Questions for the Abby watchers:
How is ice-time being distributed on the back end as the playoffs move along?
Is there an obvious top pairing?
Are there any positive signs from "prospects" McWard and Hirose?
Power play
Johansson pp1
Wolanin pp2
PK
Irwin-Johansson and Cicek-Wolanin rotate as the first pk shift
Hirose-McWard will get third-shift reps if the game is even, or it's early, and they need minutes, and the PK is going well. Otherwise, Colliton rotates his two vet pairs on d and at forward.
5-on-5 is a total mess because of how many penalties get called in the AHL
Cicek-Wolanin are probably the biggest minute-munchers across all situations.
Irwin-Johansson are big minute munchers owing to 5-on-5 and the PK
McWard and Hirose are the third pair but get played a decent amount when trailing over Irwin/Johansson, which is interesting.
I've actually thought that McWard and Hirose have been their best pairing through playoffs. Very defensively reliable, moves the puck pretty well, McWard can crank it from the blue line, and Hirose—despite having zero velocity on his shot—has been throwing shots on goal in volume.
5v5 goal differential through four playoff games:
McWard 4GF - 2GA = +2
Hirose 3GF - 1GA = +2
Wolanin 5GF - 5GA = 0
Irwin 2GF - 2 GA = 0
Fil Johansson 0GF - 2GA = minus-2
Nick Cicek 2GF - 6GA = minus-4
Cicek been getting ventilated at 5-on-5 in my viewings. Has been a brutal playoffs for him. Tones of poor clearances, exit passes, reversals...puck has just not been his friend through these games, sad to say. I thought he was pretty solid during the regular season.