Fixing the PK

[L K]

2% behind the 29th place Blue Jackets, and over 20% behind the Devils in 1st place.

The Devil's PK has been unsustainably successful - it's more than 5% higher than the best full season percentage post lockout. I know this is a topic for another thread, but, that, combined with the fact that only 3 teams have less regulation + OT wins than the Devils are big reasons why I expect them to fade away in the 2nd half.

It's crazy:
Hedberg has 6 GA on 84 shots on the PK = .929 SV%  (.913 SV% for season)
Brodeur has 3 GA on 68 shots on the PK = .956 SV%  (.884 SV% for season)

Meanwhile for us:
Gustavsson has 15 GA on 87 shots = .828 SV% (.898 SV% for the season)
Reimer has 19 GA on 82 shots = .768 SV% (.901 SV% for the season)

The Devils can't last at that pace, but I would probably need to look at how they are working on the PK to say for sure.  Sometimes teams just apply the right defensive pressure when down a man when they would otherwise be a little sloppier in the defensive zone. 

On a side note, Martin Brodeur is outscoring Dupuis

 

[Zee]

Coach Ron Wilson wants everyone to take a deep breath instead of worrying about the league?s worst penalty kill. Breathe in. Hold it. Hold it. Okay, breathe out. Did the PK get any better?

http://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs/article/1108282--can-james-reimer-bounce-back-for-leafs

 

[Zee]

 

[Optimus Reimer]

Coach Ron Wilson wants everyone to take a deep breath instead of worrying about the league?s worst penalty kill. Breathe in. Hold it. Hold it. Okay, breathe out. Did the PK get any better?

http://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs/article/1108282--can-james-reimer-bounce-back-for-leafs

Well I am glad he didn't say to hold our breath.  We'd be all dead waiting for the Leafs to improve the PK.

 

[princedpw]

I would point out that the leafs forward injuries do consist almost entirely of guys who would be useful on the pk:  Armstrong, Dupuis (though he has played most games), Brown, Lombardi.

Though those guys aren't going to make the difference between a 72% and 92% PK.

 

[Stickytape]

Just pull the goalie and play 5 on 5.  It can't be worse than they way they play 5 on 4.

 

[Tigger]

I would point out that the leafs forward injuries do consist almost entirely of guys who would be useful on the pk:  Armstrong, Dupuis (though he has played most games), Brown, Lombardi.

Though those guys aren't going to make the difference between a 72% and 92% PK.

It limits the options, for sure, like you say it won't make them a top pk'ing team but the roster is bound a bit by the injuries right now.

 

[McPwnage]

I was curious so I checked the marlies stats, they are 114-130 87.7% (best in the AHL) in penealty killing as of december 18th (most recent I could find) with Zigomanis doing a lot of the penealty killing.  WHY THE HELL HAVN'T WE CALLED HIM UP YET?

 

[LuncheonMeat]

I was curious so I checked the marlies stats, they are 114-130 87.7% (best in the AHL) in penealty killing as of december 18th (most recent I could find) with Zigomanis doing a lot of the penealty killing.  WHY THE HELL HAVN'T WE CALLED HIM UP YET?

Perhaps we should call the coaches up instead? 

 

[moon111]

Well, in 197 NHL games, Zigomanis has the same points as Lupul so far this season.  Maybe the talent isn't there?  Okay Dupuis had the same amount of points as Jay Rosehill.  Hmmm.  Maybe with Komisarek and Brown in practice, maybe they'll be taking the last roster spots?  Maybe MLSE leaked photos of him to increase ticket sales to the Marlies, not the Leafs.  Or make Wilkipedia is right about the Leafs not using him because of Cherry.  I haven't seen the guy given any ice-time even when he was playing.  I'd of thought he would of been a good 4th liner in the least.

 

[Ken]

Seems to be pretty easy to fix the PK. Watch other teams.

Pressure the point.
Knock guys down in front of the net, and in the corners.
Clear the #$%%ing puck once in awhile.

I can't remember the last time I saw all three of those things happen in a single penalty kill.

 

[Corn Flake]

Seems to be pretty easy to fix the PK. Watch other teams.

Pressure the point.
Knock guys down in front of the net, and in the corners.
Clear the #$%%ing puck once in awhile.

I can't remember the last time I saw all three of those things happen in a single penalty kill.

#1, 2 and 3: Block shots or get the hell out of the way.  If you "flamingo" block you are useless.

The last few games the biggest issue has been in the final 20 seconds or so when it seems like they try to hang on for dear life to get through the PK vs. being aggressive and better positioned through the first 1.5 mins.  Getting in Reimer's way and deflecting shots by our d-men has been the biggest problem. 

As for Zigomanis, although I'm not going to buy into the Don Cherry levels of his significance (it was 4 freaking games two years ago) I wonder what this guy did to get himself anchored in the AHL.  My guess is they know he will be picked up on waivers and feel he's too valuable to the Marlies to lose completely, for nothing.

 

[Tigger]

Well, in 197 NHL games, Zigomanis has the same points as Lupul so far this season.  Maybe the talent isn't there?  Okay Dupuis had the same amount of points as Jay Rosehill.  Hmmm. 

I'm not sure what that has to do with the pk.

 

[L K]

Our captain folks:

Approaching the 20-minute mark of the get-together, Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf and assistant coach Greg Cronin had an animated discussion about where, exactly, the defencemen should be standing in front of their own net.

At one point after practice, veteran defenceman Mike Komisarek could be heard just outside of the dressing room candidly advising one teammate to get on the same page rather than go his own way.

It's entirely conjecture that it was Phaneuf, but he's been probably the worst offender for wandering off into no-man's land on the PK.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

As for Zigomanis, although I'm not going to buy into the Don Cherry levels of his significance (it was 4 freaking games two years ago) I wonder what this guy did to get himself anchored in the AHL.  My guess is they know he will be picked up on waivers and feel he's too valuable to the Marlies to lose completely, for nothing.

Just a couple of small corrections right off the bat, it was 8 games and it was last season. Zigomanis played the entire month of October (minus the last game) of the 2010/2011 season. In that month the Leafs PK went 84.8%, good for 13th in the league. In November they went 64.1%, good for dead-last in the league. Not saying the drop was due to Zigo's dismissal, just throwing out the stats. They then hovered around 80% for the rest of the season.

Also, Zigomanis is actually exempt from re-entry waivers, and since he cleared waivers earlier in the season he's exempt from those too until he plays 10 NHL games or spends 30 days on a NHL roster.

 

[Tigger]

As for Zigomanis, although I'm not going to buy into the Don Cherry levels of his significance (it was 4 freaking games two years ago) I wonder what this guy did to get himself anchored in the AHL.  My guess is they know he will be picked up on waivers and feel he's too valuable to the Marlies to lose completely, for nothing.

Just a couple of small corrections right off the bat, it was 8 games and it was last season. Zigomanis played the entire month of October (minus the last game) of the 2010/2011 season. In that month the Leafs PK went 84.8%, good for 13th in the league. In November they went 64.1%, good for dead-last in the league. Not saying the drop was due to Zigo's dismissal, just throwing out the stats. They then hovered around 80% for the rest of the season.

Also, Zigomanis is actually exempt from re-entry waivers, and since he cleared waivers earlier in the season he's exempt from those too until he plays 10 NHL games or spends 30 days on a NHL roster.

Maybe they're saving him for something special?

 

[L K]

MUCH better penalty killing last night.  They were better at actually taking away the shot from guys instead of doing that half-way stance where they don't block the shot AND screen the goalie.

They kept leaving guys wide open in front of the net though.  They didn't get burned by it against Tampa, but I think a better team could still pick the Leafs PK apart.  One defenseman in particular (PHANEUF) did it a few times.

 

[Zee]

MUCH better penalty killing last night.  They were better at actually taking away the shot from guys instead of doing that half-way stance where they don't block the shot AND screen the goalie.

They kept leaving guys wide open in front of the net though.  They didn't get burned by it against Tampa, but I think a better team could still pick the Leafs PK apart.  One defenseman in particular (PHANEUF) did it a few times.

I don't want to get too excited, but the Leafs have the best penalty killing in the NHL for 2012 at 100%.

 

[nutman]

MUCH better penalty killing last night.  They were better at actually taking away the shot from guys instead of doing that half-way stance where they don't block the shot AND screen the goalie.

They kept leaving guys wide open in front of the net though.  They didn't get burned by it against Tampa, but I think a better team could still pick the Leafs PK apart.  One defenseman in particular (PHANEUF) did it a few times.

I don't want to get too excited, but the Leafs have the best penalty killing in the NHL for 2012 at 100%.

lol...

 

[Zee]

"The best way to avoid goal, no take penalty"

Still at 100% for 2012 - PK for the ages!