Through two games, the Vancouver Canucks have gone 0-6 with the man advantage.
The Vancouver Canucks changed up their power play units at practice ahead of Game 3 versus the Nashville Predators. The one switch was Elias Lindholm, who took the spot of Conor Garland on the first unit. After going 0-6 with the man advantage through the first two games, the switch could provide a spark and revitalize the Canucks power play.
Through the first two games of this series, the first unit power play has had a tough time generating chances. The unit made up of Garland, Quinn Hughes, J.T. Miller, Brock Boeser, and Elias Pettersson have only five shots in 8:39 of ice time together. Only one was considered a high-danger chance, which is the same amount they give up so far this series. Whether it is too much passing or missing the net, the group hasn't looked in sync, with the inefficiency already playing a negative factor in the series.
When Lindholm was on the first unit, there was decent shot generation, even if the goals weren't necessarily there. In 30:34 together, the group registered 34 shots and 20 high-danger chances. Having Lindholm as part of the unit also allows for more movement from Pettersson, Miller, and Boeser, as Lindholm has shown throughout his career how effective he can be as a net-front presence. With so much conversation about layered screens, having a designated player in Lindholm who can tip high pucks with regularity should create more scoring chances moving forward.
Based on the ineffectiveness of the power play down the stretch and to start the playoffs, something needs to change. Based on their play in the first two games, Vancouver's power play will need to be a massive factor if they want to advance to the second round. The hope is now that Lindholm has been with the Canucks for a while, he has had enough time to build some chemistry with the other members of the first unit and can read and react in a way that will spark the power play.
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