In the first two preseason games we have seen how Sidney Crosby and Phil Kessel will be at even-strength hockey (very good). What we haven't really seen is Pittsburgh's true top line power play because Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have only played in one game together so far.
Arik Parnass wrote a very good article about what makes Alex Ovechkin an elite power-play player and I looked at some of the data he presented and I saw something that caught my attention. It had to do with Pittsburgh's man advantage and how it could and will be better.
Here is the table that caught my interest
What you are looking at is the amount of shots certain players took from the left side of the power vs how many they have taken from the right side of the power play. Also listed are the goal totals they have scored from each side.
For example, Ovechkin is a shooting machine. He is the only guy to hit triple digits and he does so from each side. What you will also notice is that he has 24 goals on the left side while only one from the right side. This makes a ton of sense because the left side is where he is on his off wing.
Now let's look at Malkin. When not being compared to Ovechkin's shot volume Malkin's numbers are pretty high from both sides. But if you look at his goals it is the exact opposite of Ovechkin. Malkin isn't scoring from his off wing. A majority of his goals have come from the times he has played the left point. This is because there is nothing to be had on the right side of the Penguins power play. The other teams are taking that away. Pittsburgh's power play setup has been one dimensional for years.
It feels like it has been years since Malkin has blasted one-timers on a regular basis from the right half circle and that is a product of their structure/personnel. For the past number of seasons the opposition knows that everything goes through Crosby or Malkin and both players are on the same side of the ice. This makes taking shooting lanes away a lot easier and it also makes it easier for the penalty killing unit to take lanes away from specific players IE: Malkin.
Having Crosby and Malkin on the same side *could* work, but it has always been missing the key ingredient to balance things out.
The Pens power play has been missing a right handed player who is highly respected and commands attention on the left side of the power play. This is an issue that has been around for what seems like an eternity. Even when the Penguins had Jarome Iginla they refused to utilize this concept.
Pittsburgh won't be making the Iginla mistake again and this is where Kessel changes the entire dynamic of the Penguins power play. Teams will always be content to let Chris Kunitz, Patric Hornqvist, or David Perron try to beat them as opposed to Sid and/or Geno. Kessel is a completely different story. He will beat you. You do have to account for him.
Malkin used to be an animal on the power play.
Here is how his career has trended on the man advantage.
He hasn't hit double digit power play goals in three seasons. As stated above he used to be an animal on the power play, but the predictability due to personnel has turned him into just an OK guy with the man advantage. Kessel will command attention from the left side. He will score his fair share of goals from that spot, but the most exciting thing will be the return of Malkin's shooting lanes on the right hand side of the ice.
Malkin's one-timer is one of the best offensive weapons in hockey.
Perhaps Pittsburgh will actually get to see that implemented again on a regular basis and with it a return to double digit power play goals for Geno Machino.
Thanks for reading!
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