It’s no secret the Flyers Power Play is struggling mightily, so predictability should go out the window. The problem here in lies, just shoot the puck, keep it simple, and hit the net when given golden opportunities. Travis Konecny had a 2-on-0 with the man advantage last night, and he fired the shot high and wide. Konecny has to hit the net there, I feel like he along with other players are clutching their sticks when shooting, thus forcing shots wide.
Just keep it simple and take the puck up the gut. Jakub Voracek is a force when the puck is on his stick. Ivan Provorov is just not as good with zone entries, give it to the player (Voracek) that has made a living throughout the course of his career burning by opponents while entering the offensive zone cleanly. The Flyers are cycling the puck well for the most part, just lacking the finishing touch due to the inability to shoot the puck when an opportunity arises. Unfortunately, the Flyers Power Play contains too much passing, especially with a red-hot James van Riemsdyk providing excellent net front presence.
The Flyers cycle the puck well at times, but other times not so much. That is when the Power Play becomes predictable. Teams are sensing the extra pass, thus picking off the pass and clearing the puck out of the zone with no problem. The Flyers Power Play is now 6-47 since February 1, 2021, with a success rate of 7.8%. This is just not good enough for a team looking to take the next step this season.
Personnel is a huge problem at the moment. For instance, let’s look at both PP Units as constructed last night:
PP1: JvR, Coots, Farabee, Ghost, Konecny
PP2: Patrick, Hayes, Voracek, Provy, Giroux
These personnel units just don’t make sense. Let’s try putting together units that excel:
PP1: JvR (Net Front), Coots (Slot), Giroux (Left side), Voracek (Right side), Gustafsson or Ghost
PP2: Patrick (Slot), Farabee (Right side), Hayes (Left side), Konecny (Net Front), Ghost or Gustafsson
I know what a lot of people are thinking. This is not a demotion for Ivan Provorov, but Ghost and Gustafsson have thrived on the Power Play, and Gustafsson has proven that this season (1g,4a with the man advantage this season). The top Power Play unit are familiar with one another, and this new look personnel with the man advantage appears to balance both units.
The Flyers haven’t been able to practice much here as of late with this jammed pack schedule of six games in nine nights. However, there is no excuse for this power play to be this bad, and Couturier knows it, “We need to score one eventually and get the killer instinct of taking over the game,” Couturier said following last night’s loss, “Power play can win games and penalty kill can lose them. Right now, we’re losing that kind of battle, that facet of the game, that part of the game. We got to figure it out and I think we’ll be alright. 5-on-5, I think we’re pretty good. We just got to dial in and find a way to get our special teams better.”
Through the 2011-12 season – 2016-17 season the Flyers power play units appeared to be thriving, especially under Joe Mullen. Michel Therrien should be put on notice with his stagnant power play unit for the second straight year. There is just too much talent on this roster for these units not to thrive. Predictability should go out the window.
The Flyers have to hit the net it’s that simple. In some cases the Flyers are having trouble getting the puck through on the point, and in other cases some players are passing up shooting opportunities. Just unwind and blast it, one never knows what could happen if you try to shoot the puck. It appears they are looking for the perfect shot, and in some cases that may never come. This is a game of inches, not feet.
I am not a coach, nor do I preach to be one, but the Flyers can ill afford to let their struggling power play dictate the fate of their season. They need to reactivate the power surge of the PP, sooner rather than later., and it starts with keeping it simple. Putting out the right personnel is a key to success, and Therrien should not be left off the hook here.
I agree with you here.This is where a trade for Taylor Hall would come into play .Excellent power play player. A.Vs system does need better Dmen. It needs a power forward type player.
I would love Hall
…Doesn’t need better Dmen. Lol
We need a new power play quarterback that can set up plays and has a big accurate shot from the point.