Over the past few seasons, a weak spot for the Montreal Canadiens has been their power play. After finishing 17th in the league in power play percentage during the 2020-21 regular season, the Habs were 8th out of 16 teams during the 2020-21 playoffs. Although they were operating at a conversion rate of 18.9%, it was the timeliness of the Canadiens’ power play goals during the playoffs that counted the most. Some may refer back to the power play tally in Game 7 versus the Leafs to take a 2-0 lead.
After the firing of Kirk Muller last season, Alex Burrows took over the coaching of the Canadiens’ man advantage. Fans could see immediately the impact he made, as Montreal was starting to look more and more dangerous at 6 on 5 with Burrows at the helm.
With the departure of She Weber from the power play and the arrival of Mike Hoffman, it may be difficult at first for the Canadiens’ coaching staff to find the right combination of players to ensure that both power play units have the ability to make an impact. Rest assured however, that the Canadiens’ have more fire power than seasons pasts and should have no problem boasting a man advantage that can take over hockey games if they have proper deployment.
With the 2021-22 season fast approaching, let’s take a look at what power play units 1 and 2 could look like for the Habs.