Puh Puh Puh Power Play

by LeTigre on Sep 24, 2010 5:13 PM EDT

Daniel Alfredsson. Jason Spezza. Alex Kovalev. Mike Fisher. Milan Michalek. Peter Regin. Sergei Gonchar. Erik Karlsson. Filip Kuba. Chris Campoli.

These names more or less represent the pile of puzzle pieces for both power play units entering the season for the Ottawa Senators. On paper, they already trump what the franchise had assembled for the man advantage entering last season by a country kilometre. This is largely related to the off-season acquisition of Gonchar, and the offensive emergence of both Karlsson and Regin in the latter part of last year.

However, if your name is Cory Clouston, the question has become how to best arrange your resources so as to extract the most offense possible over the course of the campaign, with the goal of developing a downright scary man advantage come playoff time. After all, this squad in its present manifestation will not go deep into the post-season by virtue of its suffocating defense... fact.

Alas, put on your Punch Imlach hats and go nuts in the comment section. Assemble the power play puzzle as you see fit. Include justifications for why your combinations and permutations are superior to the next guy/gal. And be sure to key in your prediction for the performance of the PP as a whole into the poll.

Poll

Where will the Ottawa Senators power play rank league-wide over the course of the upcoming season?

1st-5th

6 votes

6th-10th

22 votes

11th-15th

14 votes

16th-20th

2 votes

21st-30th

0 votes

44 votes | Poll has closed

This FanPost was written by a member of the Silver Seven community, and does not necessarily reflect the beliefs or opinions of the site managers, editors, or Sports Blogs Nation, Inc.

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Comments

I see Gonchar as the sole defender on the first unit

…to start the season at least. He’ll man the point, Alfie will play high on the left boards, Spezza will dispense below the left circle, Kovalev will be the trigger man on the right side, and Michalek will pull a Thomas Holmstrom in front of the net.

The second unit will be quarterbacked by King Karlsson, with Campoli manning the blue line as well. Regin will play around the bottom of the left circle, Fisher on the right side, and Foligno could see some time jamming around the slot.

When Kuba returns, I could see him bumping Campoli out of the second unit, but I have yet to figure out whether Karlsson will see more time on the first unit.

by LeTigre on Sep 24, 2010 5:23 PM EDT reply actions

I like Gonchar on LD, to spread out the PK box, giving Kovalev more space on the RW half-boards. Alfie could play RD here, but I foresee Karlsson manning the top unit. Down low, I see Michalek setting up beside the crease, with Spezza as the rover.

On the second unit, I’d place Alfie on RD beside Kuba (sub in Campoli, for the time being), with Foligno playing the backdoor man on the right side, Fisher screening in the slot and Regin playing the LW half-boards.

In other words, what you said.

by Spezzal Teams Playa on Sep 24, 2010 5:31 PM EDT up reply actions

The thought of Alfie on the second unit crossed my mind as well

He is the next best quarterback to Gonchar at the moment, and it does make sense to give both their own units.
Matching Alfie up against a teams second penalty killing unit is very enticing as well.

by LeTigre on Sep 24, 2010 6:03 PM EDT up reply actions

I'd like to see Ottawa hire a new PP coach, to be honest.

So much of the powerplay comes from good coaching, and Ottawa’s recent struggles lend me to believe that the staff just can’t cut it with the man advantage.

Silver Seven: the Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators blogs.

by DarrenM on Sep 24, 2010 6:55 PM EDT reply actions

I wasn't satisfied with the handling of Kovalev on the PP last year

Dude had proven to be an elite sniper on Montreal’s top ranked unit, while going to waste with the Sens.
Additionally, there was a lack of net presence (that has always been the knock on our PP), and the failure to address these issues last season by Clouston et al makes me agree with you fully.

by LeTigre on Sep 24, 2010 9:10 PM EDT up reply actions

This might be a good idea

I wish Perry Pearn wasn’t hired.

www.silversevensens.com

by Peter Raaymakers on Sep 24, 2010 10:09 PM EDT up reply actions

If they get a power play op

It’s already started and Ottawa is behind the eight ball in power play opportunities. How many 5-3 power play chances did Toronto get in the last two games. You cannot practice this, it has to be in game that adjustments are made in practice. If they get screwed again this year, don’t expect it to get better until the second half of the season as it did significantly last year.

by Hockey Playoff Run SensFan on Sep 24, 2010 8:03 PM EDT reply actions

How about the penalty kill?

4 of the 6 forwards listed for the powerplay (Alfredsson, Fisher, Regin, Michalek) are trusted on the penalty kill as well. How many teams can say that?

by Outbox on Sep 25, 2010 2:52 PM EDT reply actions