The Carolina Hurricanes Need The Power Play To Step Up

The Carolina Hurricanes are in a major rut when it comes to the man advantage.

After a hot start to the year, the Canes' power play has fallen to 17th in the league with only a 21% success rate.

The power play had been winning the team games and now, it's teetering on costing them points.

In their last 10 games, the Hurricanes are 1-for-28 on power play opportunities, with the lone goal coming against the Anaheim Ducks (who they actually scored against twice in the same power play after the first one was called back).

In the past 20 games, they're 5-for-56.

The power play has had little personnel changes, being mostly the same since the start of the season:

PP1
Shayne Gostisbehere
Andrei Svechnikov - Sebastian Aho - Martin Necas
Seth Jarvis

PP2
Brent Burns
Jack Roslovic - Jack Drury - Jesperi Kotkaniemi
Jackson Blake

Obviously some would say that the units need a shake up given how stagnant they've become, but the issue there is that the team knows how good it can be, especially the first unit.

The Canes' power play was really strong to start the year and at their best (Dec. 7), they were the No. 2 ranked man advantage, clicking at 29.6% (26-for-88) across the first 27 games of the season and it was almost all PP1.

A big piece of that success though can be attributed to Necas.

The 26-year-old forward had a blistering start to the season with 14 goals and 44 points in the team's first 30 games, but he's since hit a wall with just two goals and 10 points since.

During his hot stretch, he was leading the charge on the man-advantage with seven goals and 19 points, more than anyone else in the entire NHL.

And right behind him was Shayne Gostisbehere, the PP1 quarterback, who had four goals and 17 points in that 27-game stretch.

So for the unit to get back on track, a big piece of it will be getting those two back on track too.

It would probably also help to get a little more net-front presence too.

The Canes' power play doesn't really utilize a net-front player, instead having the low players cycle mostly in the bumper on either side of the goal line.

Teams generally play a collapse against the Canes' PP, allowing Carolina to play along the perimeter, and without getting those defenses to move, it's harder to find shooting and passing lanes.

The Hurricanes need to find a way to generate a few more looks by getting those defenses to move, but it's just as key to make their chances count when they are getting them. Too often, Carolina is forcing passes, getting shots blocked or missing the net entirely.

"When the power play is good, it's very, very connected and the puck is moving," said Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour Thursday morning. "I feel like when there's a little too much ad-libbing, it doesn't work as well. Just need a little more sticking with the plan and execution is obviously huge. Any power play, you have to execute your plays. It starts with the little things. You have to win the draw, you have to have good entries, but really, it all comes down to execution."

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