Flames PP is 4th best in NHL since Ray Edwards took over

[transplant99]

Lots of people have bemoaned the locals PP assuming it wasn't producing like it "should".

Turns out....they have been one of the best in the entire league since Edwards assumed control last year.

The Flames ranked 20th with the advantage at 17.2 percent when Edwards moved behind the bench on Dec. 6, 2019. Over the final 40 regular-season games, Calgary rattled off the fourth-best power play at exactly 25.0 percent. In 10 post-season games, they converted at a deadly 28.6 percent, tops among the 16 playoff teams. Through the first week of this season, the Flames have been a lethal 37.5 percent.

Altogether with Edwards in charge, that’s 41 goals on 151 chances.

https://theathletic.com/2329712/2021...shared_article

[SportsJunky]

Yeah, I enjoyed that article. I liked what he had to say about Tkachuk.

“One of Matthew’s greatest assets is his brain. He’s as intelligent of a player as I’ve ever coached,” said Edwards. “The thing about Matthew is he’s elite at playing that net-front position. But honestly, he can play any one of the positions. He could be a half-wall guy, he can be a bumper guy for us, a middleman guy. ”

“We need him there because he’s elite at that position and we’ve got other people that can do the other things,” Edwards said. “Matthew has done a great job of understanding that that particular piece is where we need him the most and he’s grabbed that and as you saw Saturday night. Just having quick hands around the net, he finds a way to put one in.”

[Jeff Lebowski]

^ That's the thing with Tkachuk he is so skilled at so many different skills. On the PP his ability to tip pucks is unreal. He's a great passer and shooter.

So if a PK is trying to take something away he's equally adept at whatever counter CGY needs.

Just an incredible player and that's not even counting his intangibles.

[Mr.Coffee]

This year I’ve been really really blown away by the PP in these first 3 games. Passes are crisp, players are in position and know where each other are, they aren’t trying to be too cute and they’re getting traffic in front of the net. They also have the odd unique play to mix it up like that give and go from Gaudreau / Monahan. And they have been hustling on the pp too. I also like how even though they’re doing that extremely predictable pass back to Gaudreau to gain the zone play, it’s not every single time like in the playoffs and they’ve been managing to gain the zone by carrying it in the odd time or if it has been dumped in they’ve been getting it.

It’s honestly kind of weird to me how night and day better it looks. Looks really fast, really crisp and very difficult to defend. Just don’t change anything.

[Enoch Root]

Yeah, the PP has looked great for a while - I had no idea Edwards was the reason, but kudos to him. It isn't just that they have 6 goals in 3 games - that could just as easily be luck - it is that they have so many different looks and different plays.

It truly is at a completely different level than where it was at the start of last year. Or <shudder> under Peters or Gulutzan.

[Joborule]

That's crazy! I wouldn't have thought that the Flames PP has been one of the best in the past calendar year. It feels like at times the PP can look so sloppy with that bump back play, that it doesn't produce as effectively as it should, but turns out it's been doing pretty good overall; especially since the return to play post March shutdown.

[delayedreflex]

Originally Posted by Joborule

That's crazy! I wouldn't have thought that the Flames PP has been one of the best in the past calendar year. It feels like at times the PP can look so sloppy with that bump back play, that it doesn't produce as effectively as it should, but turns out it's been doing pretty good overall; especially since the return to play post March shutdown.

The nice thing is this year I've noticed they don't default to the bump back every. single. time. anymore - Rasmus has carried the puck into the zone a few times which I think is one reason that he's a great addition to PP1.

Definitely been pretty happy with how the PP has looked this year, with players changing up positions and keeping their feet moving - it always seems like the most successful PPs in the league have players constantly shifting a little bit to open up lanes rather than standing still.

[Enoch Root]

Have great PP and great goalie, will travel

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Have great PP and great goalie, will travel

Defence and depth don't look too shabby either.

This will be our Cup year and we won't even have a parade haha

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Joborule

That's crazy! I wouldn't have thought that the Flames PP has been one of the best in the past calendar year. It feels like at times the PP can look so sloppy with that bump back play, that it doesn't produce as effectively as it should ...

I suspect that of this has to do with how much more intensely we all watch the Flames compared to other teams. Every team will experience ebbs and flows in their special teams, and they will all have instances of looking sloppy. The bump back play is one that a lot of teams use, but for whatever reason a lot of fans here hate seeing it when the Flames do.

Sent from my SM-G960W using Tapatalk

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

I suspect that of this has to do with how much more intensely we all watch the Flames compared to other teams. Every team will experience ebbs and flows in their special teams, and they will all have instances of looking sloppy. The bump back play is one that a lot of teams use, but for whatever reason a lot of fans here hate seeing it when the Flames do.

Sent from my SM-G960W using Tapatalk

Every fanbase bitches about their PP. They fail 4 out of every 5 times.

[Enoch Root]

When the other team's PP struggles, the fanbase thinks "great PK!". When your own PP struggles, it's "####ing PP"

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

I suspect that of this has to do with how much more intensely we all watch the Flames compared to other teams. Every team will experience ebbs and flows in their special teams, and they will all have instances of looking sloppy. The bump back play is one that a lot of teams use, but for whatever reason a lot of fans here hate seeing it when the Flames do.

Sent from my SM-G960W using Tapatalk

My pedestrian observations about the bump back is it does 2 things..

1) It theoretically has your guys moving into the zone with speed...now that doesnt happen all the time because guys, for some reason, tend to stop moving their feet until the puck carrier gets even with them, which actually puts them behind moving in. If you have a couple guys moving (even laterally) as say JG hits the blue, you have a couple options...if there is a clear path then he keeps it and sets up in the open area. Otherwise, as long as you have guys heading in down the boards, he can dump it to the corner for retrieval. Thats where winning puck battles become imperative.

2) It forces the opponents to "declare" how they are going to defend the blueline as it is crossed. They have to establish where each guy will be as they retreat. Some teams lean to 3 on one side others split it to 2 on each. From there its up to the intelligence of the guys on your club to know where to go to find the open ice.

It works really well when it's done correctly but when it isn't, it looks like a tire fire at times....and thats from watching many teams do it not just the Flames.

I dont know for sure but i suspect this is why Edwards has implemented it and fairly effectively.

[Buff]

The 2019/20 season was like, 17 years ago. So I don't quite remember how it went, but I'm pretty sure I was not too thrilled with their PP production during that season, and I do remember hearing that it was improved. I do recall a lot of people saying it was improved because of Gustafsson.

I definitely wasn't complaining about their PP this year.... maybe some shifts, but not the overall production.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Buff

The 2019/20 season was like, 17 years ago. So I don't quite remember how it went, but I'm pretty sure I was not too thrilled with their PP production during that season, and I do remember hearing that it was improved. I do recall a lot of people saying it was improved because of Gustafsson.

I definitely wasn't complaining about their PP this year.... maybe some shifts, but not the overall production.

Erik Gustafsson played all of seven games in Calgary before the shut-down, and scored one assist on the powerplay. The Flames's powerplay was #12 in the NHL; that was not all because of Gustafsson.

I am guessing that if you were frustrated by the Flames powerplay, then it was because you were a lot more focused on times when they failed than you were on their successes. That is a pretty normal fan thing.

[Locke]

I'll say this about Chucky....the guy has insane vision. Some of the tips he makes on pucks flying at him at 90MPH? Insane.

[Wastedyouth]

I get a chuckle every time someone bitches about the bump back. It's one of THE most effective zone entries on the PP. And works a significant amount of times for the Flames every PP.

[Buff]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Erik Gustafsson played all of seven games in Calgary before the shut-down, and scored one assist on the powerplay. The Flames's powerplay was #12 in the NHL;that was not all because of Gustafsson.

I am guessing that if you were frustrated by the flames poerplay, then it was because you were a lot more focused on times when they failed than you were on their successes. That is a pretty normal fan thing.

To be honest, in a normal season, sometime mid to late January I tune out for a few weeks. I'll have the games on but hardly watch or pay close attention. I don't remember a single thing about Gustafsson until the playoffs. That's when I remember people saying the PP improved because Gustafsson was on it. Which made sense to me because Gio and Brodie were on the point for units 1 & 2 and Brodie never impressed me on the PP and Gio seemed to lose is PP touch last year.

[Buff]

Originally Posted by Wastedyouth

I get a chuckle every time someone bitches about the bump back. It's one of THE most effective zone entries on the PP. And works a significant amount of times for the Flames every PP.

A friend of mine just absolutely despises the bump back. He thinks it kills valuable PP time and loses all momentum. I just quietly smile and nod. I can tell he won't listen to reason on this one.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Wastedyouth

I get a chuckle every time someone bitches about the bump back. It's one of THE most effective zone entries on the PP. And works a significant amount of times for the Flames every PP.

It works like 90 percent of the time and when it doesn't it's because of a flubbed pass or maybe a great defensive play. It was never the problem with the Flames PP. Neither was the lack of a point shot or a onetimer or any otehr "one big thing that bwill guarantee success". There are a whole lot of PP strategies that can work and no one way that has to be used. IMO any time the Flames look bad on the PP it's because of the speed of their puck movement and accuracy in passing (or, rather, the lack of speed). In other words, they just were lazy and didn't execute.