Fixing the PK

[slapshot]

I'm sure everyone in Leaf Nation must perplexed, bewildered and especially frustrated that we can't seem to PK for the life of us. I am going to propose a couple of things and then open it up with some questions:

First, from what I've seen of the more successful PK teams, they are a lot more aggressive than the Leafs. You have to treat the person with the puck, like a linebacker blitzing a quarterback, you have to rush them into a bad play, a bad pass or fumbling the puck to create turnovers. if you just stand there, waving your stick back and forth, the guy with the puck is just going to wait until someone is open. This doesn't seem like rocket science to me.

They should at least look at what the successful PK teams are doing and try to copy it as much as possible? They couldn't do any worse.

Questions:

1.Why is that the Leafs seem to have trouble creating screens on the PP, getting deflections, etc. when the opposition has no trouble at all? They need to move some of these bodies from in front of their net.

2.Do you feel it is more a personnel issue on the PK or more a coaching issue?

3.Why is Dupius still in the NHL?

 

[ZBBM]

I don't think Dupuis is the problem.  OTOH he kind of reminds me of Sjostrom -- they seem to play pretty good on the PK but the results aren't there.  Try Zigomanis?

Also I think Steckel's play has stagnated or declined.

For awhile there they bumped up the PK to a somewhat better ranking by aggressively attacking the puck.  I think that's the only way they can be successful.

And, as we all know, Reimer hasn't been that great. 

 

[gunnar36]

I am also questioning Dupuis existence on this team.  Daryl Boyce would be a big upgrade over him.
I actually think that they miss a guy like Sjostrom on the pk...he had loads of speed and knew when to force the play at the right time.  Dupuis just does not have the kind of speed that you want from an undersized 'defensive specialist'.   

 

[goaliedave]

I thought they should have signed John Madden.I know he's getting older,but still a great skater with a history of getting shorthanded goals.Local guy too.Would probably be thrilled to be a Leaf and find an extra gear because of it.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

I am also questioning Dupuis existence on this team.  Daryl Boyce would be a big upgrade over him.
I actually think that they miss a guy like Sjostrom on the pk...he had loads of speed and knew when to force the play at the right time.  Dupuis just does not have the kind of speed that you want from an undersized 'defensive specialist'. 

Well he's had the 2nd most SH/TOI a game for Leafs forwards and (even though the last couple games have screwed his stats a bit) the Leafs tend to get scored on less when he's out on the PK.

 

[Bender]

I am also questioning Dupuis existence on this team.  Daryl Boyce would be a big upgrade over him.
I actually think that they miss a guy like Sjostrom on the pk...he had loads of speed and knew when to force the play at the right time.  Dupuis just does not have the kind of speed that you want from an undersized 'defensive specialist'. 

Tbh I don't think Boyce would be a huge upgrade. We need to try and stack a couple more bona fide PK specialists with offensive upside, although looking at the stats from last game it looks like the whole team needs to get it together.

 

[Redleaf]

This should be filed under 'shoulda, coulda, woulda'

But I still dont get why Burke let Tim Brent go. He was perfect on that 4th line, and killed penalties as well.

 

[Zee]

Yeah I don't understand why the Leafs don't pressure the puck carrier more on the PK. They have the team speed, use it. Force the guy holding the puck to make a quick decision and hopefully turn the puck over. Leafs seem content to set up a box and allow the oppostion to pass back and forth until they setup a nice shot.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Yeah I don't understand why the Leafs don't pressure the puck carrier more on the PK. They have the team speed, use it. Force the guy holding the puck to make a quick decision and hopefully turn the puck over. Leafs seem content to set up a box and allow the oppostion to pass back and forth until they setup a nice shot.

I'm fairly sure I read that the coaches want them to pressure the puck carrier, I think I read it in one of Siegel's reports.  Maybe I'll look for it...

 

[maplesyrup]

How 'bout not taking so many damn penalties?

 

[moon111]

I think Gustavsson is still taking steps forwards, while Reimer took a step back. 

 

[Mikhail Bloodnovsky]

That 5 on 3 versus Washington was hilarious. Pure high school ball hockey. Everyone just swarmed the puck.

 

[cw]

That 5 on 3 versus Washington was hilarious. Pure high school ball hockey. Everyone just swarmed the puck.

I thought at times that they over did the puck swarming last night and got way out of position. Panic set in and they were toast.

On a couple of them, as Reimer said, the puck hit a skate or something. Some of it was tough luck.

OT: I still haven't got over that call on Gardiner where he touched the guys stick and it fell apart. Don't these refs have any common sense? That's not something that should require a formal rule change. A directive like "stop the stupidity" should suffice.

 

[bustaheims]

OT: I still haven't got over that call on Gardiner where he touched the guys stick and it fell apart. Don't these refs have any common sense? That's not something that should require a formal rule change. A directive like "stop the stupidity" should suffice.

What the league really needs to do is educate all the officials on what is and what isn't a penalty, because, there really doesn't seem to be a set standard in many cases. Videos of every common infraction illustrating what is and what is not legal would be a big help. The lack of consistency from game to game and within games (thanks to the 2 ref system) is absolutely maddening.

 

[Rebel_1812]

Reimer has not been playing well since his injury and that is part of the problem.  As they say your best PKer is the goalie.

 

[Sudafederov]

We don't have a bad PK.

We just have bad PK like symptoms.

 

[Derk]

We don't have a bad PK.

We just have bad PK like symptoms.

This is freaking hilarious. Thanks for the laugh.

 

[wc17]

The Marlies PK is one of the best in that league right? Bring in whoever coaches their PK for some help! The Leafs obviously dont know what the hell is going on!

 

[drummond]

The Marlies PK is one of the best in that league right? Bring in whoever coaches their PK for some help! The Leafs obviously dont know what the hell is going on!

Not only that, I would not mind bringing one or two their PK specialist (Mike Zigomanis or Gregg Scott) with their coach, too. It can not be worse than Dupuis who is still scoreless in 30 games.

 

[Bullfrog]

What does scoring goals have to do with the PK?