were at 15.9 per cent), and the 70 power-play goals meant they scored one or more power-play goals in 52 games.
In addition, 16 players scored at least one power-play goal. Last season, Toronto had 11 players with at least one power-play goal.
“They had a good power play in Detroit last year and if they decide to go that way here this year, we’ll be ready to go,” van Riemsdyk said.