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Originally Posted by IgiTang
It drives me nuts reading how people think the reason the PP was doing so much better than it has been is because of Versteeg.
Reality is is that teams were still figuring out their PK and systems play/personnel to an extent as well. To suggest that the presence of Versteeg was the reason the teams PP was much more successful is silly, IMO. Fact is a lot of teams in the first 1/3rd of the season took tha flames too lightly and focused on the other Alberta team that was to be the powerhouse and many nights the Flames seem backup goalies and less focused play, I feel.
Now the tables have turned and teams have figured out the flames are the bigger threat and bring a heavier, more focused and determined game. I know, it’s subjective and impossible to prove, so let’s just leave it at that.
I feel that since the flames have stuck to the 1-2-2 or 1-3-1 PP with the shoot from the circles off the half boards and funnel everything to the net that they were using with Vertsteeg and continued to use after he went down and teams started figuring it out, hasn’t changed enough and teams will still easily shutdown the PP with Versteeg in the lineup.
It’s a systems issue. Poor setup with no set plays except for a down low pass to chucky I hopes he can jam it in. JG’s shot was too predictable as was Backlunds. Both of which have better shots than Versteeg.
Listen, I hope I’m wrong and that PP lights back up and this isn’t a knock against Versteeg, it’s a cry for a proper PP strategy. It’s not the personnel, it’s the system.
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With the amount of video in the NHL I doubt it takes longer than 1-3 games for another team to figure out what PP system a team is trying to run. Other teams will definitely scheme to shut it down but there are multiple options within a system to make it work depending on what pressure they get. To me it's about execution and the decisions the players make within that system that makes it work or fail. From my view point, there hasn't been a player tried on that right side better than Versteeg at making the correct decisions, especially under pressure.
Great news is we are going to get to see if the Versteeg effect on the PP is made up or real a lot sooner than expected.