{"id":3482,"date":"2016-11-19T21:19:34","date_gmt":"2016-11-20T02:19:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonhockey.com\/?p=3482"},"modified":"2016-11-19T21:19:34","modified_gmt":"2016-11-20T02:19:34","slug":"attempting-solve-ottawa-senators-powerplay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2016\/11\/19\/attempting-solve-ottawa-senators-powerplay\/","title":{"rendered":"Attempting to solve the Ottawa Senators powerplay"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Ottawa Senators<\/strong> powerplay, in a word: unimaginative. In a sentence: a frustrating exercise in futile repetition and static formation. It\u2019s the league\u2019s second worst powerplay \u2013 barely outpacing the Calgary Flames<\/strong> by 0.8% (Oh, hi Dave Cameron<\/a><\/strong>!) \u2013 notching just 5 goals in 51 attempts. By anyone standards it\u2019s bad, but to perform this poorly under a coach known for his ingenuity with the man advantage is particularly concerning. That said, there are a couple solutions that would be fairly easy to implement and would result in a better powerplay.<\/p>\n

Gain the zone<\/h2>\n

If there was one thing that could be fixed about the Ottawa Senators it would be their ability to gain the zone with speed. Consistently the Senators initiate their breakout with Erik Karlsson<\/a><\/strong>, Cody Ceci<\/a><\/strong>, or Mike Hoffman<\/a><\/strong> carrying the puck through the neutral zone before dishing it off to a stationary forward waiting at the blue line.<\/p>\n

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The problem is that more often than not that forward is closed down quickly by the defence, and the puck is knocked out of the zone and the Sens either find themselves offside or regrouping 200 feet from the opposition\u2019s goal. Neither is ideal.<\/p>\n

So what\u2019s the solution? Well the Sens have had some success with the drop pass to Karlsson in the past, but that has also been the cause of more than one Jason Spezza<\/a><\/strong> induced nightmare. The best suggestion would be to continue to use the width of the ice, but bring the receiving forwards back. The powerplay is not short on speed, Hoffman, Ryan Dzingel<\/a><\/strong>, Karlsson, and even Zack Smith<\/a><\/strong> are capable skaters who can attack the blue line and drive back defenders. Passing to players in stride forces the defence to respect their pace, and forces them to keep a bigger gap. At the end of the day it\u2019s about entering the zone with speed, with you\u2019re dumping and chasing, or carrying it over the line, the Sens can\u2019t continue to stand on the blue line waiting a telegraphed pass.<\/p>\n

Give Chris Wideman<\/a> the point<\/h2>\n

In the game against the Nashville Predators<\/strong> there were very, very few positives to take. One that could be noted was how effective Chris Wideman<\/strong> was on the powerplay. He was strong on the point, allowed Ottawa to settle into a 1-3-1 formation, and was effective at getting pucks through traffic. All things you want from you point player in a 1-3-1 system, albeit at\u00a0sub-Erik Karlsson level, so why give Wideman the point? So you can optimize how best to use Karlsson.<\/p>\n

When Wideman was playing the point on those powerplays, Karlsson was in the slot. I think Guy Boucher<\/strong> and Marc Crawford<\/a><\/strong> are on the right track when it comes to moving Karlsson. I don\u2019t think the slot is the place to play to him.<\/p>\n

The best powerplays in the league have one thing in common: their best playmaker is on the wall. Think of Nicklas Backstrom<\/a><\/strong>, and Joe Thornton<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n