Ryan Whitney Says Bruins Need To 'Just Play Hockey' On Power Play
BOSTON (CBS) - The Boston Bruins have not scored a power play goal in the playoffs, and might not get a chance if they do not put one in Wednesday night in Game 7 against the Montreal Canadiens.
"Your power play can become robotic, where you're just doing the same plays that you practice and then all of a sudden you're so easy to read," Edmonton Oiler and Scituate native Ryan Whitney told 98.5 The Sports Hub's Gresh and Zolak on Wednesday.
The Bruins have gone 0-for-19 with the man advantage against Montreal, capped off by an 0-for-4 in Game 6 Tuesday night. A goal on any one of those chances would have made a huge difference in the 2-1 loss.
Whitney thinks the Bruins could be over thinking and just need to keep it simple.
"Any coach will tell you the best power play is when guys are just playing hockey," said Whitney. "Anyone on the power play has enough skill where they can make plays. Once you start thinking 'we have to go down to the winger, up to the point, over to the middle, shot one timer, hopefully there's a screen,' that's when you're in trouble. I think Montreal can figure out right now that Boston is not really using their hockey IQs, they're just doing what the coach says. It's tough when you don't let yourself just play and make plays."
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Whitney, a five-year veteran who played four years in Pittsburgh before splitting the last three seasons between Anaheim and Edmonton, says just shooting the puck at the net will not get the job done.
"They just have to move once our twice quick and all of a sudden get someone in front," he said. " Get a greasy goal. But just by shooting it every time, the Canadiens will block every one of those shots if (Boston) just gets it and shoots it."
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"I've been on plenty of teams where your power play just kind of hits a rut. Unfortunately for the Bruins, it's just happening at the wrong time," said Whitney.
"The funny thing is they don't have a forward that can shoot the puck the way (Mike) Cammalleri does," he added. "If they do get chances down low, it's not like they can get it to anyone that can shoot the puck like he can. They have Chara up top but they really don't have traffic around the net. You just have to try and put it on net."
