After Saturday’s 7-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings, Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau joked that he’d take 2-for-4 on the power play every night. His team would probably win 70 games if that happened. But 1-for-4? That’s 25 percent – exactly where the Caps finished the power play in 2008-09 and 2009-10 (25.2 percent) before dropping to 17.5 percent last season.
After performing effectively the first two months of last year, the Caps’ power player tanked. A huge part of the their playoff struggle the past two springs is a power-play unit that has managed just 6 goals in 68 attempts in 16 playoff games (11.3 percent). A big part of the offseason was spent figuring out ways to make the power play better. So far, so good.
“It looks good because the pucks are going in the net,” said Caps defenseman Mike Green, who had two power-play goals on Saturday. “I think what we have done is we move the puck quick and we get them moving around and then it creates openings and it creates chances. I think in the past we have stood around with the puck waiting for guys to get open and that doesn’t work.”
And it was often brutal to watch. Last year the Caps were 21-for-88 (23.9 percent) in October in November. But they quickly slipped into the bad habits of the previous spring in the Stanley Cup playoff loss to Montreal (1-for-33). The final four months of 2010-11 – plus four games in April – Washington was an abysmal 25-for-175 (14.3 percent).
It’s only through seven games so let’s not get ahead of ourselves. But the Caps lead the NHL at 29.6 percent with the man-advantage. Washington does rank just 19th in power-play opportunities. It is tied with Chicago at 3.86 chances per game.
The puck movement was obvious on Green’s two power play tallies. Watch the video. On Green’s first goal he throws the puck along the left boards to Troy Brouwer, who immediately scoops the puck backwards behind the net past Alex Ovechkin to Nicklas Backstrom, who grabs the puck on his forehand below the goal line. He quickly dishes to Ovechkin further behind the net, who gives it right back. No wasted time.
During that sequence Brouwer has driven to the front of the net and Green – seeing Brouwer pull a Red Wings player down low with him – jumps into the open space. Backstrom senses the gap and immediately feeds the puck across the ice for a perfect shot opportunity. Ten seconds for all of the to happen from start to finish. We didn’t see much of that after Dec. 1 last season.
“[Washington is] moving the puck real well,” Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom said. “They’re finding open guys and have guys that can put the puck in the back of the net. Very dangerous power play and that hurt us early in the game.”
Having a healthy Dennis Wideman up top with Green is proving a lethal combination, too. Wideman scored the game-winner against Pittsburgh in overtime. He assisted on Green’s winning goal against Carolina. Green leads Washington with 26:57 of power-play ice time. Wideman is fourth at 21:28. And Brouwer was a presence on both of Green’s goals. Detroit goalie Ty Conklin had to look around the 6-foot-2, 214-pounder. That was apparently a point of emphasis from the Caps coaching staff if Brouwer wants that special teams time. So far he has 10:40 on the power play. But veteran Mike Knuble – a similar player – has 9:53 and is an option there.
“We had a couple practices on the PP the last few days and Bruce has told me that I need to do that if I want to stay with that unit. And I like to do that,” Brouwer said. ” That’s what I did in Chicago. That’s what I did in junior. And for the longest time I just feel comfortable there. I like battling in front. I’m a big body. Hopefully I can screen the goalie as much as possible. If pucks go in the corner I’m there for help, battling and getting loose pucks back. Just contributing that way so those guys can handle the puck and make plays.”
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