Recovering loose-pucks and getting shots through to the net; two cornerstones of an improved PP
A large part of the Montreal Canadiens improved record in 2013 can be traced back to their powerplay. The Habs went from having the 28th-ranked powerplay in 2011-12 to having the 5th-best powerplay in 2013. The powerplay success-rate went from 14.3% to 20.7%, while the powerplay opportunities per-game increased from 3.67 to 4.22.
The specific aspects of the powerplay that improved the most were the team's success-rate when attempting to move the puck out of the defensive-zone, the ability to get shots through to the net, and the overall true-shooting-percentage (TSP). The most impressive improvement can be found in the number of offensive-zone loose-pucks they recovered per-minute of ice-time.
The success-rate when attempting to maintain possession while exiting the defensive-zone went from 87% in 2011-12 to 91% in 2013; allowing the team to move up the ice more easily. Breaking the success-rates down by position we see that the overall improvement was the product of Montreal's defensemen. The d-zone puck-possession success-rate went from 83% to 78% for wingers, 87% to 81% for centres, and 83% to 93% for defensemen. Also important to note is the fact that the Habs centremen were less involved in the defensive-zone breakout in 2013. Montreal centremen went from attempting 0.21 d-zone pass-attempts per-minute played in 2011-12 to only 0.08 in 2013.
Montreal also improved their ability to get the puck deep into the offensive-zone. The Habs increased the number of successful dump-ins per-minute played from 0.14 in 2011-12 to 0.16 in 2013. Montreal's defense also became the main producer of these dump-ins; going from 0.16 dump-ins per-minute played in 2011-12 to 0.20. The overall dump-in success-rate improved by 2 percentage-points.
As we can see, Montreal improved their ability to move the puck up ice. That said, there can be no powerpay success without establishing puck-possession in the offensive-zone. The numbers demonstrate that this is where the Habs flourished. The team went from recovering 0.485 offensive-zone loose-pucks per-minute of PP ice-time, to 0.65. Breaking this down by position we see that the wingers went from recovering 0.58 loose-pucks, to 0.72; centres went from 0.50 to 0.66, while d-men went from 0.32 to 0.55.
Now that possession has been acquired we can look at the offensive-zone puck-possession success-rates. Expressed more simply, this is the team's success-rate when attempting to move the puck around in the offensive-zone. Surprisingly, there was no significant year-to-year improvement in this aspect. What was improved, was the number of successful passes per-minute of PP ice-time. This shows us that Montreal didn't do a better job of moving the puck around, they simply had the puck more often; thanks to the increased number of loose-puck recoveries.
Passing the puck around in the offensive-zone while on the powerplay has, as its main objective to set up a shot on net. Montreal increased the number of shots they were able to get on net per-minute of powerplay ice-time from 0.17 in 2011-12 to 0.19 in 2013. Breaking the number of shots-through by position we see that Montreal wingers went from 0.18 shots/minute to 0.20; centres went from 0.14 to 0.12, and defensemen went from 0.17 to 0.20. This shows us that centres were getting less shots through, while d-men and wingers were getting more shots on net.
In terms of success-rate, Montreal went from getting 50.3% of powerplay shots through to the net in 2011-12 to a substantially better 54% in 2013. Breaking these numbers down by position; wingers went from getting 58% of their attempted shots through to 59%, centres went from 53% to 65%, and d-men went from 43% to 49%. The success-rates quantify the fact that centres were actually getting less shots on net per-minute of play, despite a higher success-rate; establishing a shift in powerplay setup, (we'll call this the Markov effect) whereby centremen were not used in shooting roles (on the point).
The improvement in shot-though success-rate by defensemen was predominately the product of PK Subban. Subban's success-rate getting shots through to the net on the PP went from 45% in 2011-12 to 53% in 2013. Andrei Markov's impressive 93% passing success-rate while on the powerplay in the offensive-zone also helped Subban's 8 percent improvement in shots-through success-rate.
Now that the number of shots through to the net has been established, we can focus on the percentage of those shots that are resulting in powerplay goals. Montreal scored on 5.5% of their attempted powerplay shots in 2011-12, and 6.63% of their attempted shots in 2013. Breaking those numbers down by position we see that wingers TSP (true-shooting-percentage) went from 7.6% to 7.73%, centres went from 7.6% to 11.11%, while defensemen went from 2.93% to 4.89%.
Twenty of the Canadiens powerplay goals were scored by wingers, 7 were scored by centres, and 15 were scored by defensemen.
In terms of personnel, the Montreal Canadiens improved powerplay cannot be discussed without mentioning Andrei Markov. That said, the numbers also prove that there were other important aspects in the making of an improved powerplay. Most notably; moving the puck up ice, getting the puck in deep, recovering loose-pucks, and getting shots through to the net.
Sounds like something a coach might mention.
