Toronto led the PWHL on the power play last season, but personnel changes and new combinations have forced the Sceptres to rethink their approach.
Last season, the Toronto Sceptres had the most effective power play in the PWHL.
Toronto converted on 25.8 percent of its opportunities and scored 24 power-play goals, comfortably the best mark in the league. Renata Fast led all players with 11 power-play assists as the unit consistently generated offense and was red-hot in the middle of the season.
This year, the numbers tell a different story. Through the first 19 games of the schedule, the Sceptres have scored four power-play goals on 43 opportunities, a 9.3 percent success rate, last in the PWHL.
For head coach Troy Ryan, the explanation starts with personnel.
“When you take [Julia] Gosling, [Sarah] Nurse and [Hannah] Miller off that line, those are your key power-play people,” Ryan said.
Toronto lost three major pieces of last year’s power play through expansion, with Nurse and Miller joining Vancouver and Gosling taken by Seattle. Those players were central to a unit that drove much of Toronto’s offense.
Miller, Gosling and Nurse combined for 11 of Toronto’s 24 power-play goals last season, nearly half of the unit’s production.
The changes have also affected the role of Fast, who quarterbacked the power play last season.
“When you look at Renata’s production last year, 13 of her points were on the power play,” Ryan said. “Renata is still trying to figure out her role back there a little bit.”
Ryan said the team has experimented with different combinations as it searches for a group that can replicate last year’s success.
“Almost every time I write down a power play, we put seven people on it,” he said. “Today we added Shelton and Harmon as potential options.”
Beyond personnel, Ryan believes the confidence and execution are works in progress.
“A lot of times when the power play isn’t working, one person gets the puck and everybody waits for that person to do something,” Ryan said. “Then the next person gets it and everyone waits for them to do something instead of everybody being on the same page and actually trying to create the advantage.”
Ryan’s message to the group has been to simplify the approach.
“My message today was just give me the first 15 seconds,” he said. “Quick shot mentality, quick puck retrieval, and a second chance at the net. The rest is you guys.”
Ryan noted that structured power-play systems alone rarely create offense.
“If it’s set power play against set penalty kill, the penalty kill is going to win that battle most of the time,” he said. “You’ve got to find a way to break that down.”
The goal, Ryan said, is to reduce hesitation and establish a clear mindset early in the advantage.
“Right now we probably just need a simpler plan and to get everybody on the same page,” he said.
Ryan also stressed the importance of traffic and deflections around the net.
“One thing Gosling did really well was getting sticks on pucks,” Ryan said. “We need a little bit more of that.”
One player who could help provide focus is Claire Dalton, whom Ryan said has recently begun working into power-play situations.
“I actually think Dalton could make a difference on one of our power-play units,” Ryan said. “Not necessarily because she’s going to score a lot, but because she gives it structure. She’s composed with the puck and she’ll make plays.”
For the Sceptres, the adjustment process is ongoing. The roster is different, the combinations are still evolving, and Ryan believes the unit will continue to develop with time.
“It’s just more of a work in progress with the people we’re dealing with,” he said. And with a clear emphasis on improving the numbers with the player advantage, the Sceptres need this part of their game to make a difference as they push for the playoffs.
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