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March 21, 2006
The Hockey News has been providing the most comprehensive coverage of the world of hockey since 1947. In each issue, you'll find news, features and opinions about the NHL and leagues across North America and the world.
Grind-heavy Blues killer a man down
POWER PLAY Just like the offense, the power play struggled until the return of Keith Tkachuk from injury shortly before the Olympic break. Once Tkachuk began to set up shop in front of the net, the Blues took advantage of the powerful point shots taken by Scott Young and Dennis Wideman. Though the power play still ranks in the bottom third of the NHL, it has made major strides since Tkachuk came back. PENALTY KILLING Considering the team’s struggles, the penalty killing hasn’t been that bad. One of the knocks on the team has been that it’s a collection of muckers and grinders, not scorers, but that has been perfect for penalty killing. Veterans Dallas Drake and Ryan Johnson know what they’re doing. Johnson was credited with nine blocked shots against Vancouver March 5,…
Injuries and trust limit King specialists
POWER PLAY The Kings have been inconsistent all season, likely due to their unwillingness to do dirty work around the net. Rather than have point men Joe Corvo and Lubomir Visnovsky fire slapshots and work to knock in rebounds, the Kings have gone for the supposed perfect shot and wasted time. The acquisition of Brent Sopel and Mark Parrish, both of whom logged power play time on Long Island, should create a spark. PENALTY KILL Key specialists such as Aaron Miller, Eric Belanger and Pavol Demitra have all sustained injuries this year, and the penalty kill, a staple of the Kings’ success in recent years, has suffered. Craig Conroy and Mattias Norstrom have been reliable, but the unit is limited because young forwards such as Cammalleri and Dustin Brown haven’t developed – in…
Absence of leaders gets Olli to ante up
POWER PLAY This unit has become so dependent on its quarterback (Stephen Weiss) and its finisher (Gary Roberts) that it struggled while both players were sidelined for two months. The antidote was putting Olli Jokinen on the right point, where he has become the go-to guy, netting 13 power play goals. Ranked 26th overall, the unit returned from the Olympics with a 3-for-8 outing against Tampa, but went 1-for-16 in the next three games, all losses. PENALTY KILL It has improved (15th overall) as the season has progressed and coach Jacques Martin has better learned his personnel. Chris Gratton with Juraj Kolnik and Serge Payer with Gregory Campbell are forward pairs used most often. Jay Bouwmeester and Sean Hill get the bulk of the blueline work. The unit has been most effective when…
Hurricanes engulf perimeter on the kill
POWER PLAY With four and sometimes five forwards on the ice, the Hurricanes try to scramble defenses with movement. When the Canes become stagnant in their set-up, they can struggle – one reason the power play has cost them games despite an excellent conversion rate. The Canes use passers such as Frantisek Kaberle, Oleg Tverdovsky, Ray Whitney and Cory Stillman on the points, leaving a need for a big, booming shot. PENALTY KILLING Carolina often leaves only one defenseman in front of the net as the other three killers attack the perimeter. That generates shorthanded chances, but leaves the Canes vulnerable when opponents crash the net. Carolina has two forward tandems, pairing a faceoff specialist and an energy guy. Rod Brind’ Amour and Justin Williams are clinically effective while Kevyn Adams and Craig…
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