Caps info
Caps info
<b>Caps, Cassidy Talk Shop</b>
Coach Asks for Feedback on How to Revive Power Play
Probable Goalies: Washington -- Olaf Kolzig (6-2-0, 1.81 goals against average). Dallas -- Ron Tugnutt (2-1-1, 2.72).
NOTE: Tug "deez" nutt(s) played last night, so I expect Turco tonight.
Injuries: Washington -- RW Stephen Peat (hand) is out; D Brendan Witt (shoulder sprain) is doubtful. Dallas -- None.
By Jason La Canfora
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, November 13, 2002; Page D11
Jaromir Jagr and Bruce Cassidy stood side-by-side, engrossed in conversation, for more than 45 minutes yesterday after the Washington Capitals' practice. The meeting between superstar and coach focused on how to improve the team's stagnant power play.
Cassidy has made a point of soliciting player feedback throughout his brief tenure as coach and Jagr often is in communication with him, whether on the bench or off the ice, with the power play one of his areas of expertise. Washington's power play began the season on a 7-for-27 tear and was ranked first in the NHL after two weeks but has slipped to 14th and is mired in a 7-for-55 slump over the last nine games.
One power-play goal often can be the difference between winning and losing, especially with Washington's offense producing slightly more than two goals a game.
Both men agreed that the most glaring problem is working the puck up the ice. Cassidy was letting his point player -- Peter Bondra and Sergei Gonchar -- improvise the rush out of the defensive zone, with no set breakout plan, relying on their creativity. However, the power play repeatedly has broken down in the neutral zone, leaving little time for the unit to get set in the offensive zone and frustrating players and coaches alike.
Yesterday's practice was largely dedicated to establishing a set plan to get the puck from the defensive to offensive zone on the power play.
"We've got five highly skilled guys on [the power play] and we're just trying to get them all on the same page," Cassidy said. "When things aren't going well guys get frustrated, that's what happens. We're just trying to curb that and you have to talk it out with each guy, different guys, all together and try different ways and then come to a resolution."
Jagr agreed that there needs to be more cohesion among the principals on the power play -- Bondra, Gonchar, Jagr, Robert Lang and Michael Nylander -- and that more structure might be necessary to get them clicking.
"The key is to have five guys together," Jagr said. "There are many ways to do it and many ways not to do it. We've got to find the one way that works for everybody and if everybody feels comfortable then do it. But it doesn't guarantee it's going to be successful, because the other team sees the tape and when you see something it's easier to adjust. Nothing is guaranteed."
The first power-play unit had difficultly creating anything against the penalty killers at yesterday's practice. Establishing the puck in the offensive zone remained a chore and they could not put the puck in the net even on a five-on-three drill. Cassidy is trying to implement one staple breakout sequence the team can turn to on nights the group is disjointed and he also wants his players to make better adjustments and dump the puck if the opponent is stacking its penalty killers at the blue line.
Sometimes, it is better to choose simplicity over creativity.
"Instead of saying, 'They're highly skilled guys, let's let them do their own thing,' " Cassidy said, "let's put a plan in place and in the areas where we think there's adjustments we need to make, let's do it. I don't want to get too far away from that -- I still think creative players need to have the freedom to be creative, and that will never change with me -- but some nights it might, like when we play Philly [a physical team]."
In general, Cassidy wants to see his power-play point men find a forward cutting through the neutral zone with speed rather than skating the puck up ice all the time. He wants to see more skating and rotation from the power play, creating passing options, and smart puck dumps deep in the zone, forcing teams to back off the blue line. The unit must also learn not to fragment when things break down and recover the puck as a group in the neutral zone, then quickly slip back into their prescribed alignment in the offensive zone.
That is often a matter of hard work and mental strength more than anything else.
"I think we are good when we get it set up [in the offensive zone] and have a lot of different threats," Cassidy said. "But at the same time, when you're playing against four guys who are hungry to get it done, you have to still outwork them to get the puck back, and that's been a bit of an issue. Sometimes maybe we wait for the next guy and I'd just like to see us become a little more concerted in our effort to outnumber people on those 50-50 pucks."
Good luck, Chenker.
