"Trying to fix the kill was some of the coaching staff's most important "homework" for the extended Olympic break, said Sturm upon the players' return to the Warrior Ice Arena for practices last week. The most obvious thing they have to do is cut down on penalties. Their plummet toward the bottom of the PK rankings has - surprise, surprise - coincided with them shooting up in the "minor penalties taken" category."
""Power plays get better. They do. If you look at us at the start, we were all out and we did exactly what we wanted to do. The things is, after a certain time and certain games - (assistant coach Steve) Spotter calls it a 'copy league' - what it means is you can...see certain weaknesses on the PK," said Sturm."
Marco Sturm prioritized improving the Bruins' penalty kill since last summer. The Bruins began the season strong on the PK but have fallen to 28th in the NHL, converting only 76.4% of shorthanded situations. The decline coincided with a surge in minor penalties taken (243, second only to Florida's 255). Coaching staff focused on PK adjustments during the Olympic break and plan to reduce penalties and tweak the diamond formation. Opponents' power plays have adapted, exploiting weaknesses in the diamond and forcing the Bruins to search for systems that better fit the players.
Read at Boston Herald
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