If it's so easy to figure this stuff out, explain why Ovie, who literally has stood in one spot on the ice for 2 decades ripping home PP goals, can't be stopped? Matthews is as good a shooter or better than Ovie.
- Aaron_85

Matthews is a great shooter but his one timer is isn’t as good as Ovie’s. Imo it’s not even close. Stamkos would be a better comparison to Ovie.

You think it's been 20 years of the same level of dangerous players? Only one constant in that time and it's Ovie being Ovie.

Regardless, your point was "too easy to have Matthews be a one trick pony" so I said why do the Capitals do it and you have no real reason. You vaguely point to the rest of the PP and act as if it's not the same one trick pony set up for Ovie.

Matthews and Ovie can just do the same thing and it would work. 18 years of success isn't a small sample size.
- Aaron_85

They don't do the same thing. Ovi has a one-time slap shot. That's not Matthews' best shot. Unfortunately, NHL.com doesn't have Ovechkin's goals by shot totals from his rookie season but in the past 10 seasons, he has 124 slapshot goals out of 451. Matthews only has 34 goals via slapshot out of 382 and 211 wrist shot goals.

It has been 19 years of talented players, yes, helping him draw away defenders and helping setting him up. That's not the only factor but he wouldn't be as successful with 4 pylons. Backstrom, Kuznetsov, Oshie, Carlsson, Mike Green, Semin...all of these guys have 40-80+ PP goals for the Capitals while playing with Ovechkin.

Matthews is a great shooter but his one timer is isn’t as good as Ovie’s. Imo it’s not even close. Stamkos would be a better comparison to Ovie.
- shack67

Ovechkin is going to hold the PPG record unless something insane happens, so I don't think anybody can really compare to be honest.

It's rather easy to explain.

Because the other 4 guys on the ice who have created enough of a threat that teams are forced to leave Ovi open eventually.

You think all it takes is for Ovechkin to stand in one spot for 19 years and the puck just goes in the net? Or is there also 4 other dangerous players who are also a threat in other areas of the ice who pull away defenders and feed him the puck when the time is exactly right?
- Rare_Jewel

That's not entirely it. Washington has not been able to deploy 4 dangerous forwards that are more dangerous than other teams forwards allowing Ovechkin to score at least 2 times as much as his next closest teammate.

In 2014 & 2015 Ovi was at his career high for PPG / GP. He had 24 and 25. His power play unit was basically Backstrom, Carlson, Marcus Johanson - and either Brouwer or Oshie, depending on injury status.

So the Brouwer/Oshie role would create net front chaos, Backstrom was an almost pure passer used to setup Ovi. Carlson has a nice low point shot which either went for rebounds or the down load play of Oshie, Brouwer collected and distributed back. Puck recovery off a good shot was key to their success, I believe - because it pulled the PK out of position after the initial shot. That creates lanes to Ovi.

It's not like they just entered the zone and gave it to Ovi and he scored. They worked it, and didn't even use Ovi for at least 20-30 seconds keeping the play on the right side, back to the point . . . maybe teams would forget to keep looking left side, but more likely on the shot and attempted puck recovery, guys like Brouwer and Oshie were critical to the success of that power play by retrieving and quickly redistributing the puck to Backstrom who would wire to Ovi and it was back to even strength all too often after that.

Certainly would be very amusing to watch the Leafs sign DeAngelo then win the Cup and he brings it to the White House to see Trump while wearing a MAGA hat while Leafs fans have a mental breakdown.
- Rare_Jewel

Yeah, he fits right in. He might get a job in the administration.

Leafs frontrunners for Klingberg

Suck it female doges

Trivia time:

Can you name the 3 Maple Leafs that have had 3 separate stints with the Leafs, meaning they played for other NHL teams in between their Leafy tours of duty?

One is easy.

One is pretty difficult.

One you won't get without cheating.

Edit: there's a 4th. Once again, no way in hell you know him unless you look him up.
- Atomic Wedgie

Wendel (frank)ing Clark

Peter Zezel

Hap Spangler

Roderick Fassnoodle

Yeah, he fits right in. He might get a job in the administration.
- GalacticStone

A lot more people going to get fired than hired.

That's not entirely it. Washington has not been able to deploy 4 dangerous forwards that are more dangerous than other teams forwards allowing Ovechkin to score at least 2 times as much as his next closest teammate.

In 2014 & 2015 Ovi was at his career high for PPG / GP. He had 24 and 25. His power play unit was basically Backstrom, Carlson, Marcus Johanson - and either Brouwer or Oshie, depending on injury status.

So the Brouwer/Oshie role would create net front chaos, Backstrom was an almost pure passer used to setup Ovi. Carlson has a nice low point shot which either went for rebounds or the down load play of Oshie, Brouwer collected and distributed back. Puck recovery off a good shot was key to their success, I believe - because it pulled the PK out of position after the initial shot. That creates lanes to Ovi.

It's not like they just entered the zone and gave it to Ovi and he scored. They worked it, and didn't even use Ovi for at least 20-30 seconds keeping the play on the right side, back to the point . . . maybe teams would forget to keep looking left side, but more likely on the shot and attempted puck recovery, guys like Brouwer and Oshie were critical to the success of that power play by retrieving and quickly redistributing the puck to Backstrom who would wire to Ovi and it was back to even strength all too often after that.
- Monkeypunk

Long story short, the other 4 guys did enough to get the PKers to commit their focus away from Ovechkin for long enough to set him up to utilize his best weapon even though he was the obvious #1 threat.

Which is what the Leafs need a new PP coach to do.

Long story short, the other 4 guys did enough to get the PKers to commit their focus away from Ovechkin for long enough to set him up to utilize his best weapon even though he was the obvious #1 threat.

Which is what the Leafs need a new PP coach to do.
- Rare_Jewel

The power play looks no different than it ever has. Yet another new coach won't help. It's the players.

The power play looks no different than it ever has. Yet another new coach won't help. It's the players.
- fifty__missions

Your post looks no different and has no valid points.

Fire Savard.

The power play looks no different than it ever has. It's the players.
- fifty__missions

I don't know. To me . . . It's the same players, but I feel that there was more movement and puck movement under Spencer Carbery. Here's a random game from 2022 (I picked it because they were 2 for 2 on the PP; I didn't even realize until later they'd lost 6-3) . . . https://youtu.be/ZFmtFFryTI8?t=43 on this PP, you see the puck movement along the wall stretches out the D and creates a gap. It's fairly quick puck movement allowing the receiver to get poised while the defender closes - then it's away and returned - creating more stationary defenders from the rapid movement. The second power play gives a better look, because you get a couple of posts - but look at the puck movement and the player movement as well: https://youtu.be/ZFmtFFryTI8?t=82.

Here's a clip from Saturday's Vancouver game: https://youtu.be/hI-rnG8WzeM?t=62. You get player movement but not as much or as quick puck movement - and even the player movement is far more static and stationary. The defense doesn't have to move much to stay with those players or the puck. Nothing gets spread out with that lack of quick movement. Again nothing worked on Saturday, but you can see on this clip (after the first 1:40 resulted in a 2 on 1 for Vancouver but nothing for us), https://youtu.be/hI-rnG8WzeM?t=451 a complete lack of player movement, leaving too few options and an easy read for the defense.

To me, when I look at it, you can see a real difference in the system that was deployed just 2 years ago with the same people compared to what they are (or aren't) doing today.

hummm

no game day blog???!!!!

GO LEAFS!

I don't know. To me . . . It's the same players, but I feel that there was more movement and puck movement under Spencer Carbery. Here's a random game from 2022 (I picked it because they were 2 for 2 on the PP; I didn't even realize until later they'd lost 6-3) . . . https://youtu.be/ZFmtFFryTI8?t=43 on this PP, you see the puck movement along the wall stretches out the D and creates a gap. It's fairly quick puck movement allowing the receiver to get poised while the defender closes - then it's away and returned - creating more stationary defenders from the rapid movement. The second power play gives a better look, because you get a couple of posts - but look at the puck movement and the player movement as well: https://youtu.be/ZFmtFFryTI8?t=82.

Here's a clip from Saturday's Vancouver game: https://youtu.be/hI-rnG8WzeM?t=62. You get player movement but not as much or as quick puck movement - and even the player movement is far more static and stationary. The defense doesn't have to move much to stay with those players or the puck. Nothing gets spread out with that lack of quick movement. Again nothing worked on Saturday, but you can see on this clip (after the first 1:40 resulted in a 2 on 1 for Vancouver but nothing for us), https://youtu.be/hI-rnG8WzeM?t=451 a complete lack of player movement, leaving too few options and an easy read for the defense.

To me, when I look at it, you can see a real difference in the system that was deployed just 2 years ago with the same people compared to what they are (or aren't) doing today.
- Monkeypunk

The biggest problem with the "old" system is it disappeared in the playoffs.

The Leafs need a system that works in the regular season AND in the playoffs.

If that means a PP that is 22% in the regular season and 20% in the playoffs, I will take it.

Much better than 27% that turns into 5% or this current system which is 20% and will probably be 2% in the playoffs.

The biggest problem with the "old" system is it disappeared in the playoffs.

The Leafs need a system that works in the regular season AND in the playoffs.

If that means a PP that is 22% in the regular season and 20% in the playoffs, I will take it.

Much better than 27% that turns into 5% or this current system which is 20% and will probably be 2% in the playoffs.
- Rare_Jewel

That part is where fifty is right, though - the playoffs are a dirty animal - not a peacock. You get in on the net, you take and give the crosschecks and you make life miserable for each other - and the goalie. Shots from the blueline with huge traffic in front of the net makes a playoff power play go 'round.

Matthews with the opening goal of the games


BOO Yeah !!!!!

Finally we score first!

Leafs also get the first PP of the game

Finally we score first!
- fifty__missions

at least they scored a goal!!!

damn , Leafs hit 3 posts so far on this PP

The power play looks no different than it ever has. Yet another new coach won't help. It's the players.
- fifty__missions

Yes.

In particular. no threat from the point has been a constant problem.

That part is where fifty is right, though - the playoffs are a dirty animal - not a peacock. You get in on the net, you take and give the crosschecks and you make life miserable for each other - and the goalie. Shots from the blueline with huge traffic in front of the net makes a playoff power play go 'round.
- Monkeypunk

What is this "shots from the blueline" thing of which you speak?

weel, that lead was short lived

JT send the Leafs to their first power kill of the game