Our Power Play Effectiveness

[Chief Enabler]

If I remember correctly, both goals came on rather a non scripted scenarios. Roy was the broken glass bounce goal and Briere was a wrap around.

 

The whole setting up the umbrella and passing fourteen times or dump and chase power plays has been ineffective IMO.

 

Crashing the net, forcing a high tempo power play and creating odd man rushes I think would be alot better to our advantage for our guys, because that is what they do best. (Using speed)

 

I like when Kalinin/Soupy/ or any defensemen bring it across the blue line and goes deep creating a pass in front or shooting it. (shooting high preferably)

[Stoner]

I laugh at the idea that the Sabres' power play was "fixed" last night. Even Ruff joked about the Roy goal.

[Allan in MD]

I'm not a fan of the "umbrella" set up. Too often the points are left totally uncovered with only one defenseman left up high in the center. It makes it much easier to clear the puck when both points are totaly open, there's generally less traffic to the walls and it's a safer clear. If you force people to try to clear up the middle there is more traffic where bad bounces and steals can occur.

 

Overall I feel like our PP is too stagnant. We are slow to move the puck around and we stand still ragging the puck too much when nothing is happening. Last night we moved the puck much more quickly and got the PK running around a bit which opened up space for Kalinin's shot to get through, w/o the shot getting all the way through that crazy bounce can't happen.

You are right, it's primarily about puck movement. Of course, that accomplishes nothing unless you take your shots, and they don't have to necessarily be "your best shots," which is a continual concern during Sabres power plays. Move the puck, find the open man, shoot, and crash the net; anything more and you are killing your own power play, as the Sabres have been so prone to do.

[Rock DJ]

Late last year and earlier this year they had SOOOO much success with the cross crease pass, that somehow they decided they could or had to do it every time. When teams took it away, they just kept trying, and trying, and trying, and trying, and trying. :wallbash:

The points wouldn't slide down the line to open lanes, so they became more bystanders than anything.

 

The points have been more active lately, taking better shots and getting involved as a trailer, like they did way back when.

I KNOW there is more to it than that, but that's a pretty simplified version.

[Allan in MD]

Late last year and earlier this year they had SOOOO much success with the cross crease pass, that somehow they decided they could or had to do it every time. When teams took it away, they just kept trying, and trying, and trying, and trying, and trying. :wallbash:

The points wouldn't slide down the line to open lanes, so they became more bystanders than anything.

 

The points have been more active lately, taking better shots and getting involved as a trailer, like they did way back when.

I KNOW there is more to it than that, but that's a pretty simplified version.

One thing the Sabres' points never seem to do is slide down the line. It certainly worked for Larry Murphy over the years.

[wjag]

I laugh at the idea that the Sabres' power play was "fixed" last night. Even Ruff joked about the Roy goal.

I agree. Hardly an indicator of anything other than not Washington's night.

 

Let's see them play a goood effort against the Leafs over the next two and register some good offensive zone control and flow. They don't have to score as much as they need to setup and take some quality rips at it.