Bruins power play lights it up

By Eric Welsh - Chilliwack Progress - November 27, 2007

The Chilliwack Bruins have a power play to be feared.

Sounds funny to read that sentence doesn’t it? But it’s true. The Bruins scratched and clawed for every goal they got last year, and when Oscar Moller and Mark Santorelli weren’t on the ice, they were absolutely dismal on the power play.

But now, in year two, they’ve developed a killer instinct with the man advantage, rolling along with a 23.6 per cent success rate.

Consider that number for just a second. Nearly one quarter of Chilliwack power plays results in a goal.

Now consider this. Through 28 games the Bruins had only gone without a power play goal six times. They racked up a season high four power play goals in a 7-2 route of Prince George in late October and they’ve had eight games in which they’ve recorded two or more power play goals.

By any measuring stick, those numbers are impressive.

“We move the puck around and when we get opportunities, we put the puck in the net,” said rookie forward Jadon Potter matter-of-factly.

Chilliwack’s success is one half talent and one half scheme.

Moller and Santorelli were the focal points of the power play last year and good teams could shut them down.

Moller and Santorelli are still the focal points of the top unit this year, but they’re ably supported up front by the likes of Potter, Brandon Campos, Colby Kulhanek, Cody Smuk and newcomer Evan Pighin.

Campos leads the team with 10 power play goals, and nine Bruins have tallied at least once with the man advantage. That defenceman Nick Holden has blossomed into a top-notch point man only helps matters.

The captain is the only defenceman on the team who fits the mold of a true power play QB, the guy who can control play from the blueline — feeding passes down low or firing shots from the point.

For that reason, Potter has been employed as a point man quite frequently this season.

The Saskatchewan native played defence during his minor hockey days back home, so the role is not completely foreign.

“My defensive background helps out a lot,” Potter explained. “When you’re playing as a forward down low you’re working to dig out pucks and make plays. You can see plays developing when you’re playing the point, and I really enjoy that part of the game.”

The prevailing wisdom in hockey has always been that forwards should not play the point because they’re defensive liabilities — the offensive benefits don’t out-weight the likelihood of a shorthanded chance against their own team.

But Bruins coach Jim Hiller has never shown any hesitancy to use forwards in that role.

“It’s something I did when I played hockey and it’s something that I think is really beneficial,” Hiller noted. “You need guys who can handle the puck and make the right plays back there, and I think a guy like Jadon really makes things click with his decision making and vision.”

Hiller doesn’t buy into the thinking that forwards can’t be trusted defensively. First off, he doesn’t believe in thinking defensively on the power play.

With the man advantage, he subscribes to the theory that a team should be thinking attack, attack, attack.

“A power play is one of the few clear advantages you have in a game,” Hiller said. “I want to take full advantage of it and maximize the good that we get out of it. I want the five best guys I can get out there because there’s no sense going at a power play with a so-so attitude.”

Oscar Moller spent plenty of time on the point last year, with great success. Potter at the point is a passer — distributing the puck to the scorers down low. Moller can do it all. His passes are crisp and on the mark, and he possesses something Potter is still working on, a hard and accurate shot that almost never misses the net.

“When I’m at the point I’m usually trying to generate as many shots as I can,” Moller said. “If I see an opening shooting late I’m taking a slap or wrist shot that’s either going to go in or create a rebound in front.”

Of Moller’s 23 goals this season, eight have come on the power play, and half have come on shots from the blueline.

But with Potter on board, the Bruins have the luxury of using Moller down low with more frequency. The shifty Swede has a knack for darting out of the corner and into the slot.

Whatever he’s doing, he’s always got the goal-scoring mentality at work.

“When I’m down lot I’m still trying to attack the net,” he said. “You’re only going to score goals if you’re getting shots on net and creating chances in front.”

The Bruins boast five or more looks on the power play, tailoring their attack to suit their current opponent.

Some teams kill penalties with a high-pressure scheme and some teams play passively.Whatever they’re faced with, the Bruins believe they’ve got an answer.

The argument against that approach is that it’s better to do one thing very well than five things average.

But it’s hard to argue with success, and Potter believes the Bruins have made the power play work so well by keeping opponents guessing.

“I really enjoy it,” Potter said. “It keeps our opponents on their toes because they never know what we’re going to do until we do it. It’s an element of surprise that makes us effective.”

For the record, the WHL champion Medicine Hat Tigers led the league in power play efficiency last season with a 21.7 per cent success rate.The Everett Silvertips had the top road power play at 22.2 per cent.

The Bruins would blow both marks right out of the water if they maintained their current pace.