Bantering Points: The New York Rangers And The Power Play
by Brandon C. on Feb 2, 2012 6:00 AM EST
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PrintThe worst kept secret in hockey is that the New York Rangers power play is awful.
Awful isn't even a harsh enough word. I looked up "negative words" on Google, and the following came up:
Horrendous, horrible, pathetic, and my personal favorite, horrawful. Not even sure that's a word.
Anyway, all of these words help describe the travesty that is the New York Rangers Power Play. Anton Stralman tried to help, but to no avail. Brad Richards was signed partially to help, but that did little to nothing.
The Rangers have won despite the anemic power play, but I worry that will change in the not so distant future.
Whether it's trying new players out, firing Mike Sullivan, or simply declining any power play opportunities from now on, something has to be done.
What ideas do you have to fix the Rangers power play? If you have any good ones, I suggest contacting John Tortorella and Mike Sullivan. Immediately. Please. I beg.
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Simple as moving and taking more shots. No idea why they can’t execute.
I think at some point management must consider bringing in someone to coach the PP (not fire Sully, just have him focus on the D side). Maybe the issue is there is no Asst Coach available that fits the bill right now.
Only way a trade should factors into this is if that person actually can improve our 5on5 play and also add to the PP. The one person that intrigues me is Garrison from FLA. He can actually play good D and has that cannon. At least with a cannon other Pk has to defend against it and should open up more ice for the players to actually move into.
Aucune clause de Mouvement
by Blueshirt in Paris on Feb 2, 2012 6:12 AM EST reply actions
Honestly Stick somebody's foot up thePP unit's rear
Power plays that work are built on motion (cycling) and that almost rarely happens so honestly this is on the players so time to kick some butts.
PPUnit 1 Brad Richards QB
It is on Richards to run the PP, to direct traffic and to decide which way to attack.
Cally is on NYR who stands in slot leave him
Gabby needs to move to find himself a shooting lane preferably Under 20 ft from goal.
Hagelin is my cycler trust me he can find shooting lanes with screens
McDonagh is my point shot and protector. MacD is sneaky dude to attack the net
2nd unit Stepan QB he is the best choice
Girardi point shot
Del Zotto my cycler
Rupp in the crease
Fedotenko for corners
On that second one I’d replace Rupp and Feds with AA and Dubi, but I like that first set up a lot.
"Mr. Madison, what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul."
LET'S GO RANGERS!!!
This has been an issue since Torts has been here, and maybe even longer. Our powerplay looks inept out there, and every year it seems like we are waiting for the key player to bring balance and productivity to the powerplay. I mean the islanders are sitting at number 5, and personnel wise we run circles around them. This has been and will continue to be about coaching.
I am not quite sure why no one in the organization can see this and address it. What can they possibly think is the issue that is keeping this powerplay from being successful?
I still feel like gaining the zone and just setting up a play is our biggest problem. we’re a dump and chase, forechecking kind of team and thats how we succeed 5 on 5. On the PP, though, that strategy obviously doesn’t apply and we seem to spend the majority of all our power plays just trying to get it across the blue line!
i dont get it
Watching them last night there just so predictable. They aren’t passing fast and shooting. There passing…waiting….passing….waiting….no more people to pass to….shooting…getting denied. Who has the most PP goals in the league? Someone needs to get the replays for that teams games so we can watch and study. Last night could of gotten us an earlier win and we would of beat the devils.
"It's far from done, but we did get something accomplished."-#19 B.Richards
by -19-AgainstAll on Feb 2, 2012 8:36 AM EST via mobile reply actions
Phili
Van
Edmonton
"It's far from done, but we did get something accomplished."-#19 B.Richards
by -19-AgainstAll on Feb 2, 2012 8:39 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
They cant even keep the puck in the zone
It’s not a lack of execution. They cant even get themselves in a position to not execute. They need to enter the zone with speed (problem #2 is that this is often Richards’ job, and he looks old and slow this year), hand it off, and then set up the passing.
Frankly, the offense has looked putrid even at 5 on 5 lately. Part of the problem I think is Torts’ line combinations. We signed Richards to play with Gaborik. It didnt work the first week of the season, and he hasnt tried it again since. Dubi and Cally are not going to execute on his passes. He needs speed and talent. Put him back with Gaborik and Stepan/Artie, and have Step/Artie center Cally-Dubi. And for the love of god keep our skill players away from lines containing Rupp and Prust.
Defense, Defense
At this point AA and Dubi cannot be considered “skill players” – they both either Can’t or won’t shoot the puck. And when they do it’s wide, high or blocked. Let’s be realistic- we have a team built for defense and our forwards reflect that- Dubinsky, Anisimov, Fedetenko, Prust, Boyle, Rupp, Mitchell- if we get a combined 30 goals from all of them this year we’ll be lucky.
I believe we need to live with the fact that we will be in a lot of 1 goal games and remain heavily reliant on blocked shots and Lundqvist
"Shoot the Puck Barry, Shoot the puck !" Bill Chadwick
by RangerFanInChicago on Feb 2, 2012 8:53 AM EST up reply actions
pretty sure we have a combined 30+ goals already from them dubi has 5 anisimov has like 7 from earlier in the season feds has like 6 prust has 1 or 0 lol boyles got 3 or so rupp has 4 mitchell has around 3-5
Actually 33 goals total so far for these all stars. I was being a bit sarcastic. So if we extropolate that we get a little less than 66 goals from 7 forward for a full season. 9 goals per guy. I’ll say it again- better get used to 1 goal games and hope Hank can continue to stand on his head.
"Shoot the Puck Barry, Shoot the puck !" Bill Chadwick
by RangerFanInChicago on Feb 2, 2012 10:38 AM EST up reply actions
By "skill players" I was referring to Richards and AA
Dubi is having a terrible year and I’m not expecting him to get back to 20 goals. Artie, on the other hand, has loads of offensive talent that’s being wasted when he centers guys like Fedotenko and Prust. Richards got the same treatment when he went into his scoring slump. Torts is always too quick to drop guys into bottom 6 roles and it takes them a long time to recover, if they do at all.
I agree with you on BR- he’s just in a slump. Regarding Artie ( and I like him but) its been 2 years +/- at the NHL level and his goal scoring just does not come through consistently- regardless of th eline he plays on. A lot of people continue to talk about his offensive “potential”. Potential is way overated. He needs to produce results and he has not.
"Shoot the Puck Barry, Shoot the puck !" Bill Chadwick
by RangerFanInChicago on Feb 2, 2012 10:59 AM EST up reply actions
First off, disclaimer: Anisimov absolutely needs to produce points. I’m not questioning that in the least bit. 5 games, fine. 10, meh. 17 (or is it 18 now)? Ridiculous, even if he’s all over the lineup. That out of the way, 2 things:
Potential is not overrated at 23, especially when you’re talking about whether or not the player needs to be moved. If you can get the existing version of what you think someone’s potential is, you do it, but otherwise you’re selling low/buying high, which is a mistake.
As far as consistent goal scoring, here’s a chart of a player who shoots 14.5% every night, 3 SOG every night (which amounts to a 35 goal scorer), and what his goal scoring looks like over a 10 game basis. You can imagine that a 15-20 goal scorer looks a lot worse.
This is just something to point out though when it comes to ‘streaky’ guys. A 15 goal guy (1 every 5.5 games) is going to go through long streaks w/ no goals It’s an inevitability. It’s the lack of points that is a problem for him (and Dubinsky). You can’t go that long without at least putting up some assists along the way.
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by George E. Ays on Feb 2, 2012 11:09 AM EST up reply actions
George- I dont dispute your numbers or your points. My issue is simply this- listening to people talk about Anisimov I always get the feeling they expect him to be a 25+ goal scorer.They talk about his “talent” and his “potential”. I simply dont think he has the “scoring touch” to attain that. Goal scorers (think Bossy, LaFontaine, Stamkos, Jagr, Gabby) either have it or they dont. I see Anisimov simply being a third line forward at best. We have plenty of defensive minded forwards (maybe too many). That was my original point. This team is designed to be defensive. If we could trade a couple of those types and a draft pick to get a bonafide 20-25 goal scorer it would/ should help the team. Until then- enjoy close games even against middling teams.
"Shoot the Puck Barry, Shoot the puck !" Bill Chadwick
by RangerFanInChicago on Feb 2, 2012 1:21 PM EST up reply actions
Comparing Anisimov to a list of some of the very best goal scorers in the history of the game? Yeah, 99.9% of guys are going to look like chumps when compared to those guys. I don’t think any realistic fan ever thought Artie at his very best was going to be a top 25 goal scorer.
There is a latent inconsistency with 20-25 goal scorers. You could probably look at the majority of the scoring logs for these guys and see streakiness in all of them. If you want more consistency you look at the high 30/40 goal guys but we’d be talking about an entirely different level of player then.
As most recently as last year, Anisimov and Dubi were basically 20-25 goal guys so to ship them along with draft picks is a classic “throwing the baby out with the bathwater move”. You’re most likely not going to get any more guaranteed consistency with a different 20-25 goal guy over another.
by MyFavBaseballSquadron on Feb 2, 2012 1:35 PM EST up reply actions
Im using those guys as a point of reference. They are pure scorers- lighting fast release, on target, in the net. I don’t mean to be banging on Artie ( it would be just as easy to put Dubinsky in his place.
My point is I dont see as much potential in Artie as many others do. He has not gotten stronger on his skates- constantly getting knocked on his ass; his shot and shot selection seems to be regressing and if his confidence gets knocked down every time Torts looks at him funny then he will never succeed on this team ( with Torts coaching it). Messier said it a year or two ago- if (big IF) Anisimov works hard at getting stronger in the off season he will become a much better player. He is becoming a casualty of being an “Ov”. Talent yeah, desire and work ethic, not so much. I agree with George- he is much better suited to a wide open, less physical brand of hockey.
"Shoot the Puck Barry, Shoot the puck !" Bill Chadwick
by RangerFanInChicago on Feb 2, 2012 2:02 PM EST up reply actions
I think he’s in the same boat as Cally and Dubinsky were a couple of years ago. Still learning to play at the NHL level and not always looking like he’s going to be anything more than a role player. His track record at other levels, as well as the aforementioned jump in production last year suggest that he can be a good player but players growth is not always linear.
by MyFavBaseballSquadron on Feb 2, 2012 2:07 PM EST up reply actions
He gets knocked on his ass still because he’s struggling to identify situations. The one thing my amateur scouting eyes have told me is that he often skates into trouble, especially when he’s running bad.
To use a basketball analogy, he dribbles himself into the corner, gets caught by a help defender, and leaves himself no outlet. Except in hockey, not only do you turn it over, but you also get drilled in the process.
I’ve noted it several times over the past week or two, and don’t remember it being this bad before. Fortunately, I have to think that is something fixable at some point.
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by George E. Ays on Feb 2, 2012 2:59 PM EST up reply actions
Its funny, so many people preaching patience with the team yet don’t apply the same to certain players.
The fact that AA started he very young give people the impression he is a seasoned vet. To me he still seem both physically and emotionally immature. I think he has done very well with his progression all things considered. I certainly don’t think he has hit his ceiling.
The players and coaches around him are solid. He will get the right support he needs. It might be a slower process for him, but I think he will get there.
Aucune clause de Mouvement
by Blueshirt in Paris on Feb 3, 2012 8:40 AM EST up reply actions
I can point out enough counter examples of guys that weren’t 25+ goal guys until they were 25+ years old (Datysuk, Sedin, Zetterberg) who turned out just fine, but I understand what you’re saying.
I have no issue with moving people, including Artie, for a 25 goal guy. That said, I don’t why the focus is goals and only goals. Trading for a 25-15-40 guy does nothing for us, we have 40 point guys.
A guy like Ryan who is 25-40-65 type? Sure, and if the cost is Anisimov, you live with it. To be honest, Anisimov’s probably a guy better suited for Western Conference hockey anyway, which is less banging and more puck possession and skill driven, which are Artie’s strong suits.
There’s no doubt this team needs more skill. There are ways to acquire it without giving up on guys who are having disappointing years, however.
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by George E. Ays on Feb 2, 2012 1:49 PM EST up reply actions
His first year he was getting primarily 4th line minutes with absolute slugs on offense. Last year he increased the difficulty of his role and increased his output by over 50%.
by MyFavBaseballSquadron on Feb 2, 2012 1:38 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Better decisions
On the 4-3 last night Richards shot right into Miller’s gut with no traffic and no screen. No way is that puck going in. All that did was freeze the puck so we could lose it on the next faceoff.
On the same powerplay, Richards and Gabby had a nice little give-and-go down low trying to set up Gabby for a one-timer. They didn’t get the defender to move enough and the shot was blocked but they just gave up after that. That’s the correct idea but once it failed they abandoned it.
Homo homini lupus est - Human beings are wolves to each other
how many shots were blocked on that 4-3? atleast 5 right? do what it takes to get the shot thru, even it you take some zip off it. blocked is no good to anyone.
whens the last time we scored on the PP, anyone have that data near by?
Boston in OT.
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by George E. Ays on Feb 2, 2012 9:23 AM EST up reply actions
Before that was Florida about 10 games ago or so (don’t feel like counting). Part of the problem is that there are a bunch of 0 for1 and 0 for 2 stretches in there. They’re simply not drawing many penalties on top of it all.
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by George E. Ays on Feb 2, 2012 9:27 AM EST up reply actions
Hard to do when the fore-check is dead. Too much time in our own zone, and when we finally get it out, turnover.
The guys that lead the league in drawn penalties aren’t exactly known for their grinding. There’s a few names on the list that are, but for the most part, it’s the skill guys.
Also in that link..why Detroit is just awesome. Their 3rd/4th line center has a +17 penalty differential. That’s ridiculous.
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*Statement has not been verified nor regressed
by George E. Ays on Feb 2, 2012 10:32 AM EST up reply actions
It’s weird…for a team that blocks shots relentlessly, they’re almost….afraid to screen the other teams’ goalies. Cally is the only guy who ever ventures near the net, and even he tends to move away from it. It’s….quite weird, actually. They just…have absolutely no methodology to the PP. No traffic, and they don’t shoot, their passes and slow and horribly inaccurate, and they don’t move. Even at ES they do the same things.
Confounding.
1 word - Movement
Expecting a different result from the same action is the definition of insanity. Move around and make passes to teammates that are moving. Guys standing still are very easy to defend.
Move the puck to one side. Have one player at the net, one in the slot, and one up high. Make 2 defenders try to defend 3 shooters – pick the open one, shoot and crash the net.
Do anything but stand still like they are.
Manning lobs it, Burress alone, touchdown New York!
For the empty net, Mark Messier... do you believe it?! Do you believe it?! He said we will win game 6 - he has just picked up the hat trick!
This
The guys simply don’t even attempt to move on the PP. It’s a constant story of “setup the umbrella, have the point make a couple of passes to the guys on the half boards, then shoot.”
The Sabres 3 man PK didn’t even have to move around, they played the triangle and had one guy playing the point man, getting the the shooting lane to block the shots. No movement means not forcing the PKers to get out of position, and letting them sit in the shooting lanes.
by I.LikeMittens on Feb 2, 2012 10:41 AM EST up reply actions
Wait, we have a powerplay? From what I have seen it is more like cirque de solei. A bunch of flashy nonsense that seems to go nowhere and does little more than leave most people feeling confused and very uncomfortable about men in tights. Well, maybe not the men in tights bit… otherwise it is just like Cirque de Solei.
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Blueshirt Banter
Find a defenseman with a quick release, willingness to shoot on net and a hard shot. Del Zotto doesn’t get himself into position to shoot and has a slow release. He won’t be asked to the hardest shot competition either. McDonagh, too doesn’t have the heaviest shot and seems at his best skating up ice on a transition. Maybe it’s time for more Girardi or Staal at the point?
1.96 Goals Against Per Game
the only reason they are still in 1st. To put that in perspective the last team to finish the season around that number was the 2003-2004 Devils with 2.00 GA/G when Broduer was at the top of his game. I don’t know I feel about the importance of the PP as long they are solid in 5v5. The Bruins powerplay was horrific in the playoffs last year and they won the cup.
the bruins won a cup last season having one of the worst powerplays in the playoffs (i think it was bad during the season as well). they gave up a fortune for Kaberla, who was supposed to be the solution for the dreadful PP unit, and it didn’t help at all…the powerplay i mean
The Bruins tended to be the exception in terms of Cup teams. Not just the ones that won, but look at the PP% for finalists since the lockout, those teams tended to do pretty well even with the small sample sizes.
by MyFavBaseballSquadron on Feb 2, 2012 1:44 PM EST up reply actions
They also had, just like they do now, massive scoring depth throughout their line-up. Their GF/GA at 5/5 right now is 1.72, which is by FAR tops in the league, along with a gaudy 3.54 GPG. Our respective #s are 1.31 GF/A 5/5 and 2.71 GPG. They have 7 guys over 10 goals and another 4 with 8. We have 3 guys over 10, 1 guy with 10, and 1 with 8. Boston’s playoff 5/5 was 1.82.
Now, our 5/5 does well enough to win games, but it means we’re winning tight games where bad bounces hurt (Devils game?) and will cost us points and possibly playoff games. Again, %s don’t matter.
Power Play
Their PP looks like ka-ka!! As far as solutions…I hope that they don’t mess with the chemistry and assume that a new face will solve the problem. Sometimes the best trade is the one not made.
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