Maple Leafs’ Unintended Advice Will Solve Oilers’ Power Play Woes

Sometimes the best advice comes from someone who doesn’t intend to offer it. As per a quote by writer Luke Fox, while speaking with Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube, the Leafs’ bench boss might have offered up the trick to Edmonton’s solving their power play issues. It’s simple, it’s effective, and it makes a lot of sense considering the Oilers are overthinking things.

The Maple Leafs’ power play is on fire of late. After struggling mightily at the start of the season, Toronto’s man advantage has scored five times in the past two games. Not only that, but the team is finding success without its most dangerous offensive weapon, Auston Matthews.

When asked how the team is finding a way to be successful without their best scorer, Berube responded, “It’s simplified. They’re attacking more downhill and getting pucks to the net and getting rewarded for it right now, which is good to see. They’ve done a good job.”

What’s so interesting about the unintended advice is that the Oilers can and should probably listen to that quote and apply the same principles. If they do, Edmonton has a chance to find even more success than the Leafs because Edmonton’s best player in Connor McDavid is back.

Oilers Need to Simplify Their Power Play Like the Maple Leafs Did

Sitting at 27th in the NHL standings and a 14.3% success rate, the Oilers are far from where they’ve been the last few seasons. One of the best teams on the man advantage, things aren’t clicking for the Oilers who have had 35 opportunities and scored on only five of them.

Part of the issue for the Oilers is their desire to pass the puck into the net. With such elite skill, when the team is struggling 5-on-4, it’s often because they’re not making smart and simple choices. Typically looking for one extra pass or a slightly better look, the Oilers don’t funnel things down to the front of the net and pound away.

Sure, when the Oilers are a well-oiled machine, their power play is a beautiful thing to watch. When it’s not working properly, the team needs to give it a little grease.

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Zach Hyman recently said, “We got to get it to the net, score in those dirty areas. We haven’t done enough of that. It’s amazing when you start going to the net how many more opportunities you get.” Hyman might have been talking more about 5-on-5 production when he said that, but the same theory applies to the power play and with the puck as it does with the player — get it to the net and create more opportunities.

The Oilers will meet the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday. Their plan should be to try and create as many power play opportunities as they can (they don’t create nearly enough) and funnel everything toward the goalie. It doesn’t have to be pretty to count. It’s time they start making them count.

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