Last night, the following scene from The Simpsons came to mind as I was watching the Edmonton Oilers’ top powerplay unit cook.
The Los Angeles Kings were Ralph Wiggum.
How does EDM’s PP1 make opposing PKs look so inept?
A year and a half ago I broke down the unit’s set plays for paid Newsletter subscribers. You can watch the 20-minute long video breakdown here.
In essence, EDM becomes extremely hard to contain when it stacks Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on the same side of the ice.
Opposing PKers are caught in an impossible spot. They have to defend McDavid’s puck carrying and Draisaitl’s shooting on the strong side while simultaneously accounting for Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in front of the net and near the back post. And if they somehow do a good job neutralizing those threats, it all becomes moot if Evan Bouchard picks a corner with a point shot.
But EDM’s primary reads involve #97 and #29 operating on the right side.
Vs. LAK: PPG 1
EDM97 McDavid and EDM2 Bouchard exchange the puck up top while the Oiler structure morphs from its typical 1-3-1 into a 3-2 spread.
McDavid has the puck near the right point while EDM29 Draisaitl settles into a dead spot in coverage above the right goal line.
McDavid zips a high-to-low pass. Draisaitl fakes the one-timer, which freezes LAK’s goalie and strong-side players.
EDM18 Hyman makes an offensive boxout to ensure numerical superiority where it counts.
EDM93 Nugent Hopkins sneaks to the back post and builds a wall with his stick and body to redirect the puck into the net.
The backdoor redirection is an Oilers’ special, and the prime reason why Hyman is a first-time 50-goal scorer at age 31.
So what happens if the goalie and the PKers sit on that cross-crease play?
Vs. LAK: PPG 2
McDavid initially attacks the interior from the right halfwall, then thinks better of it and resets.
LAK skaters are spooked. They collapse to the middle in case McDavid tries the same move again.
This opens up the same high-to-low passing lane from McDavid to Draisaitl.
The goalie expects another hard cross-crease feed to Hyman out front or to Nugent-Hopkins behind him. He lays off Draisaitl’s shooting threat and instead covers pass.
Wrong choice.
Draisaitl, who has developed a reputation as the best dead-angle shooter in the NHL, one-times the puck short-side, over the goalie’s shoulder.
Hockey Tactics 2024: the perfect playoff companion
Learn about Xs & Os visually, like NHL & other high-level players do.
Enjoy the fully illustrated ebook on your computer or tablet
Save it on your smartphone for reference on-the-go
Understand key tactical matchups as you watch the game