Gonchar is killing the PP

[mattyj5571]

Gonch is playin alright. he isn't the problem. while he hasn't been great on the PP yet you know that part is gonna come from him and he has been playing pretty well so far.

[letsgopens87]

It's kind of hard for Gonchar to get a good shot when the PK knows exactly how to defend the PP. They know the Pens want to get the puck to Gonch so they make sure to take away his shot.

[HomerPenguin]

It's kind of hard for Gonchar to get a good shot when the PK knows exactly how to defend the PP. They know the Pens want to get the puck to Gonch so they make sure to take away his shot.

Exactly. It's not even just Gonchar. You could bet your next year's salary that whoever gets the puck on the right point is going to take the next shot, and you'd easily come out ahead of the game. It's incredibly predictable.

[zamboniman]

I don't know how many times I have seen Gonchar take the puck up the ice so slowly that he holds everybody up at the blue line. Many times he tries to skate the puck himself into the zone and someone ends up offsides. Gonchar is the problem like it or not. He simply is not good on the power play and it frustrates me that Therrien continues to play him so much.

[yeltzen]

We have a little girl on the left point that refuses to shoot. So, one forward just stands right in front of Gonchar the whole time. Yet, Britney still refuses to shoot even though no one defends him.

[kirk]

It's kind of hard for Gonchar to get a good shot when the PK knows exactly how to defend the PP. They know the Pens want to get the puck to Gonch so they make sure to take away his shot.

Hate to agree, but it's absolutely true. It's even more frustrating to watch when Sid and Malkin are on the PP. Would it be too much to ask anyone to crash the net or for the Pens to play down low before feeding Gonchar (instead of feeding him that easily defended vertical pass)?

[edog]

He never hits the f'n net. It drives me crazy. His shots are always in one of three categories:
1. Wide
2. Blocked
3. Taken when no one is in front of the net

@##%*#&*#(()*$#@)&@#$)&@#$

What kind of moron are you? He is the only one shooting from the point. And teams are keying off on him. As far as no one in front of the net, how is that the point man's fault? Get a clue before posting stupidity....

[edog]

I don't know how many times I have seen Gonchar take the puck up the ice so slowly that he holds everybody up at the blue line. Many times he tries to skate the puck himself into the zone and someone ends up offsides. Gonchar is the problem like it or not. He simply is not good on the power play and it frustrates me that Therrien continues to play him so much.

There was only one Paul Coffey.....

[pfim]

We have a little girl on the left point that refuses to shoot. So, one forward just stands right in front of Gonchar the whole time. Yet, Britney still refuses to shoot even though no one defends him.

I hope he does shoot once from that spot, so everyone would realize you can't score goals from there.

And he doesn't play the left point anymore than Crosby or Malkin plays the right point.

[yeltzen]

We have a little girl on the left point that refuses to shoot. So, one forward just stands right in front of Gonchar the whole time. Yet, Britney still refuses to shoot even though no one defends him.

I hope he does shoot once from that spot, so everyone would realize you can't score goals from there.

And he doesn't play the left point anymore than Crosby or Malkin plays the right point.

She doesn't have to score the goal. If Ouellet jams home a rebound, that's just as good. At least show that you'll do something other than stand there with the puck and then skate to the half-boards and dump it behind the net.

[netwolf]

Gonchar isn't killing the power play, the Pens' insistence of sticking with their lousy breakout is.

And as much as that happens, I have to believe that breakout designed to be executed that way. If Gonchar or the other players weren't doing what was drawn up, surely he'd have been replaced at some point. This breakout has been having the same problem for a long time.

[pfim]

She doesn't have to score the goal. If Ouellet jams home a rebound, that's just as good. At least show that you'll do something other than stand there with the puck and then skate to the half-boards and dump it behind the net.

What kind of rebound are you expecting from the left boards? There's a reason why they set up the one timer in the center of the ice.

He's made the shot-pass from that spot quite a few times. He's doing what he should over there, I guess that's not good enough for the "shoot the puck" crowd.

[kirk]

Gonchar isn't killing the power play, the Pens' insistence of sticking with their lousy breakout is.

And as much as that happens, I have to believe that breakout designed to be executed that way. If Gonchar or the other players weren't doing what was drawn up, surely he'd have been replaced at some point. This breakout has been having the same problem for a long time.

I just don't get the breakout. It's Gonch with the puck. He'll skate into the zone, dump the puck, or dish to Recchi so he can get stood up at the blueline. I do not, for the life of me, understand a breakout that refuses to utilize two forwards (Sid and Malkin) so adept at carrying the puck, making decisions in traffic, and beating players one on one.

[bill from turtle creek]

We have a little girl on the left point that refuses to shoot. So, one forward just stands right in front of Gonchar the whole time. Yet, Britney still refuses to shoot even though no one defends him.

I bet that little girl could kick your ass sideways in a fight. Face to face, you'd probably squeal like a greased piglet in front of him.

[CKA24]

After watching tonight, Gonch is not the Penguins' problem. No one moves on the power play! Noone is cutting in, noone is moving the puck around, creating lanes. This PP sucks and that's the only reason we're not as successful as we were in the beginning of the season. During the 5 game winning streak, we moved the puck quickly, we moved with the puck, created chances... etc.. etc... etc...

What the eff is Yeo thinking?! Or isn't he?! These guys need to start moving.

P.S. I liked Orpik on the left point. He has a decent shot, and more importantly forced the defense to respect his shot, freeing Whitney to rip a few at the net.

[yeltzen]

We have a little girl on the left point that refuses to shoot. So, one forward just stands right in front of Gonchar the whole time. Yet, Britney still refuses to shoot even though no one defends him.

I bet that little girl could kick your ass sideways in a fight. Face to face, you'd probably squeal like a greased piglet in front of him.

Actually, she would probably say, "waaaaaaah it's too hard to throw a punch with my left hand waaaaaaaaaah."

[pensfannn]

One major component missing from our power play is a right handed shot.

Imagine if Gonchar had a righty on the left point - they could shuttle one-timers between each other. Or if the left point man was a lefty and the player on the left hash was a righty (see early Cup year - Coffey and Lemieux)

Our power play has no less talent than San Jose's, Minnesota's, Florida's - but the all-lefty PP lineup hurts us.

Put Army on the left hash, Sid on the right, with Malkin, Gonchar and Whitney. Then there can be one-timers from Whitney to Army and back, from Whitney to Gonchar, and from Sarge to Sid.

[Scott]

He never hits the f'n net. It drives me crazy. His shots are always in one of three categories:
1. Wide
2. Blocked
3. Taken when no one is in front of the net

@##%*#&*#(()*$#@)&@#$)&@#$

The coaching staff is the **** problem!!!

[bakeman81]

Gonchar is not the problem...The problem is that there is no other one time option on the blue line. Of course Sergei's shots are going to get blocked or go wide, he's the only person they're trying to get one-timers to because there isn't a right handed shot out there.

As far as the break-out goes, Malkin is very capable of carrying the puck up the rink, but so is Gonchar. He's responsible, knows when to push it, knows when to pass it, when to dump it, or when to simply turn it back and set up. Sometimes, you need a veteran guy who isn't going to try to dangle through everyone just to get the puck set up.

How can anyone blame the coaching staff? I think that Crosby, Malkin, Gonchar and whoever else are more than capable of knowing how to effectively score PP goals. The fact of the matter is that we need guys who are WILLING to stand in front of the net and get hit by the occasional slap shot or cross check. So far, LeCAN'T has shown that is lack of ability to move any faster than .05 mph isn't effective, nor is Ouellet's hiding on the backdoor hoping Crosby will fire a pass through 3 D's so he can pick up another goal from the 3 foot radius. We need someone like an Armstrong or even a Thorburn/Jarko to get in there and take some hits. Look at Chris Neil in Ottawa...3rd/4th liner that fits in nicely with Heatley, Alfredsson and Spezza because he doesn't care having the puck on his stick unless he's jamming home rebounds.

[Shaneoshea]

Ok everyone is in agreement that we have a ploblem right now with the PP. I think they need a totally new approch, instead of Gonch being the trigger man at the point more accuratly the center of the ice. In this spot after he takes a shot that goes wide or is defelected into the croner it makes it easier for the PK to throw the puck along the boards to get it out with out a poroblem. The pens should try setting up behind the net with either crosby or malkin there and at times switching this give you more options and makes the PK thave to turn to defend not always knowing where everyone is at . Also if they chase it leaves a 4 on 3 down low with d-men having to turn to defend. Before everyone says how can you score from behind the net I got 2 words for ya Wayne Gretzky, he used to set up there all the time he said he could control thigs better from there and if you would chase he would make you pay. Even when Mario was playing sometimes he would go there and when he was on the half boards Pk were afraid of what he would do so they backed off and he would blow one by a goalie or if they went after him bang someone was open.

[Shaneoshea]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/hockey ... y_preview/

From the above article.
"Behind the net -- Gretzky's "office" that he uses for pinpoint passes to wings and charging defensemen -- has been his favorite setup spot since he broke into the league in 1979.

As I stated in my last post I believe setting up behind would work with crosby and malkin they are incredible talents that could exploit PK with this strategy.

Its time to put a new name on the "OFFICE"

[kirk]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/hockey/nhl/news/1999/04/15/gretzky_preview/

From the above article.
"Behind the net -- Gretzky's "office" that he uses for pinpoint passes to wings and charging defensemen -- has been his favorite setup spot since he broke into the league in 1979.

As I stated in my last post I believe setting up behind would work with crosby and malkin they are incredible talents that could exploit PK with this strategy.

Its time to put a new name on the "OFFICE"

You have Sid. You have Malkin. Heck, you have a few other guys who can make passes. Is it any coincidence that the Pens goal at 5 on 3 against the Rags started with a wide shot that Christensen got behind the net and fed out to the other side to Malkin for a one-timer?

I actually was watching some of the Rags-Sabres game yesterday. I saw the Rags a couple of times use work behind the net to feed a pinching defenseman in the high slot (the pass was clean because the other two low forwards crashed and forced the defense to pick them up; the shot was clean because all the play and most of the players were down low).

The fear in doing this is a turnover that will lead to a short-handed scoring opportunity, but it seems to me that the potential reward outweighs the potential risk.

[Tinker]

If the left point is ever going to have any opportunity at 1-timers, it is either going to need to come from a right-handed shot in the current setup, or setup the PP on the left 1/2 boards instead of the right, but the problem there is the person on the 1/2 boards should be a righty shot.

I say if the puck drops to the left corner and Army retrieves it, they should switch it up a bit...operate from that corner and have sid or geno drop below the goal line & the other go to the front. If anyone on this team can burry loose pucks, it is those 2. Not a place we want either to be for extended periods, but when the play dictates, such as Army retrieving, then they should flow with it.

[brwi]

After watching tonight, Gonch is not the Penguins' problem. No one moves on the power play! Noone is cutting in, noone is moving the puck around, creating lanes. This PP sucks and that's the only reason we're not as successful as we were in the beginning of the season. During the 5 game winning streak, we moved the puck quickly, we moved with the puck, created chances... etc.. etc... etc...

What the eff is Yeo thinking?! Or isn't he?! These guys need to start moving.
.

THAT is the biggest problem by far: no skating at all by anyone without the puck on the PP. If everyone stands around watching, it's real easy to kill a man disadvantage, even two-men. Pens' PP is guilty of being incredibly lazy. If you don't move, the PK guys don't have to either.

As far as Gonchar lugging it up, he doesn't need to go at top-speed to be effective. Guys like Oluasson and Kevin Hatcher were not speed-skaters, but were very effective on the PP because they could stick-handle and good timing. Gonchar sometimes just heads to the blueline and only then thinks about dishing it off to a forward. That forward is usually anchored somewhere and covered. He's not the ideal QB of the PP, but he's definitely who the Pens are expecting to do about 95% of the work while the forwards kind of stand around.

It's frustrating to see the lack of skating on the Pens' PP.

Brad

[Senka]

hey. Gonch struggled last year until the Break. then tore it up afterwards. If thats the case, and we are winning most of our games now, i'll sit it out...