The Special Teams

[Peter D.]

As we all know and have discussed, this area has been a huge weakness under Wilson's tenure.  Whether or not it was the doing in of the team (meaning, making the playoffs or not) these past few years is up for debate.  But the talent has been put in place and the expectation is that there is no excuse now for the team to not succeed. 

For the team to reach its goal of the playoffs, it's been said the special teams have to improve immensely.  Well, 8 games in, the boys find themselves 17th in PP% and 25th in PK%.  The latter is obviously a huge area of concern. 

Perhaps we can use this thread as a way to update throughout the year the team's progress (or lack there of), discuss tendencies, praise the good things, and of course, pick apart the bad.

I'll start by focusing on the PP.  It's a new thing they're trying where the team has someone carrying up the puck through the neutral zone only to have a trailer in behind get the pucked dropped to them.  From there, they try to penetrate the zone.  I'm not certain who is in charge of the PP from the new assistants, but it must be their doing.

I just find this isn't really working.  For one, I have found that the extra two or three seconds in which the trailer picks up and carries the puck forces the remaining three players to stop dead in their tracks come the blueline.  There is no penetrating pressure since they are almost at a standstill.  With that, it's almost as if the opposing teams put a wall with 4-across and thwart any rush within seconds.

That's my perception -- perhaps others see it differently.  I don't have the solution, and don't know if the Leafs are quick enough nor strong enough to try to dump it in and retrieve it, but things have to change.

Thoughts?

[wc17]

It really is hard to watch the PP at work. Its crazy to me that they cant just overload one side, and chip the puck into the corner AS THE FORWARDS ARE SKATING INTO THE ZONE and just chase after it. Its just crazy that they cant enter the zone to set up the play.

At this point, I wish the NHL would let us decline penalties so we can just continue on 5 on 5!

[Tigger]

They have a couple new faces in Liles and Gardiner on the back end, I thought both on the PP and es that they were trying to send one of them in deep ( there was one particular play with Gardiner on the PP where he went for a skate, played keep away then set up on the right side hash marks instead of a usual 2 high 3 deep set up, more of an umbrella )

I don't think it's a lack of trying new strategies and combinations more getting used to new ideas and systems.

Connolly could help both pp and pk when he returns, Bozak to a lesser extent.

[Nik]

One of the things that I think is hurting them is that if the Leafs' plan is what we've seen with a lot of the puck on the perimeter and shots from the point then they don't really have a variety of weapons from the point. Phaneuf has been good so far but other than him I'm not sure I'm convinced that there's a danger when the puck is with any other of the defensemen. Gardiner is probably the closest at this point but even he's been having trouble getting decent shots through.

[Kaberle15]

the PP always lacks a huge body in front of the goalie...

the PK misses Bozak and Armstrong lately, but is not as bad as its % indicates.

[Stebro]

I'm quite worried about the PP based on what I've seen. It goes slowely, too many offsides. It feels as if there's no clear idea on how to do it. Philly established their PP pretty fast and started to pass around. We could barely get it into their zone. I think it feels as if they're doing something in between dumping and skating in with it at times. Either you dump or you skate in with the puck really fast, you can't do something in between, because I think that when they do that other players don't know what to expect, and then they go offside. No dekes near the lines >:(

[cw]

I'll start by focusing on the PP.  It's a new thing they're trying where the team has someone carrying up the puck through the neutral zone only to have a trailer in behind get the pucked dropped to them.  From there, they try to penetrate the zone.  I'm not certain who is in charge of the PP from the new assistants, but it must be their doing.

I just find this isn't really working.  For one, I have found that the extra two or three seconds in which the trailer picks up and carries the puck forces the remaining three players to stop dead in their tracks come the blueline.  There is no penetrating pressure since they are almost at a standstill.  With that, it's almost as if the opposing teams put a wall with 4-across and thwart any rush within seconds.

That's my perception -- perhaps others see it differently.  I don't have the solution, and don't know if the Leafs are quick enough nor strong enough to try to dump it in and retrieve it, but things have to change.

Thoughts?

I've seen that as well. Now I have seen them try a variety of things this year for the PP so I'm not all down on them. It takes time for a team to pull some of it together.

But when they shoot it in and all the others are standing still, that's a blatant turnover because they have almost no chance to engage in a puck battle to recover the puck. Even if the guys did tight circles, looped back and then went for the zone or something so that they're moving when the puck enters the zone, that would be better on shoot ins. Standing still is deadly in that circumstance while the puck carrier often has little option to avoid a turnover where he is but to shoot it deep and basically give the puck away deep.

Another thing they've tried is to do what Kaberle used to do (and many NHLers over the years), lug it up to just inside the blueline and the others enter the zone ready to take the puck because the puck carrier usually doesn't have a lot of time due to forecheckers pressuring the puck. Too often, the others are not getting open and deeper, yet within a reasonably short distance to help make the pass easy, to receive the puck easily.

If a player breaks through an opponent lining up across the blue line, not all those opponents are just going to let that guy go. That helps to break up the jam. One of them has to go with that player. Often I've seen them caged up by the blueline with either nobody going deeper or nobody moving to where the pointman can make a crisp, clear pass to buy them time to set up.

What they have been doing better this year is going to the net and it's paying some dividends.

[Stebro]

the PP always lacks a huge body in front of the goalie...

the PK misses Bozak and Armstrong lately, but is not as bad as its % indicates.

By the way, do we have any wingers who are 6'3 or higher with some sort of scoring touch? A lot of the other teams do.

[Bender]

the PP always lacks a huge body in front of the goalie...

the PK misses Bozak and Armstrong lately, but is not as bad as its % indicates.

By the way, do we have any wingers who are 6'3 or higher with some sort of scoring touch? A lot of the other teams do.

What's your definition of "some sort of scoring touch?"

[Nik]

What's your definition of "some sort of scoring touch?"

I'm not sure it really matters. Rosehill and Orr are the only wingers listed at 6'3 or taller and I'm guessing neither qualify.

[Significantly Insignificant]

the PP always lacks a huge body in front of the goalie...

the PK misses Bozak and Armstrong lately, but is not as bad as its % indicates.

By the way, do we have any wingers who are 6'3 or higher with some sort of scoring touch? A lot of the other teams do.

What's your definition of "some sort of scoring touch?"

That is a very open ended question.

[nutman]

if after 20 games our pp and pk are in the low end of the NHL, and we are ho hum in the standings i'll bet wilson will get fired. i think burke has him on a very short leash.

[Stronger Than All]

What's most noticeable to me is how much more dangerous the opposing team looks compared to us on the PP.

I'm not sure if that's how bad our PP is, or how bad the PK is, or a combination of both.

[Stebro]

the PP always lacks a huge body in front of the goalie...

the PK misses Bozak and Armstrong lately, but is not as bad as its % indicates.

By the way, do we have any wingers who are 6'3 or higher with some sort of scoring touch? A lot of the other teams do.

What's your definition of "some sort of scoring touch?"

Well someone on a scoring line who actually can score, so no Orr and Rosehill doesn't qualify.

[Stebro]

What's your definition of "some sort of scoring touch?"

I'm not sure it really matters. Rosehill and Orr are the only wingers listed at 6'3 or taller and I'm guessing neither qualify.

Correct, and I think that we need some big physical winger who can score, not only for the pp.