Agree on all points. We have not been a strong power play team for many seasons (with a couple exceptions). In fact, I have often posted during the score threads that we should decline a penalty! We might actually be even worse when up by two men since our weakness is magnified. On the other hand, I have seen other teams be very effective with the man advantage seemingly every year, regardless of personnel. What does that indicate? As you say, if we want to be top four, or in fact, even top six, we must make the special teams emphasized. Our PK has been very good and hopefully will continue. But if we cannot score with a man advantage, and definitely with a two man advantage, we will languish as a mid to lower level team. One other point, most of our games are true nail biters that often are one goal games with minutes to play. We must learn to shut teams down when they pull their goal tender for the extra attacker. We must score a number of empty net goals to seal the game quickly when the goalie is pulled. Finally, when we put that extra attacker out there, we have to learn how to keep the puck in the offensive zone and keep incessant pressure on for the entire time. Too often we pull the goalie, get the extra skater on the ice only to see the opponent clear the puck out of their zone immediately. All part of the fundamentals (like face offs) that we seem to not do as well as we should.
