I'm sure everyone is familiar with the thought that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Sometimes, watching the Carolina Hurricanes on the power play is like that. The same five players on each unit skate onto the ice, and while they might find paydirt sometimes, it's largely just disappointment.
The Hurricanes are enjoying one of the best starts in franchise history, which is a sentiment that has been uttered several times over the last five years. They're one of the highest-scoring teams in the league and sit atop the Metropolitan Division through 22 games. However, there is one area of the team's game that continues to be a sore spot.
The Canes own one of the league's worst power plays, operating at 14.3 percent, which is tied for 28th in the league with Utah and Los Angeles. While they've scored in back-to-back games against Winnipeg and Buffalo, the Canes haven't scored multiple goals in a game with the man advantage. At times, it has been an active detriment to the team's success.
To provide some context, here are the units the team deployed during Sunday's game in Buffalo, with their handedness noted in parentheses:
Unit 1 | Unit 2 |
|---|---|
Sebastian Aho (L) | Logan Stankoven (R) |
Seth Jarvis (R) | Jackson Blake (R) |
Nikolaj Ehlers (L) | Taylor Hall (L) |
Andrei Svechnikov (L) | Sean Walker (R) |
Shayne Gostisbehere (L) | K'Andre Miller (L) |
I'll admit that I'm not qualified to make coaching decision for any hockey team, let alone an NHL team coached by veterans of the sport. I just sit at home and watch it on television. However, I figured that I might throw my two cents into the conversation, even if no one asked for it. I'm not re-inventing the wheel with these suggestions. but something really does need to change.
1. Swap Walker for Nikishin on the 2nd unit
Let's get this one out of the way early because it's probably the first thing everyone expected when they read the title. If there is one thing the Caniacs have longed to see, it's Alexander Nikishin on the power play. When half of the defense was out, Nikishin got some time with the second unit, but his time has been almost non-existent with most everyone back.
Part of the reasoning for not putting him out there likely stems from him trying to adjust to the NHL, but he's more than 20 games into the season. I think he can handle a little more responsibility. The second unit hasn't done much of anything this season. None of the forwards currently on the unit have a goal, with K'Andre Miller's Opening Night strike serving as their only success.
Part of replacing Sean Walker on the unit also serves to give him a breather. He's playing over 23 minutes per night and is one of the most-used players on the penalty kill. Putting Nikishin out there puts two left-handed defensemen on the unit, but that feels like the least of our worries. The team already has more lefties than righties anyways. It's time to give Nikishin a serious chance.
2. Switch Blake and Svechnikov
It might seem counter-intuitive to put your leading power-play goal scorer on the second unit, especially if they're trying to improve their power play. Trust me. There's a method to my madness. Svechnikov has scored four times with the man advantage, while no other Hurricane has more than one. He accounts for exactly 50 percent of the team's production. So why would I move him?
The simple answer is to spread the wealth. It might be risky to move the player who allegedly was okay with a trade earlier in the season because of fewer opportunities and less ice time. However, with Rod Brind'Amour trying to give each unit half of the power play, I don't think this change would be too much of an issue.
Bringing Jackson Blake to the top unit serves two purposes. First, he deserves to be rewarded for the work that he has done this season. Blake has been truly outstanding in his sophomore effort. Second, Blake is willing to fight in the dirty areas for pucks, even if it means taking a few hits along the way. Of my three points, this is the one that is least pertinent, but it could be a refreshing change.
3. Move Aho out of the bumper spot
My second and third points go hand-in-hand. If Svechnikov and Blake are swapped, it should also mean that Sebastian Aho takes Svechnikov's spot in the right dot. The Canes employ a 1-3-1 formation on the power play, with one player at the point, three in the middle, and one in front of the net or along the goal line. Aho usually occupies the bumper position, or the area between the dots.
We've seen Aho do great things from the bumper, but teams are cracking down on him, making his almost a non-factor. If he moves back to the wing, where we've seen him utilize his one-timer beautifully before, it makes him a dangerous option again. It also gives each unit an incredible right-wing one-time option in Aho and Svechnikov.
In reconfiguring the top unit, I'd obviously keep Shayne Gostisbehere up top as the quarterback, but the rest of it changes. Aho goes to the right wing, Nikolaj Ehlers moves to the bumper, Seth Jarvis takes his spot on the left wing as another one-timer option, and Jackson Blake is the net-front man. If it doesn't work, then you make a change instead of letting it fester and become a detriment.