6. Alex Burrows’ powerplay
I had always been of the mind that Kirk Muller was not getting enough out of his players and that the fundamental issues of the powerplay were in its set-up and system rather than in the players. However, I had not expected the powerplay to be this good with a more modern system under a new coach.
Burrows has the Canadiens’ powerplay units in constant motion. My biggest irk with Muller’s powerplays was just how static they were, the five players were islands in the offensive zone and just passed the puck along the periphery. With the constant motion, passing lanes are created, which allows for many more opportunities from the slot, something we’ve seen a lot since the coaching change.
It has, of course, been a tale of two powerplay units since Burrows’ appointment. The “second unit” quarterbacked by Jeff Petry and Jesperi Kotkaniemi has scored five goals in eight games and has constantly been dangerous and has given the Habs momentum. The Weber-Suzuki unit, on the other hand, the so-called “first unit” has scored just once in the eight games and has struggled on zone-entries and in maintaining offensive possession. While it has improved in recent games, it remains far inferior to its counterpart.
Shea Weber still has one of the most dangerous shots in the league and has seen much success on the powerplay throughout his career, but his lack of mobility has hamstrung the unit, especially since Burrows has applied the more modern system and increased movement. Weber did score the unit’s sole goal, but has lost possession in the o-zone countless times.
I would love to see what Alex Romanov could do on that unit, but I also know that Weber will be a fixture on the powerplay as long as his shot remains a threat and his even-strength minutes remain high; he is the captain after all. Burrows, then, has the challenge of constructing a system that implements movement and the opening of lanes while also compensating for Weber’s lack of mobility. He has thus far succeeded with the Kotkaniemi unit, so who’s to say he won’t do the same with Weber’s?