Read: John Tortorella On Power Plays and What Makes A Good One

Originally Posted on 8/21/12:

Throughout his time as head coach of the Rangers, John Tortorella has held the belief that a team’s power play tells a lot about what a team is at a certain point.

In 2009, during the Rangers series against the Capitals, Tortorella said “Your power play is a microcosm of your game because your top players are on that power play and that’s a huge problem we have right now, both five-on-five and on the power play. And time’s running out here. Something has to give with our top guys now. It won’t happen without our best players being our best players.”

During the playoffs against Ottawa this year, Tortorella said “Your power play is always a little microcosm of what your offense is. We’re struggling there.”

Tortorella has had this same belief dating back to his time as an assistant coach with the Rangers in 1999.

While the Rangers were in a 3 for 33 slump Tortorella told the Daily News “I believe that if you look at a team’s power play, it’s really a microcosm of the entire team.” He added that while the Rangers were playing well five on five and on the PK, the PP had already cost the team some games.

While an assistant coach in 1999 Tortorella ran the Rangers power play and said that the PP has some simple keys to it.

“First and foremost is puck movement. Our puck movement has been too slow. And when we do get into a situation where we can move it, we’re holding on to it too long and the penalty killers can adjust. Then there’s also movement without the puck. Players need to jump into spots. We’re all sitting on the outside and we’re not jumping into holes to, again, make the penalty killers react. The whole key with a power play is reading the defense and taking what they give you. And you can’t even get to that step if you’re all on the outside. The penalty killers aren’t going to move. They’re going to keep to the middle and keep you on the outside.”

Torts added “It’s going to come. It’s a matter of, once the movement starts, making the right decision: reading the defense and taking what they give you. Then things will open up. “It’s a streaky thing. Power play is a streaky thing. The last thing you want to do with a power play is take away the creativity. You lay the foundation for them and they take over. And we just touched upon our foundation.”

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