Buffalo power play anemic since Campbell's departure
Magician Ruff almost out of rabbits

By Kevin Hopson
Hockeytalk.biz

MARCH 7, 2008 -- When the Buffalo Sabres traded away their best offensive defenseman in Brian Campbell, I expressed concern over the team’s ability to maintain one of the league’s top power play units. Unfortunately, my apprehension was justified, as the Sabres’ power play has been anemic in Campbell’s absence.

Prior to Campbell’s departure, the Sabres’ power play was ranked 8th in the league with a success rate of nearly 19 percent. Even though the team’s current ranking (10th in the league – 18.4 percent) is respectable, the power play has been largely ineffective without Campbell.

For example, since the trade deadline, the Sabres have cashed in on only four of 25 power play opportunities. This equates to a success rate of 16 percent, which is well below the team’s average thus far this season. Additionally, the Sabres have mustered a total of 29 shots during these 25 power plays. It is difficult to score when you are only generating a little more than one shot per power play attempt.

The reason for the Sabres new “powerless” play is simple. Campbell was the best puck-moving defenseman on the team. His ability to gain the opponent’s blue line and setup the power play was crucial. Without him, the Sabres have been left with two options, neither of which appear to be working.

The first is utilizing their other offensive defensemen to carry the puck up ice. While Dmitri Kalinin and Nathan Paetsch are both capable skaters, they do not possess the puck-handling savvy that Campbell does.

Because of this, Lindy Ruff has been experimenting with another option. Instead of putting two defensemen on the power play, Ruff has been using four forwards and one defenseman. As a result, players like Derek Roy and Tim Connolly are being asked to move the puck up ice.

While this has made the team’s power play transition game more successful, both players are being forced to take point duties at times, which is not their forte. Instead, Roy and Connolly are more effective along the half boards, where the two of them can take advantage of their nifty puck-handling skills to setup teammates in front of the net.

So, what is the answer? To be honest, I really do not know. Buffalo knew the risk they were taking when they gave up Campbell. Now they have to deal with the consequences. Though Ruff has been a magician at tinkering with lines in the past, he is running out of rabbits for his hat.

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