The neutral zone trap stifles ability of the once coveted offensive defencemen
via Toronto Star:
Somewhere around 1995 – the year the defensive-minded New Jersey Devils won their first Stanley Cup with their neutral zone trap – the offensive numbers for defencemen tapered off. Coffey was seventh in scoring that lockout-shortened year with 14 goals, 44 assists. No defenceman has been in the top 10 since.
“The trap prevented defencemen from following up on the play,” says former coach Jacques Demers, now a colour commentator for Montreal Canadiens TV broadcasts. “Before, defencemen used to just take off, and skate and get into the zone.
“Now, they wait for you in the neutral zone so all the defenceman can do is pass, or he gets in trouble. If you deke one guy, the second guy’s so close.”
NHL teams are notorious copycats. If the neutral zone trap wins you a Stanley Cup, then 29 other teams are going to try it. Defenceman stay at home. Scouts look for big, sometimes clunky-footed, defencemen who can check. Coaches no longer wanted Orrs and Coffeys. Scott Stevens idealized what coaches wanted and whom teams drafted.
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Jean-Michel Said,
March 22, 2008 @ 5:35 pm
Jacques Lemaire is a great coach but I think his system made the game way less spectacular after the years. I think it’s one of the reasons why the NHL came up with the new rules in order for the players to score more goals.
Hockey News Aggregator » The neutral zone trap stifles ability of the once coveted … Said,
March 23, 2008 @ 12:34 am
[...] Original post here [...]