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My suspicions on this topic are officially confirmed. I was reading an article in the BG News at lunch and I saw that BG is on an 0-37 streak on the power play over the last 6-7 games. That's horrible! Even worse, its not exactly a surprise either. Our power play has been downright awful (save for a brief stretch earlier this year) for years now. We had a hard time just getting the puck into the zone last year, and this year we've been known to hold the puck for 10, 20, even 30 seconds just passing it around the point while in the zone. WTF? I know that this is coaching-related because I've seen it ever since I've been at BG. So two things:

1.Why are our guys so picky about shooting with a man advantage?

2.Why is it that half the time we dump it into the zone, we get beat to the puck even with a man advantage?

We have to fix the PP, or we're going to have trouble in the postseason.

I agree the power play is and has been a problem over the past three seasons. Some how, some way this team is winning games without it though. If we can get the power play thing fixed and keep up the good play everywhere else...we will be a scare for anyone in the CCHA playoffs.

I agree. I finally got a chance to see the team play Sat night and the PP is non existent. I asked Falcon Fanatic if they always just pass around the perimeter and, unfortunately, she said yes. Damn fellas...shoot the puck!!!

Well I was thinking the same thing two weeks ago. The guys got very methodical with their special teams play and gel and flow are gone. i think if they relax, and instead of looking for the ideal shot, or trying to shoot one past for a tip in, and just shoot it at all opurtunitys once the defenders start to collapse we will turn it right around.

As for the dump in, its clasic Falcon hockey. Toss it deep into the zone and forecheck the hell out of it and make s**t happen. as well as when a few of our players will carry the puck deep and skate it behind the net. Yes, we have been lossing some of those battles down in the corners, every team does, I saw we win more than more loose, these guy are real good at it and getting better...just as Ohio State is playing improved hockey over what they were doing just a few series ago...im still pissed we split with the suckeyes, but there is nothing we can do about that now. OUR team is Awesome, so proud of how much production they have this season vs, the past few...so excited about where they are headed...next year or the year after we will make a real genuine run on the CCHA Championship...weve put together the components to do it
but back on topic...keys for the power play...loosen the reins and shoot the damn puck...s**t will happen. Get in the zone and quickly get a shot opportunity...it doesnt even have to be good chance but it will set the tempo...

dump and chase is a mode that works when a team has large heavy hitting forwards. This team doesn't have that. Power Play is one area that can be coached. We need more plays to become effective. The overload is something that can work to get one winger free to tee off on the puck. It is though easy to cover and cuts off the open looks on the blueline. Our team is very young I only hope that is the only reason that we haven't implamented a new system.

The damn thing hasn't changed in 5 years. You would think that after 5 years of head coaching experience and upteen assistants, someobody would have come up with a new way to score on the power play.

Oh, and how can you score when 3 (or in some cases 4) players are BEHIND the goal line?

Dump and chase works even less when all 3 fowards are standing still at the blue line when the puck is dumped.

FlagCityFalcon wrote:The damn thing hasn't changed in 5 years. You would think that after 5 years of head coaching experience and upteen assistants, someobody would have come up with a new way to score on the power play.

Oh, and how can you score when 3 (or in some cases 4) players are BEHIND the goal line?

Dump and chase works even less when all 3 fowards are standing still at the blue line when the puck is dumped.

5 years? You must be new here. Our powerplay hasn't changed in 10 years or more. Probably more. We've had our chances. We just haven't finished them.

As far as coaching goes, why is there nobody on the team that can effectively shoot a one timer? That needs to be worked on big time. As big and talented as goaltenders are getting these days, you need to be able to have a quick shot to get the puck past them while they are moving side to side.

I learned a phrase a long time ago that I always associate with our power play.

"You have to be proactive, not reactive."

We don't change things up...at all. We overload when we should be crashing. I'm sorry, we just don't have the puckhandlers for that.

Despite popular belief, our coaches aren't idiots. They know something's wrong, and I'm sure they're working to fix it.

We have fair enough size for Dump and chase, and with new players for next year we will be even better.
first half of the year we were scoring on the power play foks, dont forget that so soon...why, because we taking shots...even the not so perfect shots and the guys who were getting to the net were finishing it off. Shooting makes things happen, and we need to shoot more.

early in the year it seemed as though they were allowed to utilize a little creativity. Seems like they are being forced into days of old lately!

We never have an offender posted up in front of the goalie. Sorry for the use of basketball terms. I still havn't picked up on position names and play calling. However, it seems to me, ESPECIALLY on Saturday, that if we could keep a player posted right there we could pick up an extra goal or two a game. If nothing less that player can field rebounds from the goalie.

FlagCityFalcon wrote:early in the year it seemed as though they were allowed to utilize a little creativity. Seems like they are being forced into days of old lately!

I think a lot of the reason for the degrade in our powerplay is the threat of short handed goals. Earlier this season, when our powerplay was scoring a lot, we were also allowing a lot of short handed goals. I think the second half of the season we have been concentrating a lot more on defense than offense. We still haven't found that perfect balance between the two yet.

And Niz, I agree. We have rarely been able to have a forward stay in front of the net and keep control in the zone. I'm still not sure why that is. I think part of it is because of the way we are able to cycle the puck between forwards. The way we do it requires all three forwards to be constantly moving. If we could just get a forward to the net right before the shot is taken, I'd bet we'd see a lot more goals.

Powerplays are cyclical in hockey. Every team, college or pro has stretches were the PP is awful, good coaching can fix the holes in the system and get it back in shape. The biggest problem I've seen from the PP is the fact that movement seems to be at a minimum. A powerplay is at it's best when there are sharp, quick passes and plenty of player movement.

passing becomes irrelevant when the other team knows whats coming. the overload can be stopped easily by applying a diamond on the overloaded side. The most effective PP is those that change from attempt to attempt. The Red Wings were very effective doing this under Scotty Bowman. Granted Pooch is no Bowman, but this can work. Look at scUM they have a rotation of plays on the PP.

scUM's power play was brilliant. even a hockey lamen could tell what was going on there.