Most of the time, we use the “Breakdowning” feature to unpack busy goals. Back in December, for instance, we broke down two Sedin goals versus the Minnesota Wild. Both featured a great deal of movement and, eventually, a tiny defensive error on which the twins were able to capitalize. We also looked at a powerplay goal versus the Toronto Maple Leafs. In it, the Leafs’ penalty-kill unit made an error, and the Canucks were able to pull off a complex scoring play as a result.
Alex Edler’s end-to-end rush Saturday versus the Columbus Blue Jackets was hardly complex. Basically, the Swedish blueliner just skated straight up the middle of the ice.
And no one stopped him. If you’re wondering how this goal happened, let me make it very clear: typically, a skater isn’t allowed to do that. But Edler was, and thus we break down exactly what allowed Alex Edler to go coast-to-coast like Space Ghost on the Columbus penalty kill.
First, a little credit where it’s due. While no NHL defence should ever allow a player to do what Edler just did, his skating in this sequence is downright beautiful. From the moment the puck crosses Vancouver’s goal line to the moment it crosses Columbus’s, Edler makes 16 perfectly fluid strides, picking up some incredible speed as he bursts out of his own end.
It’s an unexpected burst, as evidenced by Derek Dorsett staying wide, probably expecting Edler to turn the puck over to Ryan Kesler streaking down the near side. Instead, Edler recognizes that Dorsett is giving up the center of the ice in preparation to circle around and chase Kesler; the moment he reaches the faceoff dots, he goes into a full power skate, blowing by Dorsett and racing into the neutral zone untouched.
Completely flummoxed by this sudden burst of speed, Dorsett is forced to come to a near stop and turn back up ice. But, with Edler already in motion, the lost momentum results in the Columbus forechecker getting left completely behind.
Ryan Russell also falls victim to Edler’s unexpected solo dash. I’d imagine the Blue Jackets were fully prepared for the Canucks’ neutral zone drop pass — any game tape is likely to yield multiple sightings of it — but Edler going end-to-end? There’s no game tape on that. It’s never happened before, and furthermore, he’s the only Canuck defenceman on the ice. He’s literally the last guy out there you’re expecting to make a power move. By the time Russell realizes Edler won’t be leaving this puck behind today, it’s too late. He’s watched Edler pass him by.
Now, it’s still okay. Even though Edler has beaten both penalty-killing forwards with little trouble, he’s entering the Blue Jackets’ end all alone. Since Columbus have two defencemen back there, something would have to go horribly wrong for Edler to get to Steve Mason without being checked. Unfortunately, this is about when Nikita Nikitin briefly forgets where he is.
Nikitin does so much to help Edler on this play you’d think the Canucks had an inside man. (He wouldn’t be the first Nikita in the espionage business.) He shades so far to the wrong side of the ice that he doesn’t just leave a massive lane for Edler to continue through to Mason — he sets a screen, preventing John Moore from coming across. I’ve circled the problem, just to ensure that you can see both the absurdity of the alignment and the trajectory it allows Edler to take to the goal.
IT’S LITERALLY A STRAIGHT FREAKING LINE. Let’s take a look at what Mason is seeing, shall we?
What blows me away is that Nikitin and Moore are both natural left-side defencemen. How the left side of the ice could be completely vacated by this duo is beyond me.
But let’s not drag Moore into this mess: we’re looking at Nikitin’s miscue, and my favourite part of this sequence comes just after the above screenshot, as Dorsett comes to realize this and stretches out his arm in total disgust. Amazingly, Nikitin appears to be the only guy unaware of what’s going on in the screenshot below.
You can sort of make out Dorsett’s frustration above, but to really feel his pain, let’s look at the angle from the replay:
That’s the worst.
But Edler’s not home-free just yet. Finally cluing in, Nikitin dives out to prevent Edler from getting by, which does nothing, and John Moore manages to give Edler a two-handed slash to the back. Unfortunately for Moore, Edler’s from central Sweden, like the Sedins, and in central Sweden, children’s spines are forged from carbon steel. They don’t feel a thing back there.
So Edler scores. And thus, the Columbus Blue Jackets prove once again why they have the worst penalty kill in the NHL.
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Zach Morris
March 19, 2012Coast to coast, butter on toast.
Alex Edler, the newest member of the Harlem Globetrotters.
The Bookie
March 19, 2012That wasn’t butter, that was I Can’t Believe It’s Not Defending!™
bergberg
March 19, 2012End-to-endler.
Can this become a thing?? I hope Edler does it more often just so I have more reasons to use this phrase.
Ablefish
March 19, 2012Heh heh… I was hoping you guys would break this one down. The multiple camera angles are all perfect.
Chicky
March 19, 2012You know Dorsett’s all “WTF” on their arses. Guess the pre-game skate didn’t settle out who was the left hand.
This was a sweet thing to watch.
Fuzzysheep
March 19, 2012I was just watching this goal again on nhl.com and I thought to myself,
“I’d love to see PITB do a breakdowning on this goal, I bet there’d be some hilarious thought bubbles in there”
I check here and lo and behold here it is.
I love you guys
Bob
March 19, 2012I heard clumping around 1 spot on the ice was good defensive coverage
Dave Robinson (@dcrwrites)
March 19, 2012It’s great coverage, if the opposing player has to go through that one spot. Otherwise, not so much.
Hips
March 19, 2012I think the dmen were trying to get off for the other penalty killers to get on, which explains why they were both on the wrong side of the ice.
tom selleck's moustache
March 20, 2012I’m not so sure that trying to get off the ice is the reason for the malpositioning of Nikitin on this one. If you look at 0:35 of the replay, you can see Nikitin coming into the shot: he’s not trying to get off ice at all, he’s actually watching and covering (sort of) Edler. It’s just that, for some reason, he doesn’t have a clue that the trajectory of his skating is taking him way out of position.
peanutflower
March 19, 2012The best part is still — although I love breakdowning — Dorsett on the bench afterwards saying F-me. That’s the best.
J21
March 19, 2012I love how statistically speaking, Cory Schneider “set this play up”. Ah, official stats and the stories they tell.
I also found it hilarious that this was a PP goal. While no question the lack of one more Blue Jacket (should have made that trip to Moore’s, amirite?) made a difference in terms of opening up space, it’s just not what I think of when I hear “power play goal”.
Canuckles
March 19, 2012Are you sure that Nitkin “dove out” there? Kinda seemed that he just stumbled and fell, simply icing his incredibly awful play on that shift.
stathead
March 19, 2012Nitkin’s dive was like facepalming himself, but with the whole surface of the ice because his palm was inadequate to the magnitude of the error.
I love Schneider. I do. But since assists don’t really help him one way or the other, does anyone else think it’s odd to credit him with an assist on the play? Or is it standard procedure to credit all same-team members who touch the puck before a goal up to a max of three?
I LOVE how Weekes is totally absorbed in what he’s saying and impervious to the breakaway, so Lee can’t get a word in until Edler hits the other team’s blue line. Even when Lee yells “Shoots and scores!” he sounds a bit like he’s on valium or something.
Brent
March 19, 2012“THIS IS BAD DEFENDING”
Sometime it is just so funny to state the obvious in ALL CAPS! Be even better in sarcastic font.
shoes
March 19, 2012That is an amazingly funny breakdown…..dorsett will want that shot for his grandkids…..take my word for this and send him a copy. That is no fricken beautiful .
And end to endler will live on!
shoes
March 19, 2012I hate to nitpik but you forgot one important frame in the breakdown…..just after Edler scores llook what Dorsett does to his D-man…..that should have been called the “final recrimination’ frame because I can almost hear what he is saying and no I cannot reprint here. hahahaha
Jason
March 20, 2012Ha, probably my fav breakdown yet.