The New NHL : The Trap Is Dead

In the spring of 1994 the NHL has reached it's golden age.  The City of New York came alive in an unforgettable series between the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers. 

A rivalry was forged, a streak broken, and a new brand of hockey was born: The dreaded trap.

In the following year the spotlight moved across the Hudson River.  Following the strike, the Devils, with there strong system, powered their way through the Eastern Conference and into the Stanley Cup Finals against the Detroit Red Wings.  In this series we saw David versus Goliath, with the underdog Devils sweeping the talented Wings.

However, there was more to this series, as this series saw the birth of a new generation of the NHL.  The firm end of the Gretzky/Oilers, fast moving, and high scoring era.  Defense had become king and the dreaded trap had been born.  In the spring of 1995 we saw the famed left wing lock play against the infamous trap.

Over the next decade we saw only five teams win the Stanley Cup. The Devils, Wings, Avalanche, Stars, and the Lightning in 1995.  Each of the teams was backed a stud Defense.  Names like Stevens, Lidstrom, and Foote became household names in the world of hockey.

Then came the naysayers.  Many said the trap was bad for the game, and that it slowed hockey down and made the game uninteresting.  Others said that it required no talent and was the easy to way to victory. 

While others responded, that defensive hockey could be just as exciting as the offense brand of the late 80's.  However, that is quite beside the point. The fact of that matter is that these so called defensive juggernauts often lead the NHL in goals scored during their cup runs. 

Lets get back to the present though. In the post lockout era things have certainly changed.  Two major rules have made the trap and the left wing lock much less effective.  First, the elimination of the two line pass opened up the neutral zone.  This enabled teams to back up an aggressive 1-2-2 with long passes, backing up what would have been an aggressive fore check.

Second, the NHL's drastic cut down on clutch and grabbing has eliminated the Defense's ability to slow down forwards on the rush, creating a new NHL out of the ashes of the lockout. 

At first the new NHL did not to seem to be very new, as the Devils and Red Wings continued to be successful on a system that remained, for the most part, unchanged since 1995.

But the NHL has changed, and we have now reached a new golden age of hockey.  A hybrid of the best eras of the past is alive in the present.  In last years Stanley Cup final we saw the Detroit Wings, playing a system based on strong puck control, and the high scoring Pittsburgh Penguins.  In essence, we saw 1985 versus 1995.

Yet there is more evidence to indicate that teams in the new NHL need to rethink how they approach their fore check.  When the Devils hired Brent Sutter, many were shocked.  Traditionally Sutter ran a 2-1-2 fore check, very different then the 1-2-2 trap that the Devils had run for the previous decade. 

Last season in the swamps of Jersey we saw the Devils in a bit of an identity crisis.  They were torn between a more aggressive fore check and the more strict trapping style of play.

This year that story has been different. During their recent run of wins and strong plays the Devils have sported a new look.  They have stopped using a trap and have adapted a much more aggressive 2-1-2 system.  Aggressively attacking, carring the puck, and attempting to keep the puck in the opposing zone by pressuring their break out.

This begs the question, if the Devils seem to have left the trap behind, then is it still successful or has the new NHL rendered it extinct?  To answer this question we have to take another look back into the past.

Teams like the Devils in 2000, or the Wings of 1998, and 2002 were able to both play defensively and lead the NHL in goals scored.  Teams in the NHL need balance to win a championship.  The trap was never the sole for success of 'defensive' hockey teams in the post strike era of 1995 to 2006. 

In the new NHL it's all about speed skills. This makes it harder for teams to slow the game down.  Teams know that they can not sit back and wait for their opponents to make mistakes that can be capitalized. 

Turnovers need to be forced as well. In the late 90's you could slow down a Bure or Gretzky by clutching and grabbing in the neutral zone.  In the modern NHL however, you can not sit back and try to slow Crosby or Ovechkin down.  You have to force them to make errors.

In the new NHL there are a few ways that you can legally try to stop talents like Crosby and Ovechkin.  For example, force them to turn the puck over by being aggressive on the fore check.  This is where the 2-1-2 comes in handy because it might cause mistakes.  If you pressure the puck carrier it forces a quick decision. 

In end, the trap is not really dead.  It is just less effective and teams are looking for better ways to adapt to a very versatile brand of hockey.  In the Atlantic division alone we have some of the most explosive and defensive teams in the game.  To be successful, teams need to be able to adapt game to game, not year to year.