Maple Leafs Show Unwillingness to Abandon Flawed Power Play Plan at Practice on Monday
The Maple Leafs returned to practice on Monday, but their power play line rushes show an unwillingness to fix a problem that desperately needs fixing.
Following the Leafs' most recent loss at the hands of the struggling Vancouver Canucks, captain Auston Matthews slammed his team's effort with the man advantage after they went 0/3, failing to register a single shot on 2 of their 3 power play attempts.
Surprisingly, Mitch Marner disagreed with his captain and several other members of the Maple Leafs, arguing that he felt as though the team played well following the 3-0 loss.
On Monday morning, when practice got under way, it was expected by many that the Leafs' coaching staff would make some significant changes after back-to-back losses. However, when the power play units took to the ice ahead of the main rushes, the Leafs reverted back to the same 5-forward power play unit that has lacked any potency, and who recently allowed a backbreaking shorthanded goal to Carolina with their lack of competent defending.
Regardless of recent inefficiencies, the top PP unit featured Marner, Matthews, Tavares, Nylander, and Knies. The second unit was a 3F/2D setup, featuring Rielly, OEL, Robertson, Domi, and McMann.
Last week, former Maple Leaf Jay Rosehill called for the team to fire assistsnt coach Marc Savard over how he's handled, or rather fumbled, what should be an elite power play. Today's deployment of the power play units at practice makes me think that he might be right.
A top power play unit with more than $50M committed to it should produce goals at a much higher rate than they have this season. The fact that they haven't points to a systemic failure. If Savard is responsible, perhaps he should be replaced.
