Tom Wilson can be the screen out front of the first unit. (Caps Outsider)
The Caps’ power play has been atrocious recently, and it seems like it has been all season outside of a few games. It currently ranks 14th in the NHL, as the Caps are scoring at just above 19 percent.
The formula of “get the puck to Alex Ovechkin, and let him go to work” needs an update. While John Carlson is having a great season, I think he should be moved to the second power play unit. I would promote Matt Niskanen from the second unit up to the first. Another change I would make is taking Evgeny Kuznetsov off the top unit and put Tom Wilson on the unit instead. No, Wilson does not have the passing that Kuznetsov does but he is a big body that can help TJ Oshie screen goalies and put loose rebounds in the net. The Caps need to simplify the power play, and having Wilson there will help do that. Nicklas Backstrom also needs to shoot more. Backstrom has one of the most underrated shots in the league, and as teams cheat to Ovechkin, he has the space to fire a shot towards the net.
The second unit also needs more time on ice. It normally comes out usually after the puck is cleared with about 30 seconds left on the man advantage. I would like to see this unit get on the ice closer to a full minute left on the power play.
The Caps have the talent for the power play and it should be one of the best in the league. They are looking for the perfect shot, and it is just not there for them at the moment as teams have watched enough tape to see what they are going to do. Changing it up some will force the opponents to cover them differently, and that opportunity can re-ignite this team with the man advantage.
