Watch opening-night power-play units when the first pass goes wrong. A puck hops over a blade, a penalty killer closes, and the planned one-timer disappears. Somebody has to offer an outlet. The forward near the crease must decide whether to hold his screen or chase the loose puck.
A coach makes those decisions through his selections. Loading up on finishers means trusting somebody else to win possession back. Picking a reliable puck carrier can push a better shooter onto the second group. Even the star waiting on the bench tells us something about the staff’s priorities.
The useful question reaches beyond which five players earned the assignment. What shot does the staff want, and what happens when the opponent takes it away? Early-season injuries can complicate the answer. Still, the first man advantage gives us something concrete to study: how a staff expects its players to solve pressure together. Follow the puck, then check the teammates who make its next destination possible.
Start with the shot the unit wants
In a 1-3-1 power play, the quarterback handles the point. Two flank players work near the circles, a bumper occupies the slot, and a fifth attacker works around the crease. That arrangement gives the puck carrier options through the middle, across the ice, and below the goal line.
Put a left-handed shooter on the right flank and his blade faces the middle. A pass across the zone can reach him for a one-timer, forcing the goaltender to move before the release. When defenders spread toward the flanks, the bumper gives the passer a target inside the penalty kill.
An overload brings attackers closer together on one side for short passes and support along the wall. Quick exchanges below the circle can pull a defender toward the puck and open a route to the crease. Players rotate as the puck moves. Watch the next pass when the first lane closes.
Two defensemen can still mean one point quarterback
Before Pittsburgh’s 2024 opener, Kris Letang handled the point while Erik Karlsson worked the left wall.
Letang could reset the attack from up top; Karlsson could create from a flank. A defenseman in that position still has to threaten a shot, handle pressure, and find an inside pass. His job changes with his location.
The forward-defenseman count tells only part of that story. Two defensemen can fill creative roles in different areas. Four forwards, meanwhile, accomplish little if everybody waits outside the penalty kill.
Getting across the blue line comes first
Before those options matter, the unit has to establish possession. Watch the neutral-zone drop pass to see how a staff tries to create an advantage.
First, the puck carrier advances toward pressure, then leaves it for a teammate accelerating behind him. The defenders now have to adjust to a fresh burst of speed.
If the other skaters stop at the blue line, the trailing carrier can run straight into pressure. Give him a wide outlet and support inside, and he has choices when a defender closes.
A short pass lets him beat pressure without carrying the puck through three sticks. Chipping behind the defense can also work when a teammate has a route to retrieve it. Without support, that same chip simply invites a clearance.
Those details help explain personnel choices in opening-night power-play units. A player who gets the group established can earn a place ahead of a more dangerous stationary shooter.
The net-front job includes the next puck
Edmonton’s 32.4 percent conversion rate in 2022–23 provides a benchmark: former coach Phil Housley highlighted Zach Hyman’s screens and the team’s retrievals.
The net-front assignment demands more than standing in the goaltender’s way. A forward has to move with the puck, survive contact, and keep his blade available. When a shot comes through, he needs enough balance to find a rebound while a defender tries to tie up his hands.
Consider a low shot that kicks toward the corner. The crease forward turns to pursue it while another attacker moves into the space he leaves. Win that race, and the unit can attack before the penalty killers recover their positions. Lose it, and everyone starts the trip back up the ice.
A coach can favor a retrieval specialist to extend possessions, even if that costs a more gifted scorer some touches. That forward still has to read the play. Chasing every loose puck can leave an open shooting lane without a screen.
Inside the box, the bumper must keep his stick available and move when a teammate needs support. A short return pass from the slot can keep an attack moving even when he never gets a shot. As the shift stretches, the coach must weigh that pressure against the fresh players waiting at the bench.
The bench decides whether there are really two units
Glen Gulutzan saw an opportunity for balanced units in Dallas in 2025, describing “a 1A and 1B unit.”
But two balanced groups still share the same penalty clock. Suppose the first group uses 75 seconds of a minor penalty before the opponent clears the puck. The second group receives 45 seconds, then spends part of that time collecting it and organizing the entry. Starting with an offensive-zone faceoff would give those same players a much better chance to establish their attack.
The clock alone cannot dictate the change. Pull a group while it controls the zone, and the substitution can interrupt a promising attack. Leave tired players out after a clearance, and fresh penalty killers may beat them to the next puck.
For the second unit, trust means getting an opportunity to build something. An occasional shift with a nearly expired penalty offers little evidence about what that group can produce.
A failed entry tests that trust. Keeping a young player in the rotation gives him a chance to correct the read. Replacing him immediately may favor reliability in that moment. Repeated choices across several games reveal more about the hierarchy than the opening lineup alone.
What the staff should see after the opener
A goal off a defender’s shin pad can flatter a poor power play. Three clean chances against excellent goaltending can leave a useful plan looking empty on the scoresheet. The first review needs to examine how the unit created its opportunities.
Start with the entry. Did the carrier have support when pressure arrived, or did he repeatedly surrender the puck at the wall? Then follow the shot. A one-timer from the intended flank means more when the pass forces the goalie to move and traffic blocks his view.
Follow the rebound, too. Winning a rebound can turn a stopped shot into sustained pressure. Failing to recover it can waste a promising sequence, especially when a teammate has already moved into position for the return pass.
Changes should address those specific failures. Swap the entry carrier if the group cannot establish possession. Move a shooter if his receiving angle keeps forcing an extra stickhandle. Give a better retriever a chance when the attack ends after every save.
Coaches should give opening-night power-play units time to develop, then make changes when the same missed reads keep breaking the attack. Reward the recovery, too. A forward who beats a defender to the next puck can buy a teammate time to find a better shot.
The next penalty brings another decision. Does that forward get another shift?
READ MORE: The physiological challenges of a demanding opening-month NHL travel schedule
FAQs
Q1. What do opening-night power-play units reveal about a coach?
A. They show which players a coach trusts to create shots, carry the puck into the zone and recover loose pucks.
Q2. How does a 1-3-1 power play work?
A. It uses a point quarterback, two flank players, a bumper in the slot and a net-front attacker. Each role gives the puck carrier another option.
Q3. Can a power play use two defensemen?
A. Yes. One can handle the point while the other creates from a flank, as Pittsburgh’s Letang–Karlsson setup illustrates.
Q4. Why does the second power-play unit get less time?
A. The first group may keep possession deep into the penalty. The second unit then spends some remaining time collecting the puck and entering the zone.
Q5. How should coaches judge a power play beyond goals?
A. They should study entries, passing options, shot creation and puck recovery. Good chances can reveal progress even when the unit fails to score.
