Powerful?

Examining the BU Power Play

Since the new year began, much has been made of BU's new look, high powered, reverse umbrella power play offense.  And it certainly has created it's fair share of goals for the Ice Dogs.

But has it been the cure all that we seem to think it has?  Let's take a look.

2010 Power Play Stats

3/6 -- 10 shots

1/5 -- 3 shots

0/8 -- 14 shots (3-1 L @ Providence)

2/6 -- 7 shots

3/7 -- 13 shots

1/6 -- 6 shots (4-1 L vs UNH)

2/5 -- 5 shots

1/5 -- 8 shots

0/5 -- 5 shots

1/5 -- 4 shots (4-3 L vs BC)

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14/58 -- 75 shots

24.14% Power Play Efficiency in 2010

First off, BU is scoring with the man advantage at a clip they hadn't been all season long.  

In the Fall of 2009, BU converted just 9 of 55 power plays for a rate of 16.36%.  That's a jump of nearly 8%.  So Parker really does deserve some serious credit for infusing life into a dead fish of a power play.  And it's definitely true that BU's most productive power play games have helped to produce victories.

They are 12/39 for 30.77% in wins and 2/19 for 10.53 % in losses so far this calendar year.  

So not that this is breaking news, but BU is certainly living and dying on their power play successes or failures.  In fact, 14 of their 37 (37.84%) goals in 2010 have been on the man advantage.  

Oh and by the way, 8 BU goals have been scored by Power Play Specialist Colby Cohen since 2010 began.

BU will get a chance to pick up some tips from twelfth ranked Maine this weekend.  Maine leads Hockey East with an out of this world 28.2% conversion rate on the power play.  If the sin bins get full this weekend at Agganis, you should fully expect the scoreboard to light up.