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Fire Oates


ZeroGravityFat

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what i dont understand, Oates made the tampa pp so good basically by feeding stamkos the one-time feed any time it was available and then he comes to nj with kovalchuk who at the same if not a better shot (let the beating begin) and then never even trys him at the circle for the same type of plays. there are enough capable dmen on this team to atleast cut down on the shg situation with larsson, fayne, tallinder and even greene splitting time at the point.

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Kovalchuk has played the point for pretty much his entire career. Elias has played the point at times during his career, most notably in 2007 and 2008.

Let's just compare Atlanta short handed goals against to league average:

2004: 7 Average: 8

2006: 10 Average: 11

2007: 10 Average: 9

2008: 10 Average: 8

2009: 10 Average: 8

2011: 8 Average: 7

Kovalchuk was definitely playing the point all of these years, and the short handed goals allowed are not substantially off of the league average. And you want to replace him on the point with Henrik Tallinder? This will work itself out. Tonight it sure looked like it was going to simply because the power play was dynamite, but then Hedberg had to go and handle the puck.

In 128 games with the Devils he has 13 ppg. During any 128 game span in his career with the Thrashers his totals are never that low. On average he scored 25 power play goals per 128 games, basically twice as productive on the PP as he is now. Maybe its still just a rut but at some point it's systemic. Has he just lost his ability to score from the point? I hope not, but evidence at least says our PP could use some kind of a shake up including moving a guy whose productivity has dropped in half to a different spot.

Edited by squishyx
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My biggest problem with our power play is that the lineup just seems assinine right now. Why is Clarkson on the first PP unit? Last night he has to score on at least one of the 3 or 4 perfect setups in the slot that Elias gave him. I feel like I'm yelling at my TV about this every game. Why is Kovy not at the left half boards where he used to routinely blast them in while in ATL? Why are Larsson and Kovy paired together at the point when both are prone to giveaways?

1 PP

Kovy-Parise(in front of net)-Elias

Greene-Larsson

2 PP

Tedenby-Clarkson/Zubrus-Henrique

Sykora-Tallinder

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In 128 games with the Devils he has 13 ppg. During any 128 game span in his career with the Thrashers his totals are never that low. On average he scored 25 power play goals per 128 games, basically twice as productive on the PP as he is now. Maybe its still just a rut but at some point it's systemic. Has he just lost his ability to score from the point? I hope not, but evidence at least says our PP could use some kind of a shake up including moving a guy whose productivity has dropped in half to a different spot.

Power plays happen less often now. That's a big part of the explanation right there. Right now NJ is on pace for 298 power plays. Last season they had 237 power plays. Atlanta had 527 power plays in 2006 when Kovalchuk led the league in power play goals with 27. Power plays per game have fallen pretty much every year since 2006. It stands to reason that:

In 2006, 5 on 3 power plays happened more frequently (and 5 on 3 power plays result in goals far more often than 5 on 4 goals). I also imagine 4 on 3s were more frequent, and they result in power plays more often than 5 on 4 power plays. Also conjecture since I don't have the numbers, but my guess is that he got a little lucky the year he led the league, and is getting a little unlucky now.

My biggest problem with our power play is that the lineup just seems assinine right now. Why is Clarkson on the first PP unit? Last night he has to score on at least one of the 3 or 4 perfect setups in the slot that Elias gave him. I feel like I'm yelling at my TV about this every game. Why is Kovy not at the left half boards where he used to routinely blast them in while in ATL? Why are Larsson and Kovy paired together at the point when both are prone to giveaways?

1 PP

Kovy-Parise(in front of net)-Elias

Greene-Larsson

2 PP

Tedenby-Clarkson/Zubrus-Henrique

Sykora-Tallinder

I looked at highlights from post lockout Kovalchuk goals and for most of them he was used on the point. It seems that on 5 on 3s they moved him to the trigger man at the side of the net sometimes, but he wasn't playing left wing that often in Atlanta. Of course, this can easily be inferred by the ice time Kovalchuk got on the power play.

As for Clarkson, he's the Devils' best right handed shooter who's not Kovalchuk right now - it's a sad state of affairs, but Zajac will move into that spot when he returns. I also don't like Greene and Larsson on the points - opponents don't have to respect either guy, Greene's shot isn't very good and Larsson has a glacial release. They can pretty easily take away Kovalchuk and then it's just a question of what can the other 4 guys do.

Edited by Triumph
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See... this has to be THE stupidest thread ever.

It's fun if it's a tension reliever and filled with CroMag levity.... but to even be half serious... and to get all head up about the topic even :blink:

You have no idea what an assistant coach is bringing to the table... no way of knowing, and this is from ME - the self-proclaimed be all end all of perspicacious cognition..

cuckoo.gif

Edited by Pepperkorn
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