The Oilers Special Teams

[PDO]

Alright, so it's fair to say that if our special teams had been better the past season, we'd have made the playoffs. A PK that started brutally and had problems with Salo in net combined with an annemic PP was a bad combination. Having said that, this is what I'd like to see this season:

PP #1

Crease man - Smyth
Halfboards - Hemsky
Rover - Dvorak
Point - Stoll
Point - Pronger

PP #2

Creaseman - Laraque/Winchester
Halfboards - Peca
Rover - Torres
Point - Semenov
Point - Bergeron

On the first PP, we've got one of the best guys in the league off the crease, Hemsky on the halfboards, Dvorak (who probally has the best wrister on the team) skating around, and Stoll and Pronger on the points. Pronger is obviously the no brainer, but Stoll adds a few things. He was our best faceoff man last season, so he can take the key draws, he has a bullet of a slapshot, and he has above average vision.

On the second PP, we simply throw our biggest body in front of the net (excluding Pronger), allow Peca to play off the halfboards, let Torres (second best wrister) be the rover, and put a Defenseman with a monstrous point shot on the point in Semenov back there, along with the specialist Bergeron.

I'd feel very confident sending those 10 out.

Secondly, the PK:

PK #1

Peca - Smyth
Pronger - Smith

PK #2

Horcoff - Moreau
Semenov - Ulanov

Simply said, our 2 best PK'ers from last season, combined with our 2 new accquisitions, should make for some stellar PK.

For the second unit, we put one of our best faceoff men with a man he has proven chemistry with, along with the russians. This is a "gritty" lineup that'd bang and crash, but also has good speed.

Thoughts?

[slapshot™]

Dateline: Border City December 29th, 2005

PP Overall - 14th place = 18.2%
PP Home - 7th place (tied with Van) = 20.4%
PP Away - 13th place = 16.4%

PK Overall - 14th place = 82.2%
PK Home - 22nd place = 79.6%
PK Away - 7th place = 84.1%

I think Simpson is doing a much better job coaching the special teams this year than he did last season. I think much of the success can be attributed to the Oil dominance in the face off circle as they are tops in the League @ 56.1%

This season is such a turnaround from when the Oil had their hopes pinned on that Oates fellow on taking them to the promised land of Power Plays.

[charlio lemieux]

Pronger has been wasted on the Edmonton Powerplay. If he was being used to his full potential he would have close to 40pts by now. Other than that they have done well with what they have.

[slapshot™]

Pronger has been wasted on the Edmonton Powerplay. If he was being used to his full potential he would have close to 40pts by now. Other than that they have done well with what they have.

NEWS FLASH: Pronger is a defenceman. He plays defence very well.

[charlio lemieux]

NEWS FLASH: Pronger is a defenceman. He plays defence very well.
All that defense really bears fruit on the Powerplay. Which is what this thread is supposed to be about.
I wasn't questioning his defensive play.
It is his lack of offense that I am concerned with. He scored a hell of a lot more with St Louis. And given the climate of the New NHL he should atleast be close to a point-per-game player. Like McCabe, Vishnovsky and others.
So what is it?
Are the Oilers not as good as the Blues used to be? Possibly
Or does the coach not know how to properly use a franchise player like Pronger? My personal favorite.
Or is Pronger losing it and can no longer produce in the NHL, the way he used to? Highly doubtful.
Any way you want to slice it, Pronger is not producing like he is capable of. If he was, Edmonton's PP would be in the top 10 or even 5 in the league.
If you want to debate Prongers abilities or performance there is a Pronger specific thread.
I was only trying to point out that in Pronger the Oilers have one of the best PP defenseman in the league. Their PP should be and could be a lot better than it currently is, if Pronger where used properly.

[PDO]

Prongers old PP: Demitra, MacInnis, Weight, Tkachuk
Prongers new PP: Smyth, Bergeron, Stoll, Hemsky

'nuff said.

[charlio lemieux]

Prongers old PP: Demitra, MacInnis, Weight, Tkachuk
Prongers new PP: Smyth, Bergeron, Stoll, Hemsky

'nuff said.

I don't buy it. Every Oiler you mentioned is on pace for a better offensive year than the St. Louis players had in 03-04. Big Mac only played in 3 games.
And still Pronger had better numbers, with the Blues, in the Old NHL.

I don't think the coaching staff in Edmonton have been doing a good job using Pronger on the Powerplay. Just look at McCabe. The reason he has so many points is due to how he is used on the powerplay. It would stand to reason that since Pronger is the better player, if Edmonton ran their powerplay using Pronger in the same manner, Pronger would most likely be ahead of McCabe in points. To me, a simple change in powerplay strategy would make the world of difference, for Edmonton.

[slapshot™]

And still Pronger had better numbers, with the Blues, in the Old NHL.

Not according to the pace he is at with the exception of one year ('99-'00) -> McCabe really DOES suck (http://www.hockeystation.com/showpost.php?p=32463&postcount=10) <- kidding...McCabe is ok (even if he is a Leaf)

I don't think the coaching staff in Edmonton have been doing a good job using Pronger on the Powerplay.

Oilers:
PK Overall - 14th place = 82.2%

Leafs:
PK Overall - 24th place = 80.8%


This is where the D-men shine...on the PK...not the PP. Sure, Pronger isn't racking up the offensive numbers that McCabe has right now but nothing indicates that he is below his average either. Furthermore, Pronger has been stellar as a defensive player. He's a breath of fresh air for the Oilists who have in the past groaned when watching Poti, Mironov or Brewer make dumbass defensive mistakes. In the last 37 games you can count Pronger's defensive mistakes on one hand.

[Canadian26]

I dont think edmonton really needs pronger to be scoring that much. If they where hurten for goal scores, then I could see prongers impact on offense but they're not so I dont really see what the big issue is. Im not saying that more goals would be a bad thing, but even if he isnt putting the same numbers hes still a force on the PP.

I think players still expect him to be taking shots and socring, thus the PK of the other team focus more on him allowing other players (i.e. hemsky) to get open and actually score.

Simpson has been doing a much better job this season, special teams can win games for you, and the way the NHL is now they're even more imporant.

[charlio lemieux]

Not according to the pace he is at with the exception of one year ('99-'00) -> McCabe really DOES suck (http://www.hockeystation.com/showpost.php?p=32463&postcount=10) <- kidding...McCabe is ok (even if he is a Leaf)


Oilers:
PK Overall - 14th place = 82.2%

Leafs:
PK Overall - 24th place = 80.8%


This is where the D-men shine...on the PK...not the PP. Sure, Pronger isn't racking up the offensive numbers that McCabe has right now but nothing indicates that he is below his average either. Furthermore, Pronger has been stellar as a defensive player. He's a breath of fresh air for the Oilists who have in the past groaned when watching Poti, Mironov or Brewer make dumbass defensive mistakes. In the last 37 games you can count Pronger's defensive mistakes on one hand.

Did you look at Pronger's stats?
You have to go back to 97-98 to find a semi-full year where he scored less than his projected 46pts. He did all of that scoring in a league in which it was a lot harder to score goals.
With the state of the game today, Pronger should atleast be in the top 10 in defensemen scoring, if not leading the league.
------------GP--G-A-PTS
1998-99 StL 67 13 33 46
1999-00 StL 79 14 48 62 - 2nd among defensemen
2000-01 StL 51 .8 39 47 -
2001-02 StL 78 .7 40 47 - 8th among defensemen
2002-03 StL Played 5 games
2003-04 StL 80 14 40 54 - 3rd among defensemen
2005-06 Edm 37 4 16 20 - 28th among defensemen
So he is only on pace for his worst offensive output in 7 seasons, and yet nothing is wrong?
He has been at the top of defenseman scoring whenever he plays a full season. So why is he now 28th overall and 25pts behind?
Something is wrong, and since the other areas of his play are still very good, it has to the way the team plays. By that, I mean the Coaches are failing to fully utilise Pronger and his abilities. At $6mil a season you think they would have tried to make him a bigger part of the offense.
Oh well, it is the Oilers loss and the rest of the leagues gain.

As for the PK, the Oil are a whole 1.4% better than the Leafs. That is what two good games. Please. Why aren't the Oil in the top ten, if Defensemen are so important on the PK, and they have the best one in the league?
Granted without Pronger the Oil would be a lot worse. Actually Toronto has 8 more PP goals than Edm. in 10 more opportunities, and Edmonton has allowed 5 fewer goals on 7 fewer PK chances. You can have your, "Pronger induced" 1.4% better PK, which is actually only 5 goals difference, and I'll take the extra 14 PP points McCabe has.
The fact that we can even compare McCabe to Pronger and have Pronger not blow him away is as sure a sign as any that he is not playing or being played up to his potential. I don't think he is the type of player to float, so it has to the way he is being played. That means Coaching.