I sat in the attack twice zone on Saturday and watched a powerplay where the Avs just overpassed ad nasium. The Hensick has gotten two assists in as many games is because he’s getting the puck on net. Queue one of the most overused sayings in hockey, “Put the puck on net and good things will happen”.

What really drives me nuts is that the defensemen on the point (or forwards) don’t take a pass and “walk the blueline”. It’s like one of the oldest tricks in hockey and it plays havoc with the two forwards out front. Lidstrom and Phenuef do this all the time. They get the pass out to the point and they corral the puck along the blue line as they skate backwards looking for a shot or a pass. The defending forward has a point of no return where they follow the point man and have to give up that coverage. If they cover over too far then the vacated spot opens up for a forward to get a pass. If they abandon coverage then there’s opportunities for shots between the circles. Some of the best powerplays in the game do this. But right now the point men get that puck and are totally stationary. Even Liles will get the puck, maybe fake a shot and then skate. He won’t take the puck in stride and glide over. The only defenseman we have that seems to do this by instinct is Leopold. Anyway, if anyone is anal as I am about this stuff just watch the PP of the Avs and say Detroit/San Jose/Anaheim etc… and notice that difference.

One play that Detroit does that I think would work wonders on the Avs, is the play where Lidstrom gets the puck, glides back along the blueline, passes to the forward that cheats up the vacant spot on the top of the circle. That forward does a snap “shot” that is really a hard pass right in front of the net to Zetterberg. Zetterberg just deflects the shot on goal. It’s all set up from Lidstrom taking away that defending forward. Once that pass goes to the forward for the fake shot, that defenseman that’s down low on his post almost always has to come out to contest the shot. With Smyth, Hejduk and even Stastny on this team that play would be deadly. But it all starts at the point.

The important part was that he chose Hensick over Arny. I have no problem with Arny being a “Well screw it someone’s hurt and we have to put someone out there” player.

Hensick was the best player on the ice too. His speed added a different dimension to several plays — a dimension the Avs have been sorely lacking. I loved him on the top PP unit too, great creativity.