Bill Meltzer: Quick Hits: Power Play Outlook Under Knoblauch, Paddock and More

Fist

Bill, I love Couturier, but is it time to replace him on the 2nd unit PP? He looks extremely ineffective no matter where he has played on it.

Even though the ice time ratio will probably remain similar between the two units, an influx of talent from guys like Lindblom and Patrick, development of Weal, Provorov, and Konecny, and the possible addition of Sanehim should make the second unit more efficient that it was last year, although not by leaps and bounds.

Question for you Bill:

Will Lappy still be overseeing the PK or will Knoblauch be overseeing all special teams. I'd think it may be wise to let the new guy oversee all special teams with Lappy both assisting him and continuing his overall work with the forwards.

Thoughts?

The Flyers' power play almost annually clicked near or above 20 percent during Mullen's tenure. However, Flyers general manager Ron Hextall said he had a gut feeling it was time for a change.
- Bill Meltzer

The Flyers desperately needed an upgrade when they brought Mullen in and you could make an argument that he was the biggest overachiever in the organization considering what he had to work with. Does anyone think at least part of the reason for bringing in Knoblach is to push Hakstol a bit?

Not a fan of a GM, coach, or any management type that says they are making a decision based on a gut feeling.

Hopefully that is just GM-speak and there was a logical, process oriented reason behind the change.

The Flyers desperately needed an upgrade when they brought Mullen in and you could make an argument that he was the biggest overachiever in the organization considering what he had to work with. Does anyone think at least part of the reason for bringing in Knoblach is to push Hakstol a bit?
- fls13

I think it's part of the reason, sure. But I also think just getting a fresh, younger voice who may have some new ideas on all parts of the game, was the larger part of the reason.

Question for you Bill:

Will Lappy still be overseeing the PK or will Knoblauch be overseeing all special teams. I'd think it may be wise to let the new guy oversee all special teams with Lappy both assisting him and continuing his overall work with the forwards.

Thoughts?
- BiggE

Lappy will still have PK coaching duties.

I think it's part of the reason, sure. But I also think just getting a fresh, younger voice who may have some new ideas on all parts of the game, was the larger part of the reason.
- BiggE

The main issue as I saw it wasn't that everyone knew what the Flyers would do...Giroux on the half board trying to feed Ghost at the point or get it down low to Simmonds off the side of the net.....

It was that, after a while, it was plainly obvious that Giroux was not going to pull the trigger or take it to the net even though they were giving him that option. So they backed off, covered his options, and let him try to force passes through where there were none.....confident in the fact Giroux wasn't going to shoot. The fact that they still produced at 19.5 is a testament to how good a passer Giroux really is.

Hopefully a healthy Giroux changes that and gets some of that lost confidence back. He needs to regain some of that swagger he lost.

Lappy will still have PK coaching duties.
- bmeltzer

Fair enough. I would hope that the 2 at least work closely together, it would seem to make sense.

While I don't blame all the PK struggles on Lappy, personnel and, at times, goaltending, need to take a large portion of the blame. That being said, I would like to see their overall philosophy become more aggressive. It seems that when the Flyers have been aggressive on the kill, that they've historically had the most success.

I do think that having a more experienced Provorov, a guy with the wing span of Morin, and hopefully using Couturier as the #1 PKer among the forwards will help as well.

As always, your best PKer is your goalie. Getting consistent play from both goalies, unlike what they had last season, would also help quite a bit.

The main issue as I saw it wasn't that everyone knew what the Flyers would do...Giroux on the half board trying to feed Ghost at the point or get it down low to Simmonds off the side of the net.....

It was that, after a while, it was plainly obvious that Giroux was not going to pull the trigger or take it to the net even though they were giving him that option. So they backed off, covered his options, and let him try to force passes through where there were none.....confident in the fact Giroux wasn't going to shoot. The fact that they still produced at 19.5 is a testament to how good a passer Giroux really is.

Hopefully a healthy Giroux changes that and gets some of that lost confidence back. He needs to regain some of that swagger he lost.
- MBFlyerfan

Agreed. If G starts playing aggressive on the pp again and is ripping off one timers and sometimes going hard to the net, the pp will likely be among the leagues best.

Fair enough. I would hope that the 2 at least work closely together, it would seem to make sense.

While I don't blame all the PK struggles on Lappy, personnel and, at times, goaltending, need to take a large portion of the blame. That being said, I would like to see their overall philosophy become more aggressive. It seems that when the Flyers have been aggressive on the kill, that they've historically had the most success.

I do think that having a more experienced Provorov, a guy with the wing span of Morin, and hopefully using Couturier as the #1 PKer among the forwards will help as well.

As always, your best PKer is your goalie. Getting consistent play from both goalies, unlike what they had last season, would also help quite a bit.
- BiggE

I agree that I'd like to see them more aggressive in pressuring the puck on the PK. Due to being burned so much with cross ice passes the Flyers went to that tandem high configuration where one forward moved side to side while the other forward covered the cross ice seam. The downside of that is it gives time and space. I think it was far more of a personnel issue than a coaching issue.

I think it was far more of a personnel issue than a coaching issue.
- MJL

I think that pretty well sums up the entire 16-17 season.

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I think that pretty well sums up the entire 16-17 season.
- fls13

Depends who you talk to

I agree that I'd like to see them more aggressive in pressuring the puck on the PK. Due to being burned so much with cross ice passes the Flyers went to that tandem high configuration where one forward moved side to side while the other forward covered the cross ice seam. The downside of that is it gives time and space. I think it was far more of a personnel issue than a coaching issue.
- MJL

Hextall has given Lappy the chance to remake the PK by letting go of the three guys who lead the Flyers in SH TOI the past three seasons.

If the PK continues to struggle with different personnel, then the PK coach needs to be the next one to go.

Hextall has given Lappy the chance to remake the PK by letting go of the three guys who lead the Flyers in SH TOI the past three seasons.

If the PK continues to struggle with different personnel, then the PK coach needs to be the next one to go.
- Feanor

That's a likely progression but I still question whether they have the defenseman to have a top PK. A lot will depend on the contributions of the young defenseman.

Depends who you talk to
- YuenglingJagr

That's true.

That's a likely progression but I still question whether they have the defenseman to have a top PK. A lot will depend on the contributions of the young defenseman.
- MJL

And the goaltenders, big time. Take a look at who were the starting goalies during the 2 most successful era's of the Flyers on the PK

mid 70's
Bernie Parent

mid to late 80s
Pelle Lindbergh
Ron Hextall

Great goaltending can make a bad PK average, an average one good and a good one great.

Great goaltending can make a bad PK average, an average one good and a good one great.
- BiggE

Fortunately, we can 100% confident we'll see that this year.

From the last blog:

I don't agree with that. I didn't believe it then and I don't believe now that Manning outplayed MacDonald.
- MJL

So you think that Hextall was lying when he said MacDonald was waived because they had "to put our best team on the ice Thursday night?"

In my opinion the decision was made before camp even started that they were going to give Manning a shot in the NHL. Unless Manning fell on his face, he was making the team.
- MJL

If that's the case, why didn't one of Medvedev (an unknown) or Schultz (a 6/7 man, at best) get waived in favor of AMac? Medvedev was waived multiple times, so they had no issue sending him down. Schultz was more of an NHL vet that AMac, he should have been taking it just as easy as AMac

I'm gonna give the GM the benefit of the doubt here that he wasn't lying and was putting the best team on the ice that he could.

Note: I'm not trying to put AMac down, simply saying that, if he or Manning dog it in camp, they may find themselves sent to the AHL if they kids outplay them...imho.

And the goaltenders, big time. Take a look at who were the starting goalies during the 2 most successful era's of the Flyers on the PK

mid 70's
Bernie Parent

mid to late 80s
Pelle Lindbergh
Ron Hextall

Great goaltending can make a bad PK average, an average one good and a good one great.
- BiggE

I think the mid-90s units were pretty good too, and that was with so-so goaltending year to year.

From the last blog:



So you think that Hextall was lying when he said MacDonald was waived because they had "to put our best team on the ice Thursday night?"



If that's the case, why didn't one of Medvedev (an unknown) or Schultz (a 6/7 man, at best) get waived in favor of AMac? Medvedev was waived multiple times, so they had no issue sending him down. Schultz was more of an NHL vet that AMac, he should have been taking it just as easy as AMac

I'm gonna give the GM the benefit of the doubt here that he wasn't lying and was putting the best team on the ice that he could.

Note: I'm not trying to put AMac down, simply saying that, if he or Manning dog it in camp, they may find themselves sent to the AHL if they kids outplay them...imho.
- jmatchett383

I'd be happy to discuss this with you on the other blog. No reason to move it and clog up this thread.

I think the mid-90s units were pretty good too, and that was with so-so goaltending year to year.
- jmatchett383

The mid 90s units were good, very good. However, for the most part Hextall and Snow were both pretty solid and, and this is a huge advantage on the PK, they both excelled at controlling dump ins and firing them right back out of the zone. Those PK units also benefited from a ridiculously deep pool of top faceoff guys. When every D zone faceoff on the PK is being taken by Brind'amour, Otto, MacTavish or Lindros, you are going to get a lot of quick, easy clears.

edit: also, in what was probably their best season when it came to PK in that era, 95-96, Hextall was tied for 1st in the league in GAA and was 5th in Sv%. He really was very good that season.