[panoo]

This is from the end of July. Things can still change as the new season always has its surprises, but that doesn't stop us as we take a team-by-team look at club power play units entering the month of August...

WESTERN CONFERENCE (cont.)

EDMONTON OILERS

Marc-Andre Bergeron will get his first true chance at quarterbacking an NHL power play on a regular basis. Rookie Ladislav Smid could very well be the other man on the blueline, while the line of Ryan Smyth, Ales Hemsky and Shawn Horcoff will lead the way up top. The second unit will have Joffrey Lupul, Jarret Stoll and Fernando Pisani rotating with Raffi Torres up front. Steve Staios and rookie Danny Syvret (if he makes the squad) will anchor the back end.

LOS ANGELES KINGS

Rob Blake is back and eager to run a young Los Angeles power play. Lubomir Visnovsky will still be the top offensive defenseman, given that Blake's best years are behind him. Up front, Alexander Frolov, Craig Conroy, and Michael Cammalleri form a solid first line. With the talented youngsters on the cusp of a roster spot, you could well see Anze Kopitar center a unit with Patrick O'Sullivan and Dustin Brown on his wings. Blake and Visnovsky will do yeoman's work on the point, logging piles of minutes, but Brent Sopel will see some secondary ice time there as well.

MINNESOTA WILD

This year's group is by far and away a more potent group than what was iced last year. First of all, Minnesota can now boast a true power-play quarterback: Kim Johnsson, a former Flyer who was picked up via unrestricted free agency, will now man the point. Last year's leading scorer Brian Rolston will be Johnsson's partner. Up front, we'll see a completely different look with new acquisitions Pavol Demitra and Mark Parrish lining up with recently re-signed franchise winger Marian Gaborik. The second power-play unit will have some bite this time around, too. Youngsters Nick Schultz and Kurtis Foster will man the point, while up front will boast Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Todd White. The third member of that troika could be one of several possibilities that coach Jacques Lemaire can choose from: Pascal Dupuis, Mikko Koivu, Mattias Weinhandl and even prospect Roman Voloshenko will vie for the spot.

NASHVILLE PREDATORS

Jason Arnott, Paul Kariya and Steve Sullivan headline the Nashville forwards on the power play. Rookie Alexander Radulov, Martin Erat and David Legwand will come out next, with Scott Hartnell also seeing his share of ice time. There is no shortage of rearguards that the Preds can turn to when they need a quarterback. Marek Zidlicky, Kimmo Timonen, Shea Weber and Dan Hamhuis all have shown tremendous offensive ability.

PHOENIX COYOTES

Jovo-Cop will patrol the blueline on the Phoenix power play. Ed Jovanovski will have Keith Ballard as his sidekick, with Slovak sniper Ladislav Nagy, diminutive center Mike Comrie and big Shane Doan forming a formidable line up front. Jeremy Roenick, Oleg Saprykin and Steve Reinprecht will be the second wave of attack, while Derek Morris, Nick Boynton, and Zbynek Michalek will rotate as the quarterback.

SAN JOSE SHARKS

With rookie Matt Carle the only true quarterback for the San Jose power play, you will see a lot of forwards playing defense. Joe Thornton, Jonathan Cheechoo and Mark Bell make up the first line, whereas Patrick Marleau, Milan Michalek, and Steve Bernier have already shown their chemistry as a second line. Scott Hannan and Christian Ehrhoff will also have opportunities to patrol the blueline when the Sharks have the man advantage.

ST. LOUIS BLUES

The Blues lack an established power-play quarterback, so sophomore Dennis Wideman will likely be thrown into the fire. Center Doug Weight will man the other spot, while Czech pivot Petr Cajanek will take Weight's spot on the All-American line with wingers Keith Tkachuk and Bill Guerin. The second unit will see newcomer Magnus Kahnberg and Vladimir Orszagh line up with a Jay McClement or a double-shifting Weight in the middle. If former college star Peter Sejna makes the squad, he will also see significant PP time. Christian Backman and Eric Brewer will quarterback the second unit.

VANCOUVER CANUCKS

Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin are finally undisputed leaders of the Canucks power play. They will join captain Markus Naslund on the first unit, with Mattias Ohlund and newcomer Lukas Krajicek manning the point. The second unit looks less certain. Matt Cooke, Taylor Pyatt, and Brendan Morrison are the top candidates up front, while Sami Salo and possibly rookie Luc Bourdon (if he makes the squad) will hold the blue line.

 

[panoo]

This is from the end of July. Things can still change as the new season always has its surprises, but that doesn't stop us as we take a team-by-team look at club power play units entering the month of August...

WESTERN CONFERENCE

ANAHEIM DUCKS

With a one-two punch like Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger manning the point, how can the opposition stop you? Teemu Selanne and Andy McDonald are locks up front on the top unit. The other forward spots will rotate between Ryan Getzlaf, Dustin Penner, Stanislav Chistov and Chris Kunitz. Corey Perry will center the second unit. Both Pronger and Niedermayer are big minute munchers, but Francois Beauchemin should still manage a couple of minutes of PP time per game on the point.

CALGARY FLAMES

The Flames have a more explosive No.1 power-play unit then they've had in years. Kristian Huselius will maintain control, Alex Tanguay will set 'em up and Jarome Iginla will fire them home. A booming point shot from sophomore Dion Phaneuf won't hurt either. With these four guys to play with, how can Roman Hamrlik NOT bounce back from a dreadful year? On the second unit, Jamie Lundmark, Daymond Langkow and Matt Lombardi will take turns centering Chuck Kobasew, Tony Amonte and Jeff Friesen, and you just know Phaneuf and Iginla will man the point double-shifting.

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

The arrival of sniper Martin Havlat has changed the face of the Blackhawk power play. Now opposing goaltenders might actually feel a little a worried when a teammate takes a penalty against Chicago. Havlat will line up to the left of a rested and healed Tuomo Ruutu, with emerging power-play specialist Radim Vrbata. Adrian Aucoin and sophomore Brent Seabrook will man the point. The second unit will consist of Bryan Smolinski, Kyle Calder, and Tony Salmelainen up front, and winger Rene Bourque and rookie Cam Barker on the blueline. Brandon Bochenski will also see his share of ice time on the PP.

COLORADO AVALANCHE

The departures of Rob Blake and Alex Tanguay will give the Colorado PP a brand new look this year. Captain Joe Sakic and Milan Hejduk are obvious staples, and John-Michael Liles will graduate to the No.1 quarterback spot. Marek Svatos will likely take the other spot on the wing, with Jordan Leopold manning the other point. The second power-play unit will have Tyler Arnason, Pierre Turgeon, and Andrew Brunette up front, with rookie Wojtek Wolski filling in on occasion. Patrice Brisebois and either Sakic or Brett Clark would man the point.

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS

The line of Rick Nash, Sergei Fedorov, and Nikolai Zherdev (provided he signs) will be mainstays on the top PP unit. Bryan Berard, fully recovered from back surgery, and Rostislav Klesla will play the point. The second unit will have rookie Gilbert Brule centering Fredrik Modin and David Vyborny up front. Nash and Fedorov will take turns in one spot on the blue line, while Berard will likely be double-shifted as the quarterback if at all possible.

DALLAS STARS

One of the best quarterbacks in the game, Sergei Zubov, will have Mike Modano and Jere Lehtinen to pass to once again. They'll likely have Brenden Morrow on the other wing, while Philippe Boucher will man the other point. Eric Lindros will anchor the second line, with Jussi Jokinen and either Patrik Stefan or rookie Loui Eriksson on the other wing. Darryl Sydor, Jaroslav Modry and Janne Niinimaa will rotate with Boucher for power-play ice time.

DETROIT RED WINGS

Pavel Datsyuk will center power-play mainstay Tomas Holmstrom along with Swede Henrik Zetterberg. This lethal power play also features Norris Trophy winner Nicklas Lidstrom and Niklas Kronwall on the blueline. Robert Lang centers Jason Williams and Mikael Samuelsson up front on the second unit, with Mathieu Schneider patrolling the blueline with Brett Lebda.

 

[panoo]

This is from the end of July. Things can still change as the new season always has its surprises, but that doesn't stop us as we take a team-by-team look at club power play units entering the month of August...

EASTERN CONFERENCE (cont.)

NEW YORK RANGERS

New York will start with four forwards on the top unit, with Michael Nylander moving back to the blueline while Jaromir Jagr, Brendan Shanahan and Martin Straka play down low. Karel Rachunek, brought back from Europe, will have every opportunity to become the top quarterback. Sandis Ozolinsh, provided he can settle his personal affairs, is another talented option to run the PP. The second unit will consist of Jarkko Immonen centering Matt Cullen and Petr Prucha. Winger Marcel Hossa and rearguard Fedor Tyutin will also see their share of power-play ice time.

OTTAWA SENATORS

The initial five-man unit remains potent, with Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza, Dany Heatley, Wade Redden and Tom Preissing on the attack. It's the second unit that has taken a hit with the departures of Zdeno Chara and Martin Havlat. It will likely be Mike Fisher centering Antoine Vermette and Patrick Eaves, with Peter Schaefer also seeing duty. Andrej Meszaros and Joe Corvo will quarterback.

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS

Peter Forsberg will be back from his injuries much sooner than expected, and suddenly the Flyers have a fearsome power play. Simon Gagne will be the biggest beneficiary of the early return, as will Mike Knuble. Jeff Carter will center the second line, with Geoff Sanderson and Michal Handzus on the wings. Joni Pitkanen will have the lion's share of the ice time on the blueline, but sophomore Freddy Meyer and rookie Lars Jonsson will also get their share. Veteran Petr Nedved will see spot duty up front as well.

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

The Pens boast an awesome first unit--and judging by their youth, it will be awesome for years to come. Sidney Crosby will center Evgeni Malkin and Colby Armstrong up front, while Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney man the back. The second unit also has a lot of scoring prowess, with veterans Mark Recchi and John Leclair on either side of pivot Ryan Malone. Recchi could also see time on the point, freeing up a spot for Michel Ouellet or Nils Ekman. Rookie Noah Welch will get his share of ice time as the quarterback on the second unit.

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

Brad Richards will man the point along with Dan Boyle, while Vincent Lecavalier, Vaclav Prospal, and Martin St. Louis work the puck down low. The second power-play unit will consist of newcomer Filip Kuba as the quarterback, with Ryan Craig, Ruslan Fedotenko and Andreas Karlsson up front. Paul Ranger will likely be the other blueliner in the second group.

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

Paul Maurice is once again Jeff O'Neill's coach, and that should help him begin the season on the first power-play unit with Mats Sundin and Darcy Tucker. Bryan McCabe and Tomas Kaberle will be on the points. Newcomer Pavel Kubina will quarterback the second unit, with one of the youngsters (Carlo Colaiacovo, Ian White) or Karel Pilar at the other point. Up front, the second unit will have Alexander Steen, Kyle Wellwood and Nik Antropov.

WASHINGTON CAPITALS

Alexander Ovechkin headlines the Washington man advantage. The rest is just details. The Caps could pull four guys from the stands and stick them on the ice for the power play and it would still be successful. Fortunately for Ovechkin, he'll have the likes of Alexander Semin and Dainius Zubrus to play with on the first unit. Brian Pothier and Steve Eminger will man the point. Ovechkin, if possible, will double-shift for the second unit, perhaps manning the point while Richard Zednik, Rico Fata, and Chris Clark run things up front. Jamie Heward will be the other defenseman. If he makes the squad, Tomas Fleischmann's playmaking ability will be an asset to the second unit in Clark's place.

 

[panoo]

This is from the end of July. Things can still change as the new season always has its surprises, but that doesn't stop us as we take a team-by-team look at club power play units entering the month of August...

EASTERN CONFERENCE

ATLANTA THRASHERS

The way things stand right now, Ilya Kovalchuk and Marian Hossa will have Steve Rucchin as their centerman on the top power-play unit. Bobby Holik will center the second unit, consisting of Slava Kozlov and Jim Slater. Niclas Havelid and Steve McCarthy will enjoy tons of ice time as the main point men for any Atlanta power play. Rookie Mark Popovic could also run the power play from the blueline.

BOSTON BRUINS

The acquisition of Marc Savard brings an elite playmaker on board for the Boston PP. Rather than break up the chemistry of the Brad Boyes, Patrice Bergeron, and Marco Sturm line, they will stick Savard on the second unit with Glen Murray and Petr Tenkrat. Brad Stuart and Paul Mara will man the point first, while Zdeno Chara and David Tanabe will come out for the second part of the power play. Rookie Petr Kalus, if he makes the team, will see spot duty up front as well.

BUFFALO SABRES

This is a tough call, with so much to choose from on this high-octane squad. The only certainties are Daniel Briere centering the top line and Jaroslav Spacek quarterbacking. It is likely that J.P. Dumont and Tim Connolly will be the wingers, while Maxim Afinogenov, Derek Roy and Chris Drury will make up the second unit. Teppo Numminen, Brian Campbell and Dmitri Kalinin will all get ice time on the blueline.

CAROLINA HURRICANES

Eric Staal will have linemates Cory Stillman and Erik Cole to play with on the PP, while Frantisek Kaberle and Oleg Tverdovsky man the point. Rod Brind'Amour will center Jason Williams and Ray Whitney on the second unit, with Andrew Ladd making the odd appearance as well. Bret Hedican will man the point, but who his partner will be is a toss-up. If Andrew Hutchinson or Anton Babchuk make the team, one of them will likely be Hedican's PP partner.

FLORIDA PANTHERS

Rugged veteran Gary Roberts will once again plant himself in front of the net on the top power-play unit, but this time he will have a lot of help from newcomer Todd Bertuzzi. Olli Jokinen will be the pivot, while Jay Bouwmeester and Mike Van Ryn will anchor the point. Jozef Stumpel will center a second line that will include sophomore Rostislav Olesz and Nathan Horton, while Branislav Mezei and Ric Jackman will patrol the blueline.

MONTREAL CANADIENS

The Habs will send out a five-man unit that includes Sergei Samsonov, Saku Koivu, and Alexei Kovalev up front, and Andrei Markov and Sheldon Souray on the blue line. On the second unit, they will have Mike Ribeiro, Michael Ryder, and Chris Higgins up front, while winger Mike Johnson will man the point with Craig Rivet. Youngsters Alexander Perezhogin and Andrei Kostitsyn will see spot duty as well.

NEW JERSEY DEVILS

With the Devils currently over the salary cap, there are definitely changes on the way. Both Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta are members of the first power-play unit, and one or both could be gone before October. The only certainty is Patrik Elias, the heart and soul of the New Jersey offense. Brian Rafalski and Paul Martin will fire shots from the blueline. Sophomore Zach Parise will be on one of the PP units, depending on who the salary-cap sacrifice becomes. Jamie Langenbrunner, Sergei Brylin, and Travis Zajac (if he cracks the lineup) will also see ice with the man advantage.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Alexei Yashin, Jason York and Miroslav Satan make up the front line of the top unit, while Chris Campoli and Alexei Zhitnik patrol the back end. Coach Ted Nolan, in an effort to bring the most out of Yashin, will likely double shift him to start, and he'll be joined on the second unit by youngsters Robert Nilsson and Sean Bergenheim. Bruno Gervais and Tom Poti are a skilled pair for a second PP unit. Trent Hunter, despite declining totals, and hustler Jason Blake will also see spot duty with the man advantage.

 

[panoo]

this is pretty good stuff:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Thanks shanny!!

Anything to help a fellow member out!!

 

[panoo]

Agreed, great hob you're doing here.

Well, if there's one thing Toronto has down pat this year, it's their powerplay.

Kubina, Kaberle, McCabe, and Colaiacovo at the point? That's pretty good.
No Lindros though, so there's a bit of a hole there. Hopefully Welly can step up and fill in the role well. Toronto's PP is young and fast this year.

... actually, they were last year too... just this time, Steen, Stajan and Wellwood have some experience added in. That and more chances for Cola.

Thanks a lot BLA!!

As far as Lindros goes, Toronto pretty much played all of last season without him, so he didn't really add to their power play much.

Just like Havlat in Ottawa, he missed practically the whole season, so him being traded won't hurt Ottawa in any way, but a lot of people think how could they trade him, hey, I have no problem with it at all!!

 

[panoo]

Oh, Typo! I meant "great *job*" , but I guess you already knew that. :laugh:

Yeah, no worries!! :laugh: