Special teams can make or break the success of a season in the NHL. A strong power play is essential to help teams capitalize on their opponents’ mistakes. Additionally, power plays can be a momentum shifter in a tightly contested match. The Tampa Bay Lightning boasts one of the league’s top power play units for the past seven seasons. Let’s analyze what made them so special again last year.
Tampa Bay Lightning 2022-23 Power Play Review
The Lightning power play didn’t skip a beat last season. The power play operated at 25.36%, third-best in the entire NHL. Nikita Kucherov led the team with 50 points, including 25 primary assists, on the power play. Brayden Point recorded 20 goals on the man advantage, tied for fourth-best in the entire league. Moreover, Steven Stamkos continued his success in his office with 14 goals and 27 primary points. Outside of the core three, the Lightning’s top unit offered versatility throughout the season.
Role Versatility
A critical component of the Lightning power play is the versatility of their setup. A shift in the quarterback of the power play seemed to have a minuscule effect on the success of the top unit. Mikhail Sergachev stepped into the role of Victor Hedman for a large chunk of last season. Sergachev found his rhythm by recording 27 power play points during the year.
Furthermore, Brandon Hagel and Alex Killorn split time as the net front player. Heading into the 2023-24 season, Anthony Cirelli earned time in the net front position during training camp with the loss of Killorn. However, Hagel seems to have secured the job on opening night. A clean zone entry sets the tone for a crisp power play. The Lightning rely on their two deadliest weapons for this task.
Power Play Breakout
The drop pass is a popular breakout strategy for the modern NHL power play. Typically, a defenceman lugs the puck through the middle of the ice to the redline. The reason behind this is to draw the forechecker towards them. Meanwhile, two forwards curl for support behind the defender. Once the opposing forechecker bites, the defender slings the puck back to the forwards. Not only does the forward receive the puck in stride but now the penalty kill unit is left flat-footed in the neutral zone.
Kucherov and Point have perfected this power play breakout. Whether it’s Hedman or Sergachev dishing the puck behind them, one of Kucherov or Point will gain possession in stride. Kyle Pereira offers an additional layer of analysis for the power play breakout. He hand-tracked 13 games last season to provide a fantastic data set.
These results are impressive relative to the rest of the roster. The next-best forward, Ross Colton, only recorded 10 zone entries. Once a power play unit enters the zone, it formulates an attack. The Lightning provide one of the deadliest attacks through their shooting talent.
The Lightning Set Up Based on Shooting Talent
Not every power play in the league has multiple sniper options available on a single unit. Tampa Bay is gifted to have Kucherov, Point, and Stamkos. All three superstars can rifle the puck at any given moment. The Lightning set their powerplay in a “1-3-1” formation. Kucherov and Stamkos play on their off-wing, and Point is in the bumper position. To start the 2023-24 season, Sergachev will quarterback the blue line, and Hagel will take the net front.
A statistical trend that pushes this narrative is comparing the shot attempt generation with the shooting percentage of the Tampa Bay power play. In 2022-23, the Lighting produced 100.48 shot attempts per hour (CF/60), ranking 21st amongst all teams. On the other hand, the team was third in power play shooting percentage at 16.96%.
This trend is the story of the Lightning power play for the past three seasons. The team hasn’t cracked the top 20 in shot attempts. Yet, they finish near the top in shooting percentage. The Lightning are selective with their shots and look for the “perfect play” more times than not. While frustration may arise from fans, the strategy is effective.
2023-24 Power Play Outlook
The Tampa Bay power play didn’t lose any weapons heading into next season. This unit is a lock to finish near the top in power play percentage again. Kucherov and Point have mastered the art of deception, while Stamkos possesses a rocket from the left circle. Then, the Bolts have scrappy workhorse Hagel in front of the net to take away the eyes of the goalie. The blue line will always have an elite option in Sergachev or Hedman. The power play is a strong suit of the Lightning in recent years.
Main Photo Credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports
