Alumni in the pros 23-24

[Trotsky]

I also think this is interrupted by teams that forecheck us hard, explaining why apparently lower skill aggressive squads like Dartmouth and Yale give us fits.

NC$$ contenders all forecheck aggressively, so we need to figure it out and keep our poise under that pressure.

[marty]

Jacob MacDonald was profiled by a San Jose fan site as a model for the future of "position-less hockey" due to his versatility in shifting back and forth between forward and defenseman, even during a single game. Lots of good quotes from his coach (David Quinn) on that role as well:
https://sanjosehockeynow.com/san-jose-sharks-jacob-macdonald-david-quinn-positionless-future-of-hockey-nba/

The subsequent waiving of JMD aside, it seems to me that, against Yale and Brown, Robinson was being given the green light to move up and help out the attack while another player (who?) moved back to cover a point.

Did anyone else see this?

He's not the only one.  Various D have even skated behind the goal.  I noticed this in Troy and possibly in Schenectady.

Fun to watch and also fun to watch forwards drop back to defend in these situations.

[ugarte]

Jacob MacDonald was profiled by a San Jose fan site as a model for the future of "position-less hockey" due to his versatility in shifting back and forth between forward and defenseman, even during a single game. Lots of good quotes from his coach (David Quinn) on that role as well:
https://sanjosehockeynow.com/san-jose-sharks-jacob-macdonald-david-quinn-positionless-future-of-hockey-nba/

The subsequent waiving of JMD aside, it seems to me that, against Yale and Brown, Robinson was being given the green light to move up and help out the attack while another player (who?) moved back to cover a point.

Did anyone else see this?

He's not the only one.  Various D have even skated behind the goal.  I noticed this in Troy and possibly in Schenectady.

Fun to watch and also fun to watch forwards drop back to defend in these situations.

i wonder if this kind of aggressive playmaking might be useful when the opposition is down a man

[Dafatone]

Jacob MacDonald was profiled by a San Jose fan site as a model for the future of "position-less hockey" due to his versatility in shifting back and forth between forward and defenseman, even during a single game. Lots of good quotes from his coach (David Quinn) on that role as well:
https://sanjosehockeynow.com/san-jose-sharks-jacob-macdonald-david-quinn-positionless-future-of-hockey-nba/

The subsequent waiving of JMD aside, it seems to me that, against Yale and Brown, Robinson was being given the green light to move up and help out the attack while another player (who?) moved back to cover a point.

Did anyone else see this?

He's not the only one.  Various D have even skated behind the goal.  I noticed this in Troy and possibly in Schenectady.

Fun to watch and also fun to watch forwards drop back to defend in these situations.

i wonder if this kind of aggressive playmaking might be useful when the opposition is down a man

I'm a Penguins fan. Obvious skill difference between NHL and NCAA aside, Cornell's power play is way better than the Pens'. Last night, Pens managed a PP with one shot attempt, zero shots on goal, and gave up a breakaway goal to the other team's best player when he exited the box.

[arugula]

with the players on the Pens pp, how is that even possible?

[Dafatone]

with the players on the Pens pp, how is that even possible?

The Pens retired Jagr's number recently and had him on the broadcast. He said the players weren't selfish enough and kept looking to pass rather than shoot.

Cornell's PP is too passive and too content to shuffle the puck around the umbrella, but I don't fault them for not shooting enough. Firing a shot into a defender's shins from the point is bad. We need to have more motion away from the puck and work the puck down low to generate chances, and for the love of god do something other than force the puck from the point to down low to the bumper, because everyone knows that low puck is going to the bumper.

The Pens' PP keeps generating good looks by doing the above and then just... not shooting. It's Ben Simmons disease or something. Like they're only allowed to shoot off the pass and only when the pass is a ten out of ten crosscrease sure thing.

[Dafatone]

I should also mention that the power play with 1 shot attempt and 0 shots on goal leading to a breakaway was against the Islanders, who have the worst pk% in the nhl.

[BearLover]

with the players on the Pens pp, how is that even possible?

Cornell's PP is too passive and too content to shuffle the puck around the umbrella, but I don't fault them for not shooting enough. Firing a shot into a defender's shins from the point is bad. We need to have more motion away from the puck and work the puck down low to generate chances, and for the love of god do something other than force the puck from the point to down low to the bumper, because everyone knows that low puck is going to the bumper.

While I agree that firing a shot into the defender's shins from the point is bad, I disagree that Cornell is shooting enough. In my view, they really aren't. Last weekend the PP was better, but prior to that Cornell would go entire PPs without attempting a shot. I'm pretty sure Cornell could create a shooting lane from the point if they tried, rather than being fully committed to passing. Cornell has tried to work the puck down low, but nothing has been available. If they had simply fired the puck on net instead of unsuccessfully trying to work the puck down low/ultimately to the bumper, they could have easily created a tip or rebound which would cause chaos around the net, leading to the PK team scrambling and getting out of position. It's much easier to score on the PP when the PK is out of position, and Cornell doesn't do nearly enough to make that happen. Shooting is one of the best way of doing so.

[Dafatone]

with the players on the Pens pp, how is that even possible?

Cornell's PP is too passive and too content to shuffle the puck around the umbrella, but I don't fault them for not shooting enough. Firing a shot into a defender's shins from the point is bad. We need to have more motion away from the puck and work the puck down low to generate chances, and for the love of god do something other than force the puck from the point to down low to the bumper, because everyone knows that low puck is going to the bumper.

While I agree that firing a shot into the defender's shins from the point is bad, I disagree that Cornell is shooting enough. In my view, they really aren't. Last weekend the PP was better, but prior to that Cornell would go entire PPs without attempting a shot. I'm pretty sure Cornell could create a shooting lane from the point if they tried, rather than being fully committed to passing. Cornell has tried to work the puck down low, but nothing has been available. If they had simply fired the puck on net instead of unsuccessfully trying to work the puck down low/ultimately to the bumper, they could have easily created a tip or rebound which would cause chaos around the net, leading to the PK team scrambling and getting out of position. It's much easier to score on the PP when the PK is out of position, and Cornell doesn't do nearly enough to make that happen. Shooting is one of the best way of doing so.

I don't disagree, but to me, the biggest issue is a lack of movement both with and away from the puck. Everyone seems to stand still and then they move the puck around. I wouldn't have a problem throwing more pucks on net when they have the chance.

[ugarte]

They are dovetailing problems. Too much PP time is spent listlessly passing around the perimeter because nobody is cutting through the heart of the defense to force adjustments which brings unwanted attention to the fact that 90 seconds have passed, the puck hasn't left the zone, and still nobody has taken a shot just to change things up. Hell, shooting into someone's shins may get a guy on the ground and deflect the puck someplace interesting that leads to a shot. Yelling "SHOOOOT" isn't a solution but it's not NOT a solution.

[upprdeck]

There were a bunch of really nice passes last week that were very creative, the pass didnt quite get completed or we missed or we tanked the shot.

How much hockey are people watching to compare to what other teams do?  some really good PP dont do anything but pass either.

[ugarte]

There were a bunch of really nice passes last week that were very creative, the pass didnt quite get completed or we missed or we tanked the shot.

How much hockey are people watching to compare to what other teams do?  some really good PP dont do anything but pass either.

every game we watch has another team's power play! anyway, i do agree that the last couple of weeks have been an improvement over the early season.

[Trotsky]

because nobody is cutting through the heart of the defense to force adjustments

We don't even have to go that far.  What I see is puck movement, even fast movement, between players who when they receive the pass are and remain stationary.  If they just moved a little on their skates, now the D has to keep track of passing lanes that continually change, rather than just finding the nearest point intersecting a fixed line.

When you see good pp units, and when we have had them, they can walk (skate) and chew gum (stickhandle) at the same time, and it makes the D reactive and behind a tempo.  That's when you can tic-tac-toe to the man lower down who is suddenly free because the passer moved.

I do not think guys like Robertson, Castagna, and Bancroft lack the skill.

[CU2007]

When the power play sucks, get people in front and throw it at the net. That's hockey 101

[ugarte]

When the power play sucks, get people in front and throw it at the net. That's hockey 101

the second goal was so goddamn nice.