More movement and implementing the back door
With all the space that a power play provides in the offensive zone, it’s extremely important to move around and utilize the extra room. The Canucks’ top unit is stationary on occasion, and all five players tend to stick to their designated areas on the ice with the exception of Miller sliding from the net-front up to the top of the umbrella occasionally. Penalty killing units in the NHL can easily cover a power play that isn’t moving around because they can collapse use a box zone coverage to not allow any high danger scoring chances in the slot.
The Canucks had over a minute and a half of 5-on-3 power play time in the second period against Minnesota Wild, yet failed to really threaten at all. They were stuck and looked like they didn’t know what to do with the puck other than frantically pass it around the outside. When you out-man the opposing team by two players, there’s no excuse for rigid hockey.
It is absolutely stunning to think that what we just saw look completely toothless at 5-on-3 is one of the best power plays in the NHL. #Canucks
— Daniel Wagner (@passittobulis) January 12, 2020
Constantly moving your feet, switching places with other teammates, and pushing down on the defensive triangle will allow the power play unit to get closer looks at the net and open up more situations to exploit.
Whatever happened to having players flank on either side of the goal line and create puck movement behind the net? It causes confusion for defences, and that’s exactly what the Wild did on their ensuing 5-on-3 a couple minutes later. It created a good amount of scoring chances, even though they failed to capitalize.
Since teams have heavily scouted Pettersson and his decapitating one-timer by this point, plenty of penalty killing units are shadowing him throughout the top unit’s power play time. They stay extremely close to him and minimize the gap but Hughes, Boeser and Miller still force-feed him the puck in the hopes of EP40 making use of the “Petterzone”.
Since that area is usually covered up, back door options tend to be open, and the Canucks could really take advantage of this more often. There was an instance in the game against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday where Pettersson saw the opening on the right side.
Instead of restricting himself to the top of the right circle, he dropped down to the weak side in the blink of an eye and Boeser fed him a cross-crease pass that unfortunately hopped over his stick. It was a very good attempt though, and something that the dangerous top unit could look for more frequently than they do.