[Article] Canucks preview: How improved penalty kill can pump up legitimate playoff push

[RWJC]

Canucks preview: How improved penalty kill can pump up legitimate playoff push

 

Like his predecessors, who struggled to solve a constant and crippling penalty kill, Rick Tocchet was looking for a few good men.

 

The Vancouver bench boss reasoned — much like former Canucks head coaches Travis Green and Bruce Boudreau — that you could stop the bleeding on the scoreboard by applying the right stitches and bandages to those gaping penalty kill wounds.

 

It got so bad in the 2021-22 season that former Canucks centre and penalty kill specialist Jason Dickinson had trouble sleeping. By early November, the Canucks owned a pitiful 63.8 per cent kill rate. For a guy who takes pride in denying the opposition, it killed Dickinson’s sleep patterns.

 

“Honestly, I didn’t sleep very well after the game because right there, that was the difference,” Dickinson said of surrendering two power-play goals in a 3-2 loss to the Nashville Predators. “If we’re able to get those kills, we’re looking at a different game.”

 

If the current Canucks expect to challenge for a playoff position, they have to turn the NHL’s worst penalty kill into something more structured and reliable. That’s why Teddy Blueger, Pius Suter, Sam Lafferty, Ian Cole, Filip Hronek and the injured Carson Soucy arrived here.

They join the pairing of Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller, who shared the league lead last season with five short-handed goals apiece.

 

“We have seven or eight (PK) guys and that’s huge,” said Tocchet. “That’s one positive out of camp. I like the attitude and the structure of it. Mike Yeo (assistant coach) has nice job of teaching it.”

 

Winger Dakota Joshua worked in a pre-season pairing with Phil Di Giuseppe and learned simple things go a long way. Formations, sticks in lanes and patience over panicking will go far to improve a 71.6 penalty kill that was a league-worst last season.

However, in this pre-season, the Canucks went 8-for-9 on the penalty kill in two tests against the Edmonton Oilers.

 

“I feel like there’s more of an understanding with positioning, and what we’re looking to do, compared to the start of last year when it was going bad,” Joshua said Sunday following practice at the University of B.C.

 

“There was a lot of confusion and lot of questioning as to where you’re supposed to be. He (Yeo) has done a good job of clearing it up individually.

“It depends on how the other team is setting up on the power play, but we’re going to look like more of a diamond (formation) most of the time. But we have the ability to switch as other pieces are moving around.”

The best penalty kill is discipline to stay out of the penalty box. The next best option is a red-hot stopper, but the Canucks defending needs to be better to keep starter Thatcher Demko from being prone to backdoor plays and easy tap-ins.

 

And in today’s special-teams game, nothing can extend a career like being a prudent penalty killer.

 

Joshua, 27, understands that’s a bonus for any bottom-six player. But he still gets under the skin of Tocchet because fitness and systems play could be better.

 

He also doesn’t have job security on an expiring two-year contract that carries a US$850,000 salary cap hit. Being good on the PK will help.

“I feel all the guys who were here last year are on the same page from the start of the season,” stressed Joshua. “You want to participate in any way you can to win and a role on the PK can go a long way for you.”

 

So can getting back in Tocchet’s good books.

 

“He has definitely climbed one step on the ladder,” Tocchet said of improvement since camp commenced. “He’s still got a ways to go and there’s another level for him.

 

“He’s spending time in the gym with the proper people and is working harder and shooting pucks after practice. He just seems more dialed in the last week. I like some of his hits and they’ve been momentum changers. And we need that.

“But he has to be a gritty guy, you can’t take nights off.”

 

Joshua’s potential showed in a memorable Dec. 7 encounter in San Jose last season and it meant something when Tocchet took the helm Jan. 22.

 

Joshua had two gritty, down-low goals by establishing position and depositing rebounds. He also dropped the gloves after taking exception to linemate Nils Aman being heavily run into the sideboards by Radim Simek.

The one-sided fight was the topper to just 2:20 of first-period ice time to help fuel a 6-5 overtime victory. Joshua also had a hat trick goal in the second period waved off by a goalie-interference call.

 

Tocchet saw how Joshua embraced an opportunity to eventually move up the lineup, and even log first-line time. His average minutes of 11:31 went north of 14 in eight of the final 17 games to establish himself as a roster mainstay with 23 points (11-12).

Now, the coach needs to see more.

 

 

bkuzma@postmedia.com

 

https://apple.news/ANIbi95XSTF6sy_vNgPazdw

 

[DrJockitch]

A lot of ways to do the math. 
Yes PK will be better, yes 5v5 D will be better. 
We lost a legit 35+ goal scorer and didn’t replace with anything close and are shifting to a much more defensive oriented system. I expect our GF will plummet along with our GA. 
We may struggle mightily to score if the PP doesn’t stay where it is or improve. I think 5v5 scoring is going to be our biggest issue this year. 

[Ballisticsports]

I think we will be a much more balanced team and less chaotic (prob less goals scored while being more disciplined to detail)

We will see more a team approach than individual (which got us nowhere, when hockey is a team sport)

 

[higgyfan]

1 hour ago, DrJockitch said:

A lot of ways to do the math. 
Yes PK will be better, yes 5v5 D will be better. 
We lost a legit 35+ goal scorer and didn’t replace with anything close and are shifting to a much more defensive oriented system. I expect our GF will plummet along with our GA. 
We may struggle mightily to score if the PP doesn’t stay where it is or improve. I think 5v5 scoring is going to be our biggest issue this year. 

Yes the PK and a 5 on 5 defensive game will be quite a bit better, so the team won't have to score

so many goals to win a game.  Having a decent backup for Demko will be helpful as well.

 

It's hard to say what the actual scoring will be, just by watching the pre-season.  After all, we really haven't

seen the team all together yet.  The last game was close, but the top line was Pete/Kuze (under the

weather) + Garland

 

Bo had a career year last season, but it's doubtful he'll ever see +35 goals.  Technically, he is more the

30g a season guy at best and that's on a high scoring team.

 

Hopefully the additions of Suter, Mikand Hronek will add to the GF count. 

 

We'll have to wait and see how well the team plays together.  If they're playing well in mid-November, I will

get excited about the team.  Maybe they will have to 'score by committee'.

[Coconuts]

6 hours ago, DrJockitch said:

A lot of ways to do the math. 
Yes PK will be better, yes 5v5 D will be better. 
We lost a legit 35+ goal scorer and didn’t replace with anything close and are shifting to a much more defensive oriented system. I expect our GF will plummet along with our GA. 
We may struggle mightily to score if the PP doesn’t stay where it is or improve. I think 5v5 scoring is going to be our biggest issue this year. 

 

Yeah, we added Hronek on the back end as a roundabout return for Horvat but we never actually replaced Horvat's offense. Hronek should help the back end chip in more, at least in theory, we'll see how that plays out. 

 

PK should be better given the guys they added, but I'm gonna wait and see what the regular season results actually end up being first before I proclaim our PK vastly improved. 

 

Could struggle at five on five, certainly. Hard to say how our powerplay runs too, we'll see. I'm expecting a drop off at offense under Tocchet, we'll see if an improved commitment to D can mitigate it a bit. 

 

Biggest thing is the team, and Demko, getting off to a good start. Pacific should be competitive, Calgary, LA, Vegas, Edmonton, and Seattle will all be jockeying for spots imo. 

[stawns]

9 hours ago, DrJockitch said:

A lot of ways to do the math. 
Yes PK will be better, yes 5v5 D will be better. 
We lost a legit 35+ goal scorer and didn’t replace with anything close and are shifting to a much more defensive oriented system. I expect our GF will plummet along with our GA. 
We may struggle mightily to score if the PP doesn’t stay where it is or improve. I think 5v5 scoring is going to be our biggest issue this year. 

I expect a lot of 2-1 games this season 

[Hogs and Podz]

15 minutes ago, stawns said:

I expect a lot of 2-1 games this season 

Yah. I agree.  More low event hockey as far a goals are concerned.  But their tenacity, puck pursuit and structure will be refreshing.

[stawns]

10 minutes ago, Hogs and Podz said:

Yah. I agree.  More low event hockey as far a goals are concerned.  But their tenacity, puck pursuit and structure will be refreshing.

I wonder how that's going to affect negotiation with Petey, as his numbers will likely drop in that scenario.  Does it diminish his value?  Is he going to be frustrated at a defensive system implemented in a huge contract year?

[Tusk]

25 minutes ago, stawns said:

I expect a lot of 2-1 games this season 

 

7 minutes ago, Hogs and Podz said:

Yah. I agree.  More low event hockey as far a goals are concerned.  But their tenacity, puck pursuit and structure will be refreshing.

I actually disagree! surprise!

I think we have had some great offensive players in the last 3 or 5 years... but we just gave up too many, alot of the games we lost were 1 goal games.

With improved defense, a healthy Demko, and some bigger guys in the bottom 6 we can still score but will be limiting the other teams.

Last year our worst issue was Goaltending, no one wants to say it we all say defensemen loud enough that they bought out OEL. 

Management and coaches know.... why do you think both Martin and Delia are gone? I mean, you all just forgot about them?

There are no threads criticizing Delia/Martin. probably 30 on OEL, Myers.... 

[Tusk]

5 minutes ago, stawns said:

I wonder how that's going to affect negotiation with Petey, as his numbers will likely drop in that scenario.  Does it diminish his value?  Is he going to be frustrated at a defensive system implemented in a huge contract year?

The changes implemented were already being done by the top 6 and they still scored.

The changes will not stem the offense, just the other team.

I think Petey was wise to wait and get to a final this year, then ask for a penny or two.

[Hogs and Podz]

Just now, stawns said:

I wonder how that's going to affect negotiation with Petey, as his numbers will likely drop in that scenario.  Does it diminish his value?  Is he going to be frustrated at a defensive system implemented in a huge contract year?

No I don't think so.  He prides himself on defensive acumen.  If they're hard to play against because everyones playing a 200ft game... And their winning as a result, Petey will love that.  Also, even if he gets say 95 points but 4 shorties, +40, 51% on the dot 35 goals (20 on pp) and 4 to 1 take away to give away ratio... Petey gettin' paid!!!!

[stawns]

5 minutes ago, Tusk said:

 

I actually disagree! surprise!

I think we have had some great offensive players in the last 3 or 5 years... but we just gave up too many, alot of the games we lost were 1 goal games.

With improved defense, a healthy Demko, and some bigger guys in the bottom 6 we can still score but will be limiting the other teams.

Last year our worst issue was Goaltending, no one wants to say it we all say defensemen loud enough that they bought out OEL. 

Management and coaches know.... why do you think both Martin and Delia are gone? I mean, you all just forgot about them?

There are no threads criticizing Delia/Martin. probably 30 on OEL, Myers.... 

The issue last year was coaching and a complete lack of an NHL defensive system.  Tocchet is the reaction to that and he showed, in pre-season, that they're likely to play a defense first system.  That game against Calgary said a lot .......that they are content to give teams possession time in the dzone, keep them out of high danger scoring areas and wait for mistakes.

 

In the ozone, I think they'll be fine, but they simply aren't going to be in the ozone as much, therefore the offensive numbers will decline 

 

I dont think it's a bad plan, at all, just that wete probably in for some low action, low scoring games.

 

 

[Tusk]

1 minute ago, stawns said:

The issue last year was coaching and a complete lack of an NHL defensive system.  Tocchet is the reaction to that and he showed, in pre-season, that they're likely to play a defense first system.  That game against Calgary said a lot .......that they are content to give teams possession time in the dzone, keep them out of high danger scoring areas and wait for mistakes.

 

In the ozone, I think they'll be fine, but they simply aren't going to be in the ozone as much, therefore the offensive numbers will decline 

 

I dont think it's a bad plan, at all, just that wete probably in for some low action, low scoring games.

 

 

Um... 10 nothin for Calgary was pretty high scoring game LOL... I am joking. But our top lines have pedigree and already implemented the defense game last year. And many people just stopped watching when we were out of the race.... but they didnt, and they put up points even playing defensively.  

[Hogs and Podz]

2 minutes ago, Tusk said:

Um... 10 nothin for Calgary was pretty high scoring game LOL... I am joking. But our top lines have pedigree and already implemented the defense game last year. And many people just stopped watching when we were out of the race.... but they didnt, and they put up points even playing defensively.  

True but Tocchet said at end of year presser that they need a full training camp to implement the system that he wants them to play... We just saw a good example in last Calgary game.  We didn't play like that last season.

[RWJC]

20 minutes ago, Hogs and Podz said:

No I don't think so.  He prides himself on defensive acumen.  If they're hard to play against because everyones playing a 200ft game... And they’re winning as a result, Petey will love that.  Also, even if he gets say 95 points but 4 shorties, +40, 51% on the dot 35 goals (20 on pp) and 4 to 1 take away to give away ratio... Petey gettin' paid!!!!

EP getting paid regardless.

Even if he has a down year because of tighter systems, he’s 24 with an elite level trajectory. We will pay up front for that possibility/future.
Just how much above 11 per is the question now, and good on EP for betting on himself. It should only make him and his linemates that much more aggressive and determined with the puck.

Edited October 10, 2023 by RWJC

[Tusk]

2 minutes ago, Hogs and Podz said:

True but Tocchet said at end of year presser that they need a full training camp to implement the system that he wants them to play... We just saw a good example in last Calgary game.  We didn't play like that last season.

I dont think Tocc was talking about Petey, Millsy, Boeser, Huggy, Kuz, or even Myers when he was saying that. And Demko was just like yes please to everything.... 

Tocc already was talking this talk last year and the vets knew what he was saying, we saw some change in back skating last year already.

And less random defense jumping up simultaneously on the play. 

I guess I am saying the team already improved, they can do more, yes training camp was needed, pre-season needed, but not for the top 4 of 6... lol Maybe 2 of them needed a kick in the ass and hope to see them back in the top.

 

[Hogs and Podz]

1 minute ago, RWJC said:

EP getting paid regardless.

Spittin da truth!

[Tusk]

1 minute ago, RWJC said:

EP getting paid regardless.

even if he had a down year because of systems, he’s 24 with an elite level trajectory. We will pay up front for that possibility. Just how much above 11 per is the question now, and hold on EP for betting on himself. It should only make him and his linemates that much more aggressive with the puck.

If we win the stanley cup this year, EP will become the top paid player in the NHL

[stawns]

13 minutes ago, Tusk said:

Um... 10 nothin for Calgary was pretty high scoring game LOL... I am joking. But our top lines have pedigree and already implemented the defense game last year. And many people just stopped watching when we were out of the race.... but they didnt, and they put up points even playing defensively.  

They didnt play the system that was used in pre-season, at least not the way they're playing it now.  I expect they will get "hemmed" in their own end for significant stretches, but don't give up many chances and when the other team makes a mistake, they will take advantage and go on the attack.  

 

Once in the ozone, the top guys will still be effective, they just won't get as much ozone time as they did last season.

 

Ultimately, I think it's a much more successful way for them to play, for now anyway.

[RWJC]

Just now, Tusk said:

If we win the stanley cup this year, EP will become the top paid player in the NHL

if we win the cup because of his play, his new contract will basically make him part of ownership!

[Tusk]

 

3 minutes ago, Tusk said:

If we win the stanley cup this year, EP will become the top paid player in the NHL

 

1 minute ago, RWJC said:

if we win the cup because of his play, his new contract will basically make him part of ownership!

Basically, I hope Petey doesnt agree to anything till after the playoff run.... It will motivate him... create drama... and if we actually get our cup. we will trade away the rest of the team to keep him and Hughes.

So hold on peoples.

[Hogs and Podz]

1 minute ago, Tusk said:

I dont think Tocc was talking about Petey, Millsy, Boeser, Huggy, Kuz, or even Myers when he was saying that. And Demko was just like yes please to everything.... 

Tocc already was talking this talk last year and the vets knew what he was saying, we saw some change in back skating last year already.

And less random defense jumping up simultaneously on the play. 

I guess I am saying the team already improved, they can do more, yes training camp was needed, pre-season needed, but not for the top 4 of 6... lol Maybe 2 of them needed a kick in the ass and hope to see them back in the top.

 

Well let's agree to this.... There won't be many if any 8-6 games.  Yes a couple 6-5 but I won't be surprised if we don't let in more than 5 or more goals 3 times all season.  Half dozen or so 4 goal games that we will win a good share of.  Most games, 2-1, 3-2, 3-1 and 4-2.  

[Tusk]

7 minutes ago, stawns said:

They didnt play the system that was used in pre-season, at least not the way they're playing it now.  I expect they will get "hemmed" in their own end for significant stretches, but don't give up many chances and when the other team makes a mistake, they will take advantage and go on the attack.  

 

Once in the ozone, the top guys will still be effective, they just won't get as much ozone time as they did last season.

 

Ultimately, I think it's a much more successful way for them to play, for now anyway.

Well I think you will be pleasantly surprised that we actually beat Edmonton back to back with alot of offense in a few days, or I will eat my words and give you mad props for being so accurate....

[Tusk]

2 minutes ago, Hogs and Podz said:

Well let's agree to this.... There won't be many if any 8-6 games.  Yes a couple 6-5 but I won't be surprised if we don't let in more than 5 or more goals 3 times all season.  Half dozen or so 4 goal games that we will win a good share of.  Most games, 2-1, 3-2, 3-1 and 4-2.  

I think we will see some 5-1 games, some 6-0 games.... I think our Goals For and Goals Against will be huge this year. At least in the top 10+

[MikeyD]

48 minutes ago, stawns said:

The issue last year was coaching and a complete lack of an NHL defensive system.  Tocchet is the reaction to that and he showed, in pre-season, that they're likely to play a defense first system.  That game against Calgary said a lot .......that they are content to give teams possession time in the dzone, keep them out of high danger scoring areas and wait for mistakes.

 

In the ozone, I think they'll be fine, but they simply aren't going to be in the ozone as much, therefore the offensive numbers will decline 

 

I dont think it's a bad plan, at all, just that wete probably in for some low action, low scoring games.

 

 

May I ask what NHL team has implemented the Travis Green counter attack, sit in your defensive end and the get too tired to play offense because I just played an extended shift strategy and have had consistent success with it?