Fixing the Montreal Canadiens power play is a matter of mentality

Unit 2

Shaw has a history of being strong in the faceoff circle despite not having the results of that this season as his winning percentage is at a 41.1%. After a draw or upon zone entry, Shaw is the man in front of the net taking the beatings to get himself into a position to capitalize on a rebound or deflect a shot past the goaltender.

Petry along the blueline is a no-brainer for this unit. He’s one of, if not the team’s best skating defenceman and has the awareness to activate from the point and get back in time to prevent a shorthanded chance against. His slapshot may not be as deadly as Weber’s, but it does the trick, and if that doesn’t work at the moment, Petry’s wrist shot is very quick and accurate.

Tatar is the shooting option on the right and also has quick hands to get something going in tight or find the slot man for a one-touch shot. The slot man here being Agostino. He’s always been known for his playmaking ability, but similarly to Kotkaniemi, having the extra layer of vision can be a bonus in an ensemble of players who are always thinking of creating plays when the first one fails.

Now we have one of the first glaring issues. Schlemko has been a mainstay on that second unit for some time now. He is sometimes on the point if he and Petry switch up, but is generally on the left wall. The 31-year-old has two assists on the man-advantage and three shots in total which Shaw, in particular, converted on against Minnesota. One thing that can be said is Schlemko tends to make the easy play which is probably the reason why Julien likes him there.

He tends not to do anything too crazy, and that may be one of the overall issues with the Montreal Canadiens power play: it’s too predictable.