The Hockey Thread

[Tigerbass]

Blackhawks are sure on a roll!

[warwick.hoy]

Anyone catch the PHI@TB game on Versus?

Coach Guy Boucher and the Lighting came out with a Neutral Zone trap style system playing 1-3-1, right out of the gate,...and Coach Laviolette of the Flyers said,...I don't fucking think so asshat.

For the uninitiated,....1-3-1 basically means you have one forechecker (who is essentially the guy who is trying to pressure the opposing puck carrier in order to gain possession of the puck,...either by forcing a turnover,...or stealing the puck) not really doing any forechecking; just sorta standing inside the offensive blue line,..3 guys just sort of standing in the neutral zone along the red line,...and one guy in the high slot in the defensive zone just sort of standing there. The idea is to have each attacker covered,...force turnovers and have numbers going the other way once you possess the puck. It's very hard to pass through these systems which forces attacking players to navigate through a sea of defenders. Puck turnover rate is high,...and that gives the "forechecking" team opportunities on odd man rushes.

Normally teams employ a 2-1-2 attacking forecheck which is two forwards pressuring defenders who are trying to move the puck out of the defensive zone; there will be one guy in the Neutral Zone that can function as either a offensive or defensive player,...and you have your two main defenders back in the defensive zone.

To me the 1-3-1 (or any Neutral Zone Trap) is chicken shit hockey. It's something you do when you are a week defensive team,....and the result is that there is no real aggressive forecheck and takes the puck pursuit and corner scrum aspects out of the game. Often times traps result in slow or stalled hockey games and stifles offensive output.

So you have TB employing this chicken shit style of hockey (which they've been using since last year but nobodies exposed it for what it is, or been willing to defend the trap by just not obliging it) and Peter Laviolette,...coach of the Flyers,....defending against the trap by having his players not bothering to move the puck out of the defensive zone. Good for them. They have a set breakout and a game plan and when you start passing into coverage....then you stop playing logical hockey and you spending the entire time in your own zone getting routed.

So who blinks first? Nobody? Chess anyone? Or let's just have 10 guys stand on the ice staring each other down.

You may be asking yourself,..."well James,...isn't the idea to gain the upper hand or give yourself some sort of advantage?" You could say that,...but there is something to be said for sportsmanship and a level playing field. There is nothing in the rule book that says a team has to move the puck when the opposing team has a NZ trap setup but the idea is to score goals,...not be pussies. If a team isn't going to attack the puck or isn't hungry to possess the puck by working hard for it,...winning battles and footraces and getting to the dirty areas,...well then fuck that team. I think more and more teams should take these stall tactics up when an opposing team plays a 1-3-1. It's not especially good for the game, but the systems need to be scrutinized and criticized.

There is also something to be said for the amount of money people pay to see these games played. They aren't paying to watch 10 guys standing idle on the ice.

This sort of play makes for really boring hockey,....but I have to admire Laviolette's balls,...the guy's a genius. He is essentially telling TB that if you want the puck,...you are going to have to come and get it. And while the five Flyers are on the ice,...waiting on TB to establish an actual forecheck and make their move,....the rest of the team is on the bench calling Tampa a bunch of cowards,....and that's essentially what it is,...lazy hockey.

It was a little interesting to watch it unfold but I like fast paced hockey and it took TB changing tactics for the game to reach that pace. In my years watching hockey, I've never seen another coach defend against an NZ trap by not advancing the puck.

Flyers lost in OT BTW. So FUCK TAMPA BAY.

Okay I found some video that might make it easier to understand what's going on with this.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhsJilBgF84[/youtube]

[Haki]

To me the 1-3-1 (or any Neutral Zone Trap) is chicken shit hockey. It's something you do when you are a week defensive team,....and the result is that there is no real aggressive forecheck and takes the puck pursuit and corner scrum aspects out of the game. Often times traps result in slow or stalled hockey games and stifles offensive output.

This sort of play makes for really boring hockey,....but I have to admire Laviolette's balls,...the guy's a genius. He is essentially telling TB that if you want the puck,...you are going to have to come and get it. And while the five Flyers are on the ice,...waiting on TB to establish an actual forecheck and make their move,....the rest of the team is on the bench calling Tampa a bunch of cowards,....and that's essentially what it is,...lazy hockey.

Didn't see the game but caught the clips on TSN. If I wanted to watch a bunch of people standing around or flopping I'd still be watching soccer. All they do there is dig in deep and try to prevent play as much as possible and it's made the game dreadful to watch. I love what Laviolette did on this one, especially considering Tampa has some great offensive players, is on their home ice and they start out the game like that.

[bigchiefbc]

Anyone catch the PHI@TB game on Versus?

Coach Guy Boucher and the Lighting came out with a Neutral Zone trap style system playing 1-3-1, right out of the gate,...and Coach Laviolette of the Flyers said,...I don't fucking think so asshat.

For the uninitiated,....1-3-1 basically means you have one forechecker (who is essentially the guy who is trying to pressure the opposing puck carrier in order to gain possession of the puck,...either by forcing a turnover,...or stealing the puck) not really doing any forechecking; just sorta standing inside the offensive blue line,..3 guys just sort of standing in the neutral zone along the red line,...and one guy in the high slot in the defensive zone just sort of standing there. The idea is to have each attacker covered,...force turnovers and have numbers going the other way once you possess the puck. It's very hard to pass through these systems which forces attacking players to navigate through a sea of defenders. Puck turnover rate is high,...and that gives the "forechecking" team opportunities on odd man rushes.

Normally teams employ a 2-1-2 attacking forecheck which is two forwards pressuring defenders who are trying to move the puck out of the defensive zone; there will be one guy in the Neutral Zone that can function as either a offensive or defensive player,...and you have your two main defenders back in the defensive zone.

To me the 1-3-1 (or any Neutral Zone Trap) is chicken shit hockey. It's something you do when you are a week defensive team,....and the result is that there is no real aggressive forecheck and takes the puck pursuit and corner scrum aspects out of the game. Often times traps result in slow or stalled hockey games and stifles offensive output.

So you have TB employing this chicken shit style of hockey (which they've been using since last year but nobodies exposed it for what it is, or been willing to defend the trap by just not obliging it) and Peter Laviolette,...coach of the Flyers,....defending against the trap by having his players not bothering to move the puck out of the defensive zone. Good for them. They have a set breakout and a game plan and when you start passing into coverage....then you stop playing logical hockey and you spending the entire time in your own zone getting routed.

So who blinks first? Nobody? Chess anyone? Or let's just have 10 guys stand on the ice staring each other down.

You may be asking yourself,..."well James,...isn't the idea to gain the upper hand or give yourself some sort of advantage?" You could say that,...but there is something to be said for sportsmanship and a level playing field. There is nothing in the rule book that says a team has to move the puck when the opposing team has a NZ trap setup but the idea is to score goals,...not be pussies. If a team isn't going to attack the puck or isn't hungry to possess the puck by working hard for it,...winning battles and footraces and getting to the dirty areas,...well then fuck that team. I think more and more teams should take these stall tactics up when an opposing team plays a 1-3-1. It's not especially good for the game, but the systems need to be scrutinized and criticized.

There is also something to be said for the amount of money people pay to see these games played. They aren't paying to watch 10 guys standing idle on the ice.

This sort of play makes for really boring hockey,....but I have to admire Laviolette's balls,...the guy's a genius. He is essentially telling TB that if you want the puck,...you are going to have to come and get it. And while the five Flyers are on the ice,...waiting on TB to establish an actual forecheck and make their move,....the rest of the team is on the bench calling Tampa a bunch of cowards,....and that's essentially what it is,...lazy hockey.

It was a little interesting to watch it unfold but I like fast paced hockey and it took TB changing tactics for the game to reach that pace. In my years watching hockey, I've never seen another coach defend against an NZ trap by not advancing the puck.

I agree the 1-3-1 is fucking yellow-bellied hockey. TB pulled that shit against the Bruins this summer in the Conf finals. The Bs were swallowed up by it in game 1, and then Seguin bent TB over in game 2 with 4 points in one period. That was what really blew that series open and made Tampa realize they were going to have to actually do some skating if they wanted to win the series.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhsJilBgF84[/youtube]

Now that was some fucking funny shit right there.

[warwick.hoy]

Yeah,...gotta give it up to Laviolette for fucking with TB.

The fallout from that game was a lot of exposing of ignorance by a lot of fairweather and noob hockey fans. I guess strickly speaking it's a defensive system but to me it's a passive forecheck. A lot of people defending TB and calling PHI the team delaying the game,....but if you ask me,...their defense against the 1-3-1 was textbook.

I hope more teams employ this tactic against the 1-3-1. It's not exciting hockey to watch,...and I don't really think the league needs to a take a stance against either system,...but if that sort of thing continues the fans will let teams know that it's intolerable.

[madmax1012]

Tyler Seguin and the Bruins are on a fucking roll.

[bigchiefbc]

Tyler Seguin and the Bruins are on a fucking roll.

Seguin has been incredible. He's making me absolutely giddy for the future of this team.

[madmax1012]

Tyler Seguin and the Bruins are on a fucking roll.

Seguin has been incredible. He's making me absolutely giddy for the future of this team.

30 goals in 6 games? fuck yes.

[Haki]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-O8RiBmof4g[/youtube]

Miller getting hit by Lucic, dubbed 'gutless' by the Buffalo goalie, might want to call his teammates that too since apparently nobody went after him.

[warwick.hoy]

Called a charging penalty a what looked like incidental contact to me. Notice that Lucic finishes his strides and I'm sure attempted to let up on Miller,...but considering the positioning the hit was pretty much ensured when Miller played the puck.

I'm not sure what the stance is on touching a goaltender when he comes out of the crease to play the puck,....but it seems to me that Miller knew what he was doing which is attempt to draw a penalty. More Chicken Shittery if you ask me.

Sabres are on my shitlist to begin with.

This was a suspension worthy play by Kaleta who is nothing more than a mere goon.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MksKhL_hvIk[/youtube]

[Haki]

The hit could've been a lot worse if that's what Lucic had wanted. Apparently you can't hit/check a goaltender no matter if he's in his crease or not which is the only reason Miller went out to play it. Minor penalty seems about right. I thought it more telling that none of the Sabres really did anything to Lucic than the hit itself.

The Kaleta bit was nothing short of a headbutt. With all the yapping about headshots and concussions you'd think that warrant a suspension, moreso considering the punk Kaleta is.

[warwick.hoy]

The hit could've been a lot worse if that's what Lucic had wanted. Apparently you can't hit/check a goaltender no matter if he's in his crease or not which is the only reason Miller went out to play it. Minor penalty seems about right. I thought it more telling that none of the Sabres really did anything to Lucic than the hit itself.

The Kaleta bit was nothing short of a headbutt. With all the yapping about headshots and concussions you'd think that warrant a suspension, moreso considering the punk Kaleta is.

To be fair,...I say suspension worthy because he received a suspension. There was no penalty called on the play,...but in that instance I can only assume that it was obscured from the ref's eyes by the rest of the scrum.

I think Goalies that come out of the crease to play the puck should be fair game. I don't think that gives players the right to check the goaltender and I'm all for protecting them in the right situations,...but it seems to me that there is too much opportunity for goalies to draw unfair penalties under the current stipulations.

[madmax1012]

The hit could've been a lot worse if that's what Lucic had wanted. Apparently you can't hit/check a goaltender no matter if he's in his crease or not which is the only reason Miller went out to play it. Minor penalty seems about right. I thought it more telling that none of the Sabres really did anything to Lucic than the hit itself.

The Kaleta bit was nothing short of a headbutt. With all the yapping about headshots and concussions you'd think that warrant a suspension, moreso considering the punk Kaleta is.

To be fair,...I say suspension worthy because he received a suspension. There was no penalty called on the play,...but in that instance I can only assume that it was obscured from the ref's eyes by the rest of the scrum.

I think Goalies that come out of the crease to play the puck should be fair game. I don't think that gives players the right to check the goaltender and I'm all for protecting them in the right situations,...but it seems to me that there is too much opportunity for goalies to draw unfair penalties under the current stipulations.

i'm not saying this because i'm a bruins fan, but Miller clearly came out pretty far to get the puck, and I'm not supporting the hit, but dude shouldn't have come out that far. lucic is a big dude and if you don't want to get hit, don't get in his way. also, did Miller really have to come out and bitch to the media after the game? get over it bro, you got hit stop complaining and don't leave the net.

edit. Just watched it again, and how come no one said anything about Miller swinging his stick around at Lucic's legs after he fell?

[warwick.hoy]

Flyers pick up 5 out of a possible 6 points on their road trip. They are proving to be quite the road team early in this season.

I wish they had the home record to match.

The @FLA and @CAR games were much more entertaining then the @TB game. I'm glad that Tampa Bay is the only team that resorts to pussy hockey.

[warwick.hoy]

Glad to see another hockey fan on board.



Man oh man what a game in Philly. Super tight then Flyers 25 year old rookie out of Bimidji State; Matt Read, gets the go ahead goal with 18 seconds left in the game. How sweet it is. I love this "kid".

Bryzgalov gets a win in his first game against his former team on the 4 year anniversary of said team picking him up on waivers. The celebration and the big hug that Bryz gave Read (for getting the Game Winner) was a wonderful site to behold. Things like that are why I love this sport so much.