MotownMadman
10-13-2003, 05:33 AM
I know this is a late post but I noticed in the game on Saturday that Ottawa used Chara as a forward on their powerplay to create havoc down low and in front of the net. I noticed Chara doing this last year in game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals (especially when he pasted Stevens against the boards), but attributed it to his desire to fire up some offense for his team.
Is using Chara as a forward in some situations something that the Sens experimenting with (I don't see hardly any East action at all). It seems like it could be a good tactic- whose going to move him? Anyway, just curious.
discostu
10-13-2003, 06:22 AM
I know this is a late post but I noticed in the game on Saturday that Ottawa used Chara as a forward on their powerplay to create havoc down low and in front of the net. I noticed Chara doing this last year in game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals (especially when he pasted Stevens against the boards), but attributed it to his desire to fire up some offense for his team.
Is using Chara as a forward in some situations something that the Sens experimenting with (I don't see hardly any East action at all). It seems like it could be a good tactic- whose going to move him? Anyway, just curious.
The Sens have experimented with this off-and-on last season. They'll put him on there when they want to create some traffic in front. We don't have the powerforward that will do this regularly, so it's a good option to use every once in a while. You'll usually see this employed when a team uses a very aggressive PK box to counteract the Sens PP cycling of the puck.
Lexicon Devil
10-13-2003, 08:37 AM
It probably wouldn't have happened if it weren't for the absence of Havlat, Fisher and White.
Dr.Sens(e)
10-13-2003, 11:49 AM
It will continue.
Every time the coaching staff feel the powerplay is in a bit of a rut, or they need to simplify things, he tends to send Chara out there for a few shifts. Recognizing big Z is standing in front of the net and has no interest in passing the puck along the boards, the powerplay unit tends to generate a lot of simple and screened shots on net.
The other reason you'll continue to see it is can be quite effective as well.
You might see Chara getting powerplay time at forward in as many as 30 games or so this year.
SENSfreak_03
10-13-2003, 02:15 PM
chara is one of my favs, volchenkov being the other, so this is good for him, but its not great either, martin and company have put the offensive confidence in him which is fine for him to use everyonce and a while but he seems to have gotten away from what made him great, his physicality has gone now, he doesnt seem to dominate guys like he used to, i think they need to sit him down and try to unleash the monster again. maybe hes still feeling a little psychological effects from the injury last year, but we need the monster back.