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Ryan Snow: The Montreal Power Play for 2025-2026 |
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The Montreal Power Play for 2025-2026
by Ryan Snow
During the 2024-2025 season the Habs had the 21st ranked power play with a 20.1% success rate. While this is a good improvement from the previous season where they ended with a 17.46 success rate, they need to take steps to get into the top ten given the talent they have.
For most of the season, the Habs employed a 4 forward and one D approach, which made sense given the players they had. Furthermore, they almost exclusively used their first unit, with the second unit getting the tail end of power plays (30-20 seconds). With the additions of Demidov, Dobson, Bolduc and a healthy Kirby Dach, I think they need to change how they deploy their power play and have two effective units. Opposing teams would often stifle the habs as they had issues with zone entries and being too predictable (the Laine bomb).
I would do the following.
First Unit
Laine-Suzuki-Demidov
Bolduc
Hutson
Second Unit
Cole-Dach or Newhook-Slav
Matheson- Dobson
The first unit uses the 4 forward one D and the other the traditional 3 and 2. I find with the 4 and 1, if the opposing teams were able to be cohesively aggressive on the puck carrier, the Habs had a lot of trouble moving the puck effectively and were often scrambling. By having the 3-2 option, it changes the look of the pp so the opposing team would need to constantly adjust their defensive approach.
Also, it gives the Habs two effective lines. Laine and Cole can both use their big shot on seperate units and Hutson and Dobson can both run their own PP. Furthermore, I really think the time should be spread out evenly. 1 minute per unit and start a pp with either one as the talent has been spread out to maximise each player's strengths. With Laine on the first pp last year, Cole could not use his big shot. Also, it manages ice time better overall.
If you look at the Panthers, they had two effective PP units that caused headaches for opposing teams, especially the Oilers. By employing this strategy I think it will take some pressure off the first unit to need to get something done and calm down the play so that the Habs have more puck control, less predictability and in the end more goals.
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