Two weeks ago, the Orlando Solar Bears were about as low as a team could get. Recording only seven points in 15 games from Nov. 21 to Dec. 29 was enough to make any team feel down.
It certainly pushed the team down in the standings as the young team learned the hectic ECHL schedule and the constant call ups of goalies and key players to play for the Toronto Marlies for periods of time. The constant change and the beating of playing familiar, more experienced opponents started to wear on the team.
It was clear as the calendar turned, the team was facing fatigue and not executing as well. The things that made the Solar Bears successful early in the season were not occurring. The puck movement and special teams opportunities were decreasing.
It reached a fevered pitch as the team sought some relief to get the offense going.
“We’ve got to do a better job of moving our feet and generating power play,” Solar Bears coach Anthony Noreen said Jan. 3 after a 4-1 loss to the Florida Everblades. “That’s something that has been really good for us. Since Christmas, we haven’t had more than two power plays in a game. We’ve got to get to the hard areas more. We’ve got to be less perimeter, get to the net and draw ourselves some power plays as well.”
The Solar Bears have indeed struggled on the power play. They are now 10th in the league in power play percentage, converting on 18.8 percent of all power plays. The team though is 23rd in the league in power play opportunities with just 117 in 35 games this season. It is a crucial part of the attack that is missing.
The Solar Bears have turned the ship around since that homestand with the three straight games against the Florida Everblades.
In January, Orlando has won six of its seven games. In those games, the Solar Bears have had 18 power play opportunities with three power play goals in that time (16.7 percent). In all games in January, the Solar Bears have had no fewer than two power play opportunities and against the Wheeling Nailers and Kalamazoo Wings in the last two games, they had four and five power play opportunities respectively.
Orlando has not converted on those chances yet. But even getting more power plays has clearly boosted the offense. It tires out opponents and forces them to play defense for longer periods of time. Even without converting power play opportunities, it can certainly benefit the offense.
There may not be a direct line between the number of power play opportunities and the number of goals Orlando has scored — 30 goals in the last seven games and at least three goals in every win including at four goals in the recent four-game win streak. Something though has awoken this Solar Bears offense that has looked inconsistent for much of the season to this point.
But certainly part of the system the Solar Bears and the Toronto Maple Leafs are installing is about putting pressure on defenses by carrying the puck into the zone and moving it into dangerous areas with the pass. Drawing penalties is part and parcel to strong execution of this kind of a system.
With the Solar Bears working specifically to teach the system their parent clubs run, seeing even this modest number go up is a sign they are putting pressure on defenses and forcing mistakes. It is another sign the Solar Bears have had something click while on this long road trip.
Creating more power plays and generating offense has been a good thing for the Solar Bears for sure. Things appear to be clicking into place now as Orlando continues its road trip this week.
