Quote:
Originally Posted by AC
Funny thing about Brouwer on the PP is I don't think he's the issue at all. Our last PPG in Toronto was all him really. Obviously he's not the ideal choice, but he's actually great and screening the goalie, which is his job.
The PP fails because we almost never get set up if we don't win the faceoff. Gaining the zone with possession is 100% built around Gaudreau. Then when we do get set up we don't put the puck to players in dangerous positions, but instead we opt to shoot through the crease for a tip, rebound, or whatever.
Gotta makes some big changes to the personnel and strategy as neither are working.
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I'm not suggesting the only problem with the pp is Brouwer, but he DEFINITELY is not part of the solution, and that's been clear for months now. You're right about that Toronto goal and the guys on Fan960 were borderline embarrassingly over-the-top with the goal call as I was listening and my rolling eyes almost fell out of my head. They just couldn't stop tripping over themselves to point out about the intelligent choice for Brouwer as a screen.
You point out that setting up has been a struggle, and I agree. Brouwer may be the worst player on the team for gaining the zone with the puck sans a dump-in. That's because he doesn't handle the puck very well nor is he playing with any confidence. Which speaking of, confidence is just one of those intangible attributes you kind of want on the powerplay.
Brouwer doesn't move the puck quickly, and he never really seems like he's properly in position. But I'll grant you that sometimes nobody else does either, which also leads to a tough time setting up. But what if that extra man was somebody not useless, like any of those guys on the 3M line, or even a confident youngster like Jankowski? Stone's cannon on the PP, he really does have a great shot.
But it does call for criticism that arguably your worst offensive player has been continually placed on the PP to create screens for goals but in the meantime you can't even get set up, and he's not helping in that department.
Dude can't gain the zone, can't handle the puck, and isn't confident. He is not a part of the PP solution and that's been obvious for an extremely long time in the context of a season.