Something to Watch: The 1-3-1 PP

With this Sabres season beginning to take on the plodding eventuality of a Gerard Butler rom-com, it can be a challenge keep those eyeballs fixed on the screen most nights.

Instead of the usual “fire the coach/fire the GM/ embrace the tank” song-and-dance that usually gets trotted out about now – I’m going to try to give you a reason to actually watch by breaking down the 1-3-1 power play (stick with me here).

The Sabres’ inability to properly defend the 1-3-1 was the reason the Devils essentially had a two-minute shooting gallery last week and it remains to be seen if the Sabres’ killers can get their act together over the next three months.

A high-risk, high-reward system – the 1-3-1 came about as a reaction to the uptick in shot blocking that happened six or seven years ago. Once the dominion of Selke candidates and blue collar defensemen – shot blocking is a must-do for every hockey player, especially those on the penalty kill.

credit: Jasper's Rink

The 1-3-1 power play hinges on a single defensemen patrolling the blue line.In front of him, three forwards are positioned evenly, from boards to boards, and the fifth man is positioned in front of the net. With the 1-3-1 more shots tend to come from the half-wall, meaning a blocked shot skitters off into one of the corners instead of bouncing back out over the blue line. Its simple geometry really.

For the Sabres, the first unit usually features Myers/Ristolainen up top; Stafford, Ennis and the other D-man across the middle; and Moulsen in front of the net. Success with the 1-3-1 usually means quick passes and a lot of puck movement. Or, in the Sabres' case, dumb luck.

Defending the 1-3-1

With the lone man on the blue line and wingers on the boards, the best way to defend the 1-3-1 is with a diamond – essentially a forwards up top, two killers near the faceoff dots and one man clearing out the front of the net. Last week, we watched the Sabres use a box – two forward up top, two D-men down low – against the Devils and the results were ugly.

As with all other PK strategies, the best way to stop the 1-3-1 is to stay out of the box, win face-offs when you are a man down and get sticks in passing lanes to disrupt puck movement.

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So hopefully, that will give you something else to watch during games besides the scoreboard. With a couple more months of frigid temps and little daylight, you know you’ll be watching anyway.