One of the consistent weaknesses of the Edmonton Oilers under Lowe/MacTavish has been the team’s consistent inability to ice a successful powerplay. The highest the powerplay has ever finished is 14th overall in the league, and that was in 2005-06 with Chris Pronger on the point. The powerplay has ranked 21st, 27th, 14th, 29th and 19th over the past five seasons, and there’s no excuse for that trend to continue.

I thought it might be useful to compare the 2007-08 edition of the powerplay with what we’ll likely see in 2008-09; improvement in this area could be a key factor in whether the Oilers are in the post-season next year. Read more...