The Toronto Maple Leafs’ struggles on the man advantage remain a topic of discussion among the fanbase in terms of how to fix it.
On Wednesday night, the Leafs faced a Minnesota Wild team that entered the game with the third-worst penalty kill in the NHL. Yet on their lone chance of the game, the Leafs could only muster two shots, and none of them had any real chance of finding twine.
This has become a common trend throughout the season: Despite the amount of talent on the roster, they struggle to generate momentum on the man advantage. There are real worries that failing to get this area of their game in order could cost them in the postseason when every power play chance looms large.
Former NHLer Adam Oates appeared on Leafs Morning Take with Nick Alberga and Jay Rosehill on Wednesday, where he was asked what he would do to get Toronto’s power play rolling. He understands that people have their views on how to run a power play but he thinks it boils down to two fundamental changes.
“I believe in one-timers, I really truly do. And when you have a one-timer, you don’t need a screen. Ovechkin hasn’t had someone screen the goalie in 20 years, right? Neither has Stamkos, they don’t need a screen. So I’m a believer in one-timer, number one.
I’m a believer in a quarterback getting the puck all the time to set up the one-timers. Obviously we have to get it back, there’s fatigue involved. When you are a team that has a guy screen the goalie, for example, that technically means you’re 4-on-4 everywhere else. So that’s another reason I don’t like it: I believe in options. So instead of the guy screening the goalie, I want him on the goal line because that gives my half wall guy more options. And then technically, what I do, I teach the options for every player.
Nick Backstrom has a different set of skills than Ovechkin. That’s fact, right? Obviously Ovechkin’s one timer is a weapon, for sure. But my first meeting with him I said ‘You’re not the power play. You’re part of the power play. You’re a key component of the power play because of your shot, but it’s still Nick Backstrom’s job to make the right play. He’s the quarterback. He’s Tom Brady.’ So I believe in options.”
Oates certainly knows a thing or two about running a successful power play. His two seasons as head coach of the Washington Capitals saw them finish first and second in the NHL, respectively. He was also one of the most elite playmakers to ever play the game. His 1079 career assists rank eighth all-time, and he had a rate of .81 assists per game throughout his playing days.
His suggestions of having that one-timer option makes a lot of sense given the Leafs are blessed with one of the elite snipers of the NHL in Auston Matthews who can beat the goalie from just about anywhere. Taking advantage of that would make it a useful tool for Toronto to set him up for the one-timers wherever he ends up being on the ice. Should the lane not be open up for him, they can defer to William Nylander instead who has just as lethal of a shot and is currently among the NHL’s leading scorers.
As for the quarterbacks, the obvious answer for this one is Mitch Marner given his elite vision and ability to roam the ice to get the puck where it needs to be. He is also an excellent skater who can act as the defenceman when needed, so he can move around to find the ideal spot to send the puck to whoever is in prime position. Ideally, this role would be given to a blueliner but the Leafs don’t have anyone capable of carrying that load while also possessing the point-shot so this is something they could try and address at the deadline.
Now there is an argument to be made that it’s not a bad thing to have the screen in front of the net, given that Matthew Knies has quickly made a habit of parking in front and making it difficult for the goalie to read the play. You can partially understand Oates’ rationale of why that’s not a good idea as it’s possible for the defenders to not focus their efforts there, but there is a reason why someone like Chris Kreider has emerged as one of the best net-front presences for years.
It all boils down to simplifying their approach to the power play in how they get the setup. There has too often been an emphasis on passing the puck in hopes of the golden opportunity presenting itself when all that does is waste precious time. The key to running a successful man advantage is chaos and unpredictability; when you make it easy for the penalty killers to read what you are doing then it makes things difficult to generate momentum. Of course, they also need to get better with their entries and not leave themselves susceptible to turnovers in the neutral zone that result in the puck quickly going back into their end.
Perhaps assistant coach Marc Savard can take some pointers from Oates’ suggestions on how to get the man-advantage rolling because sticking with the status quo is simply not going to cut it. Not when a lot is riding on the season in terms of their long-term plans with numerous key players on expiring contracts.
You can watch the full interview with Oates below:
