Must fix PowerPlay

[rowcfanatic]

Again this year, the Cats PP sucks. Here are a few suggestions for you experts on here. First, there's no law saying we can't sometimes carry the puck over the blue line, and on a 5 on 3 we SHOULD carry it over. and 2nd (and most important) our D's are always trying to set up that perfect,open pass when they get the puck, but by then the opps are all over them and we get into a pass-pass-pass game until the other team finally intercepts a pass and we lose possession. Instead, the D's should put a low shot toward the net RIGHT AWAY when they get the puck .unless there is an opponent directly in front of them. And if there is an opp right in front of them and they pass to the other D, that D should IMMEDIATELY send a low shot toward the net.Your opinions might be helpful to Cats coaches, as it appears they can use all the advice they can get about their power play.

[Deleted]

rowcfanatic said:

Again this year, the Cats PP sucks. Here are a few suggestions for you experts on here. First, there's no law saying we can't sometimes carry the puck over the blue line, and on a 5 on 3 we SHOULD carry it over. and 2nd (and most important) our D's are always trying to set up that perfect,open pass when they get the puck, but by then the opps are all over them and we get into a pass-pass-pass game until the other team finally intercepts a pass and we lose possession. Instead, the D's should put a low shot toward the net RIGHT AWAY when they get the puck .unless there is an opponent directly in front of them. And if there is an opp right in front of them and they pass to the other D, that D should IMMEDIATELY send a low shot toward the net.Your opinions might be helpful to Cats coaches, as it appears they can use all the advice they can get about their power play.

Forget about it... your team doesn't have the players to improve on the PP. Concentrate on your Defence is what I say.

[curtis]

Danny Flynn is a special teams guy....and good enough to have coached special teams in the NHL. Currently, I think it's a matter of having a defense corps that lacks Q experience, something that will improve with more games played, and (more importantly) practice time.

We're a grinding hockey team...not a flashy one, and not a high scoring one. I wouldn't expect our PP to be on the level that would expect from Halifax, Bathurst, or Rimouski. However, I think that as the season progresses, the coaching and work ethic of the team will bring the PP to a mid-pack level.

[mja]

Speaking of running the PP....I had to chuckle when I read in the paper the other day that Torchetti will be reviewing video and running the PP for Chicago. If he runs their PP the way he ran ours last year Chicago won't have a very good % on the PP....LOL

[SteveUL]

rowcfanatic said:

Again this year, the Cats PP sucks. Here are a few suggestions for you experts on here. First, there's no law saying we can't sometimes carry the puck over the blue line, and on a 5 on 3 we SHOULD carry it over. and 2nd (and most important) our D's are always trying to set up that perfect,open pass when they get the puck, but by then the opps are all over them and we get into a pass-pass-pass game until the other team finally intercepts a pass and we lose possession. Instead, the D's should put a low shot toward the net RIGHT AWAY when they get the puck .unless there is an opponent directly in front of them. And if there is an opp right in front of them and they pass to the other D, that D should IMMEDIATELY send a low shot toward the net.Your opinions might be helpful to Cats coaches, as it appears they can use all the advice they can get about their power play.

We lack skilled puck handlers and experienced Dmen ... it will get better but it will never be great.

[Penguins23®]

I say it time and time again, the dump in doesn't always work. It's ok to use it once in a while but when the goaltender is behind the net before you even dumped it in because he knows it's coming you know there is something wrong. Then we we miraculously get it set up we act so amazed and don't know what to do with the puck.

[Arnold Slick]

Maybe the fans can stop constantly yelling SHOOT every time we have a PP. It seems that when the crowd goes into a frenzy yelling shoot someone will take an ill-advised shot that is blocked and the opposing team is off to the races. Case in point would be Eastman's shot that was blocked and Esposito was off the other way and Eastman than took a penalty that turned into a 5-on-3 and for all intents and purposes ended the game when Quebec scored.

[t-dude]

Maybe if they'd take more than one shot in the PP, the fans wouldn't be yelling SHOOT. You can't just pass it around waiting to be picked off, I'd rather see a blocked SHOT than it being picked off on a pass. All they do is run down the clock for the other team.

[Deleted]

;D

[jimmy]

make15 said:

Maybe the fans can stop constantly yelling SHOOT every time we have a PP. It seems that when the crowd goes into a frenzy yelling shoot someone will take an ill-advised shot that is blocked and the opposing team is off to the races. Case in point would be Eastman's shot that was blocked and Esposito was off the other way and Eastman than took a penalty that turned into a 5-on-3 and for all intents and purposes ended the game when Quebec scored.

Agree to some extent - the lack of shots is frustrating, but IMO, they are not passing up good shots (that is when I would want to yell shoot), they just are not generating many good shooting opportunities ... the puck movement needs to get better ... passes need to be crisper, and perhaps more importantly, decisions made quicker ... there is way too much of a player receiving a pass and holding the puck for several seconds before doing something with it. Better puck movement will generate more quality opportunities, and consequently, shots.

[Deleted]

jimmy said:

make15 said:

Maybe the fans can stop constantly yelling SHOOT every time we have a PP. It seems that when the crowd goes into a frenzy yelling shoot someone will take an ill-advised shot that is blocked and the opposing team is off to the races. Case in point would be Eastman's shot that was blocked and Esposito was off the other way and Eastman than took a penalty that turned into a 5-on-3 and for all intents and purposes ended the game when Quebec scored.

Agree to some extent - the lack of shots is frustrating, but IMO, they are not passing up good shots (that is when I would want to yell shoot), they just are not generating many good shooting opportunities ... the puck movement needs to get better ... passes need to be crisper, and perhaps more importantly, decisions made quicker ... there is way too much of a player receiving a pass and holding the puck for several seconds before doing something with it. Better puck movement will generate more quality opportunities, and consequently, shots.

I know that the fans yelling shoot are doing it in fustration....but it's not helping the power play any Im sure...

I'd let the coach handle it

[SteveUL]

jimmy said:

make15 said:

Maybe the fans can stop constantly yelling SHOOT every time we have a PP. It seems that when the crowd goes into a frenzy yelling shoot someone will take an ill-advised shot that is blocked and the opposing team is off to the races. Case in point would be Eastman's shot that was blocked and Esposito was off the other way and Eastman than took a penalty that turned into a 5-on-3 and for all intents and purposes ended the game when Quebec scored.

Agree to some extent - the lack of shots is frustrating, but IMO, they are not passing up good shots (that is when I would want to yell shoot), they just are not generating many good shooting opportunities ... the puck movement needs to get better ... passes need to be crisper, and perhaps more importantly, decisions made quicker ... there is way too much of a player receiving a pass and holding the puck for several seconds before doing something with it. Better puck movement will generate more quality opportunities, and consequently, shots.

Yes ... exactly ... poor puck movement ... floppy slap passes that bounce of sticks ... and a lack of thinking ahead. A player gets the puck ... pauses ... thinks to himself ... hmmmm where should I pass it now. Nobody is in a position to shoot the puck when they receive it ... you can do that in Jr A but not in this league ... the passing/shooting lanes disappear too quickly.

Last night our biggest problem was a very weak passing game ... on the PP and at 5 on 5. You can't generate offense if you can't complete passes. Too many guys with clunky hands and pucks bouncing off their sticks ... I don't know how they can get to this level without knowing how to give and receive a pass ... is that a skill they don't teach anymore ?

[SteveUL]

hipsterdoofus said:

jimmy said:

Agree to some extent - the lack of shots is frustrating, but IMO, they are not passing up good shots (that is when I would want to yell shoot), they just are not generating many good shooting opportunities ... the puck movement needs to get better ... passes need to be crisper, and perhaps more importantly, decisions made quicker ... there is way too much of a player receiving a pass and holding the puck for several seconds before doing something with it. Better puck movement will generate more quality opportunities, and consequently, shots.

I know that the fans yelling shoot are doing it in fustration....but it's not helping the power play any Im sure...

I'd let the coach handle it

While I agree ... it actually did help the PP last night late in the game ... some players actually shot while the fans were yelling and had some close calls ... closer than in other PPs anyways.

[AceKikr]

I think the reason we lost the game last night was because we were unable to contain the Tessier/Esposito line... When they weren't on the ice, most of time we were dominating in their zone.
For crisee sakes, we were getting ouplayed shorthanded when tessier and radulov were killing penalties...

Very poor game plan to play against that line, that's what killed us.

[CrazyJoeDavola]

steveul said:

jimmy said:

Agree to some extent - the lack of shots is frustrating, but IMO, they are not passing up good shots (that is when I would want to yell shoot), they just are not generating many good shooting opportunities ... the puck movement needs to get better ... passes need to be crisper, and perhaps more importantly, decisions made quicker ... there is way too much of a player receiving a pass and holding the puck for several seconds before doing something with it. Better puck movement will generate more quality opportunities, and consequently, shots.

Yes ... exactly ... poor puck movement ... floppy slap passes that bounce of sticks ... and a lack of thinking ahead. A player gets the puck ... pauses ... thinks to himself ... hmmmm where should I pass it now. Nobody is in a position to shoot the puck when they receive it ... you can do that in Jr A but not in this league ... the passing/shooting lanes disappear too quickly.

Last night our biggest problem was a very weak passing game ... on the PP and at 5 on 5. You can't generate offense if you can't complete passes. Too many guys with clunky hands and pucks bouncing off their sticks ... I don't know how they can get to this level without knowing how to give and receive a pass ... is that a skill they don't teach anymore ?

yeah I caught some of the game on the web... and there was an unusual amount of puck-bumbling, especially on the PP. On the 2 man advantage towards the end, there was a few times I was thinking "heres a goal" on a nice setup, only to see it roll/fumble away or be misfired by someone.