The Montreal Canadiens need to take shots on goal to win, but right now, none of them seem to have the confidence to be the one to take the shot.
Since the Montreal Canadiens began slumping, their shot total has been horrendous. On Saturday night against the Boston Bruins, they had seven power-play opportunities totalling 10:44, including 3:16 at five-on-three, yet they could muster only 30 shots. Given how much time they spent on the man-advantage, that total just doesn’t cut it, especially when they were unable to find the back of the net in any of those opportunities.
Martin St-Louis believes his players are “holding their sticks too tight” at the moment and that plays in their heads, but what’s even more apparent is that they lack the confidence to shoot the puck. Granted, Montreal has some elite playmakers, but the endgame of a power play is not to put on a skills display; it’s to put the puck past the goaltender.
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According to the stats sheet, Ivan Demidov spent 18:52 on the ice against the Bruins, including 7:52 on the power play and registered no shots on goal. He had two attempts blocked, but there were opportunities to shoot on the power play that he simply passed on because he’s a pass-first type of player, and the league has taken notice. If you don’t mix it up a bit, opponents don’t have to worry about you as much, which makes their job easier.
I’m not putting the entirety of the power play’s woes on Demidov here; this comment applies to many of the other players as well. If St-Louis wants his players to regain their confidence, it might be a good idea to use them in the positions where they have excelled in the past.
Let’s look at Cole Caufield, for instance. The sniper spent most of his power play time in the bumper spot against Boston, which is not where he’s the most comfortable or where he’s had the most success. The Canadiens’ power play was cruelly lacking one-timers, and putting the winger on the side near the faceoff dot, where he’s scored so many of his goals, would undoubtedly help.
Demidov’s presence doesn’t mean the team should rely solely on him to generate power-play opportunities; the need for variety is evident. Putting a bigger body in the bumper spot would also make sense. Juraj Slafkovsky has picked up a few goals on the power play at the front of the net this season.
In other words, keeping it simple seems to be the key for the Canadiens to regain their confidence and swagger (as Cole Caufield mentioned yesterday). Chasing perfection on the man advantage is a recipe for disaster right now. The players need to trust themselves and get pucks on net; it’s the only way the power play and the attack, for that matter, will get back on track.
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