The power play has been anemic for the Nashville Predators of late, and tonight will be a challenge getting it back on track against the LA Kings
The Nashville Predators are needing offensive production as they look ahead to the final 30 games of the season if they hope to stay in the postseason conversation. One place where they are not getting enough scoring is on the power play.
In the month of January, the Predators have gone 6/43 on the man advantage and scored power play goals in just five of thirteen games. The predators currently rank 20th in the league on the power play with a 19.08%.
Andrew Brunette made some adjustments on the power play ahead of tonight's game in which the Predators will be facing the best penalty killing unit in the league. In the game against Ottawa, Brunette changed the personnel up, and he made a few more changes at morning skate today.
PP 1: Filip Forsberg, Roman Josi, Ryan O'Reilly, Gus Nyquist, and Tyson Barrie
PP 2: Ryan McDonagh, Colton Sissons, Cody Glass, Luke Evangelista, and Tommy Novak
Barrie returns to the lineup tonight after either being out with injury or a healthy scratch for nineteen games this season. One of his areas of expertise is quarterbacking the power play, and he will get a chance to work with the top unit tonight. Ryan O'Reilly leads the Predators in power play goals with eleven, many of them coming from the net front area.
"I've had some success in the past and this year with PP goals, and a lot of those were coming around the net and winning battles essentially," O'Reilly said when asked about the power play.
"I don't think I'm winning enough of those."
O'Reilly is also looking to improve in the face off circle on the man advantage.
"I've really struggled in the circle on the face offs on the power play, and when you do that it's tough," O'Reilly said.
"It's tough to expect our guys to make plays when they don't have the puck. Hopefully tonight can be a lot better in there. If we can start with the puck then we can build it from there and at least generate a shot."
Attacking the net is the focus for Andrew Brunette tonight.
"I think we've been pretty passive and been slow," Brunette said of the power play. "I haven't liked our pace for a little while here. When we're on it, we're moving the puck fast and we're thinking attack."
Brunette feels the team has been slow and playing too much of a perimeter game on the man advantage. The goal tonight is to attack the net.
Keeping it simple and putting the puck on net is the focus for Cody Glass.
"I think if we just get back to shooting the puck, not trying to be too fancy. It's very simple when you put it that way," Glass said.
Making corrections with adjusted power play units is going to be challenging against the Kings whose penalty kill is the best in the league with an 87% success rate. The Predators need offense against an LA team that can score goals, and Nashville will need to take advantage of the power play opportunities they get tonight.