Commandant

DD isn't centring his line on the PP, nor is he on the first pp unit.... He's not in the same role he was in last year even on the PP. That said the PP is working... and it started working when Eller was taken off and DD was put as Chucky's LW on the second unit. So DD getting more PP time than Eller isn't the coach playing favorites... its the coach playing the results right now. Lets stop this myth that Therrien hates Eller based on this PP time. As for the last two years stuff, its disingenious to only rely on goals to say Eller outproduces DD at ES.... include assists and DD blows him out of the water, which is not surprising since he's a far better playmaker. Why is it wrong to say DD is the better offensive player, and Eller is the better defensive player and have the coach use them in such situations.

Best post I've seen on the topic... honestly, I'd like to put this up as a guest article on my site. Yes, we should go with the best options... Eller's PP time comes almost entirely in the first five games, when our PP produced nothing... h'e clearly not the best option. Our PP has been red hot the last seven... so what is this criticism of who is/isn't on the PP... it makes no sense.

First 5 games of the season... Eller was a regular on the PP, and it sucked. Last 7 games our PP has been great and Eller isn't on it. Are we more concerned with a lack of PP time hurting Eller's stat line.... or with the PP producing and the team winning? Why do we want to make the PP worse, just so we can be fair to Eller and get his offensive game going?

Byron - Chuck - Buddy Holly

I wouldn't mess with DD's line at all.... flash - dd - weise are working. Back at home with line matchups in the Habs favor, i'd get Semin back in the lineup and see if Eller - Chuck - Semin can get going. Patch - Plek - Gally Flash - DD - Weise Eller - Chuck - Semin Byron - Mitchell - DSP Not that he's done anything wrong, but Flynn can sit a game.

Weise is the 2nd leading goal scorer on the highest goal scoring team in the NHL.

Emelin may have led the team in ice time, but was on the ice for 3 goals against, and 2 of those three he was covering air.

Terry Francona (shapiro's manager in Cleveland) has an out clause in his contract this off-season.

Same thing with prospects, if you aren't dominating the A... good luck making an impact in the show.

DD ed up one play..... Emelin ed up TWO, and no one but me complains, cause he hits people like once every three games. He left Davidson wide open to walk through the slot, he left draisatl wide open... both times he skated to an area to cover no one.

Emelin has 0 hockey sense.... twice tonight what the is he doing? Who is he covering?

I'll put money on the Habs not winning tonight. Hopefully they will play well tomorrow though.

It was bound to happen. All the good bounces we had gotten were repaid with bad bounces tonight.

Virtanen at a mere PPG was not particularly good in the WHL for a 19 year old, especially a top 10 pick. If you aren't absolutely dominating a junior league, why would anyone think you are ready to make the huge jump from junior to the NHL. Not saying he'll never make it, but why such big expectations now... its clear he needs more time.

Anaheim's leading scorers are Rickard Rackell, Mike Santorelli and Hampus Lindholm... each has 1g 1a for 2 points. Anaheim's top 6 forwards are making 30 million this season, and Kesler's raise kicks in next year.... they have 0 goals. Frederick Andersen is 6th in save percentage. He is 0-3-2 on the season. In five starts the Ducks have scored 1 goal.

There is nothing in the system, not holloway, not andrighetto, not thomas, not scherbak, nothing... that is ready to be a top 6 RW behind gallagher. Semin either has to work, or they will have to trade.

And the pp is over 20% with both of them on the first wave. And the pp has been #3 overall in the league with both of them on the point in 2012-13. But you are so set in proving this both defenceman must shoot the same hand bullshit that youve ignored that, along woth the fact that numerous nhl teams in history have run a pp successfully with opposite facing shots. Its frustrating and like running into a brick wall when someone keeps insisting that they are rright without addressing a mountain of evidence where teams have succesfully run pps with one right shot and one left shot on the poiny... Including this very team. Including a team that has 3 of the last 6 stanley cups. Including multiple teams that have finished top 5 in pp percentage in the last 3 years. Quite simply it isnt a factor. Some teams can have two lefties an succeed Some teams can have two righties and succeed Some teams can have one of each and succeed. Its talent, coaching, execution... thats tge factors to success on the powerplay. What hand your point men are has nothing to do with it. Replacing a norris winner with a guy with 1 career nhl goal on the first unit of the powerplay was the dumbest idea in history two weeks ago... and remains the dumbest idea now... and despite the fact the pp is clicking without this change you still insist its the way to go. It boggles my mind

a) team wins faceoff... Subban and Patch both begin moving into their positions... Markov shoots as sabres part like the red sea to make sure the two passing options are covered..... this isn't hard... it really isn't. Yes it comes after a won faceoff, but watch where the guys are moving, and how the sabres start to move to defend it....

Thanks for proving my point that you ignore the evidence, even when i put it clear in front of you.... Chicago had a highly successful PP in the playoffs.... 2010 (cup)- 22.5% 2014 (conference final) 21.4% 2011 - 20.7% 2015 (cup) - 17.9% 4 years of pretty good pps, (though their 2013 team won without a good PP)

Oh right off none are the umbrella... watch the god damn tape of a, b, and e and they are are all umbrellas. If you are this ing dense, that you ignore video evidence then fine.... C and D aren't umbrellas you are right... but I didnt claim they were. My point is that a successful powerplay uses more than one system... uses more than one look... and thats what montreal is doing. Seriously if you can't ing see that... .now i remember why i took a long sabbatical from this board last season, and went elsewhere, cause even with video evidence staring some people here in the face, they will still argue that the sky is green and not blue just cause.... I'm done... maybe i'll stop by again next year, cause this is like banging my head against the wall.

Yes, I looked up each team and put together the two d who accumulated the most PP time over the course of the season as the first unit... (unless i got four forwards who were miles ahead of the second defenceman and then i looked into and found out if they used four forwards and who was on the point). Another highly successful pp team over the last 5-6 years (especially in playoffs) has been chicago who used... Patrick Sharp (Right) and Duncan Keith (Left) on the point.

Here is another example of multiple looks... this time Markov its markov sneaking in from the point and then setting up the down low play. Again you have Subban and Markov on points, but you are doing a different set up here.... And here is petry scoring with subban on the ice (two same side shots)... using the umbrella again. This is my point, and lets be clear. There is no necessity that it be two Righties, or two lefties, or a righty and a lefty.... it literally doesnèt matter. What the PP needs to work. 1) MULTIPLE OPTIONS (dont let a well coached PK unit be able to focus on stopping just 1 or 2 things).2) traffic in front of the net 3) people moving their feet to open up passing and shooting lanes. 4) Execution. Multiple looks, multiple plays, and the talented players to make it happen... thats what a PP needs, and thats what Ramsay is doing. Look at how many different ways we have scored a PP goal... all the different setups, all the different nuances... thats what we didn't have before... it was the same thing, pass to subban, subban shoot, rinse, repeat. Now the PP does different things, and defenses don't know what to overcommit to in order to stop us. Again i bring up this article where Ramsay talks about his philosophy.... does he talk about handedness? No... His key point is that if you always do the same thing, teams catch on and it fails. http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=716665

The hand of the player matters on where they set up for a onetimer, obviously... you want the pass on their stick and not having to cross their body. What doesnt matter is that it doesnt have to be a left shot setting up a left shot.... or a right shot setting up a right shot.... you can have two point men, one who shoots left and one who shoots right.... this can still work... you dont need both your point men to shoot the same hand in order for things to work... that is just silly. In fact, one of each works better cause both can pass or both can shoot. When its righty setting up righty... the guy on the left becomes the primary shooter... (cause it has to cross his body for the other dman to do a one timer, giving the goalie more time to go post to post) When its lefty setting up lefty... the guy on the right becomes the primary shooter When its lefty setting up righty... or righty setting up lefty.... both can be options to take the shot.

But you cant always use the umbrella... its all about multiple looks, and confusing an opponent... Its like football, if you pass on every down, teams will figure it out and stop you, you need balance and running the ball too.... Here is balance.... Instead of subban firing like he did a lot against toronto, he sets up gallagher who has gotten to the front of the net. Again, opposite handed Dmen, and it doesnt prevent the teams pp from working.