Let's be honest. The Vegas Golden Knights' power play has been, well, flaccid. They've converted on 22.7% of their power plays since October 18, when they lost Mark Stone. The absence of your Captain is obvious and it only gets worse when facing the Detroit Red Wings.
You see, the Red Wings have one of the best penalty kills in the league. We're talking about a penalty kill percentage of 86.8%, good for sixth in the NHL. That's enough to make any team without its captain cower.
Make fun of the blue line group all you want. But you must admit that players like Andrew Copp and Ben Chiarot have helped the Red Wings get off the ground. You can say that the Yzerplan is coming together quite well.
It's a great explanation regarding why the Red Wings are 9-4-0 and have 18 points this season. Fans in the Motor City are feeling something they haven't felt in years regarding their treasured hockey team: hope.
That hope could frustrate the Golden Knights on Tuesday, turning off the power play. But if the Golden Knights rely on their weapons to ease the pressure (for once) without the Captain, it should make life easier. Here's how.
How the Vegas Golden Knights power play can break through against the Detroit Red Wings penalty kill, starting with Mitch Marner
If you're Mitch Marner, you're given the opportunity to fill in for Stone. After all, you have a similar style to the Captain, sans the injuries and lacerated spleens. That means you must take on the role of facilitator and find the proper scoring opportunities.
That means relying on your heavy hitters on the power play. It doesn't matter if it's Tomas Hertl (three power play goals this season) or Pavel Dorofeyev near the point (five power play goals). Heck, you can give Eichel the puck since he doesn't have a power play goal this season.
Whatever it is, set up the play and make a move. Detroit's penalty kill does great at covering up space quickly. They get their sticks out at all times and are aggressive with their exits. That's where passing too much can get you in trouble, specifically if the Red Wings grab the puck.
That's why Marner must use his weapons whenever he sees an opening. Feeding Hertl in front of the net or catching Dorofeyev on the weak side goes a long way toward winning against the Red Wings. Watch for the former "Core Four" member during the power play.
Can Marner carry the load with Stone gone?
The good news for the Golden Knights is that Stone isn't expected to be out much longer. The earliest he can return is November 15 against the St. Louis Blues, which should help Vegas on all fronts. Still, you'd love to have him up high, where he can orchestrate the power play.
Marner's similar style to Stone should make the burden of losing the Captain easier. Instead, the Golden Knights haven't figured out the power play without the Winnipeg native, having only a 22.7% power play percentage since October 18.
All eyes will be on the younger winger entering Tuesday. The good news? He has 18 goals and 19 assists in 28 career games against Detroit. That's what we like to call "hot and ready."