The same year Lidstrom started the whole league's goal average dropped, and shortly after he retired the average in goals went up, coincidence?

The no line change after icing is one of the best rule changes in hockey.

First team I saw really playing the dead puck trap and being effective with it was the 92 Penguins, during the playoffs. When they had a lead late in the game, they'd just shut it down and the other team couldn't penetrate their zone. They ended up winning the last 11 games on their way to the cup. But what really put the trap over wasn't the Devils winning the cup, but the Florida Panthers in their 3rd season with a mediocre line up making it to the finals. Every other team looked at that and saw how far you could go if you got the system down right. Other second rate teams that used the trap & a hot goalie to get to the finals were Washington, Carolina, the Ducks and my own Flames. None of them won the cup but they went further than they should have.

It's insane the amount of times Jagr is on that list - and that he's still playing hockey. Got to love that man

Selänne weeping in Finland

As Tuuka Rask used to say, " I'll be glad to wear smaller equipment, just make the skaters go back to wood sticks". People tend to forget how composite sticks changed the game.

The fact that this vid comes out the day after the Kings locked down the 'nucks for 50 min cannot be a coincidence :)

It was teemau selanne not pat lafontaine who score 76

That era was the cure for insomnia

I loved the "Dead Puck Era." Watching forwards get outclassed by defensemen and goalies was a lot of fun.

I think you meant to put Mogilny and Selanne for 76 goals in 92-93. LaFontaine only had 53 goals that year.

As much as it was a disaster to lose an entire season it was kind of needed. It brought about rule changes that boosted scoring. That 03-04 season is an abomination in how low the scoring was.

They should implement a "back-rink violation" for OT, similar to the NBA rule of back court violation. Once you have possession of the puck and cross the red center line, you're not allowed back on your side of it unless the puck first touches a player from the other team or a whistle stoppage.

For me, the worst part about the dead puck era were the countless horrific crosschecks that would never get called, especially during the playoffs. Dudes' spleens, kidneys, and livers took a punishing back then. All the star players were limping around trying to catch their breath due to getting their internal organs assaulted.

I used to love watching Forsberg barrel his way through opposing players. The dead puck Era was awesome for us Avs fans.

Personally I like fast paced but low scoring games. I liked it more when maybe 1 or 2 players if any got 100 points vs 10+ 100 point scorers every season.

I liked the idea of increasing the width of the bluelines, which directly increases the size of all 3 zones without increasing the size of the total ice surface.

I’m thinking you put me in net,but you put me on my side, and we’re good. If that doesn’t work Sumo wrestler. Maybe I’ll be able to get down to Abbotsford and we can test my theory in a road hockey game. Good stuff THG. May all your hat-tricks be natural.

I personally really like where hockey is at right now. I think the pace, the offense, the defense, and the goal tending is balanced pretty well. The only thing I can think of to make the game more enjoyable is to figure something out with the OT and shootout situation.

Thank you for your daily uploads, Shannon! Your insight into these topics are priceless. Thanks for making my day off just so much better! :) Greets from NB

I really like these general topic videos. Keep up the good work. BTW You need to do a meet up on the East Coast.

I’m afraid that a comeback of the dead puck era and neutral zone traps will drive away casual fans and cusp fans who like wide open play with flow, speed and elite scorers allowed to be elite scorers.

13:48 Matt Murray and Andrei Vaisilesky

I have no issue with the neutral zone trap. It's on the coaches and players to figure out how to counter it. Move the puck would be my first suggestion. If you're going to hold the puck behind your own net and allow the other team to set up their trap, you're playing into their game. First guy off the bench on that line change goes to the opposing blue line and gets the pass instead of 3 players all circling back into your own zone like some practice breakout drill.

I knew this was coming after kings nucks affair yesterday

Interesting stuff. 🤔👍

Did you ever review the Anaheim Minnesota 2003 series? The ultimate trapping-wasteland series.

Soccer- has teams that "park the bus" and try to avoid being scored on and make little attempt to score. NFL- trying to make playing defense impossible NBA- refuses to play defense entirely I think the NHL should aim for a happy medium between the two extremes. No defense can be just as bad as too much defense from a viewing perspective.

I'd really like to see the review of being inches offsides meaning a goal gets called back. If the ref calls it at the time of the offsides, fine. But, I think it hurts the sport that play continues for maybe 30 seconds then a play of inches offsides that was not called erases a goal.

I wonder if that the high scores in recent games, six goals for example, was going to cause a change. The NHL implemented changes to open up more goals and if this is a blow back. I can agree with what you say. Thank you.

Exoansion has always lead to an increase in scoring. Im all for adding 2 teams every 10 years or so in order to keep the game watchable

There's definitely a fine line with the NHL trying to police styles that are "too defensive." Do they exist? Definitely, but the Sharks would have been abominable to watch even as a neutral, let alone a fan, this year if they weren't allowed to play a pretty defensive game. At a certain point, it actually isn't fun to see a team get slaughtered unless you REALLY hate them (and even then you feel a little dirty after too many times). There has to be an allowance for a team to try to limit chances, unfortunately the 1-3-1 is incredibly effective at that. I don't think we'll see the hellish defensive style of the 90s and early 2000s really come back to the degree we saw then, it's been beaten into submission pretty effectively by rule changes over the past two decades. On the shootout thing, I'd personally advocate the league (if they don't just scrap the shootout entirely in favor of draws which is my vote) move to 3 points for a win in regulation/overtime, 2 for a win in the shootout, and 1 for getting to overtime and losing. Incentivizes pushing for the win while still in overtime, but still allows for the shootout to exist.

cracking down on interference, hooking and holding saved the game

I still remember Don Cherry during a Coach's Corner in the 2003 playoffs commenting on Giguere's equipment: "HE LOOKS LIKE KING KONG!"

I definitely think Embellishment doesn't get called correctly, at all. They only ever call it as offsetting penalties. It's never an embellishment penalty by itself. I've seen a play this season where a guy grabbed his opponents stick to lift it up and hit himself in the face with it. Initial call was high sticking, but upon review, they rescinded it. However, they didn't take that moment to issue an embellishment penalty. There are a lot of tongue in cheek cheapshot plays that don't get called. Maybe an initial call will be reversed because of it, but never do they get penalized for it. Whether it fabricates a penalty or otherwise results in a stoppage, they need to be penalized.

There has been one team since the lockout that went with defense first and that was the 2011 Tampa Bay Lightning.

I totally understand your confusion about teams playing a certain way when they have talent to do something else. The best coaches in any sport are the one’s who develop their style, strategy, and game plan around the talent on their team and don’t make their players adapt to a style the coach prefers. A coach who is married to a particular style can win, but they win because they got lucky with the right players, not because they evaluate and develop players well. When a coach isn’t playing their best guy because the current game isn’t that style, the coach is done and it’s just a question of when. I’m one of the few who enjoys 3-2 hockey with great goaltending and defense. Regarding ot, I think a 10 min 4 on 4 would do it, 3 on 3 teams are just too hesitant to give up a break away and 4 on 4 I think would produce a similar number of shootouts to the current model.

The Devils’ perfection of the trap and the goalie’s equipment increasing to tent-sized proportions after 1993-94 brought offense to a halt league-wide until the Lost Season of 2004-05, save for certain individuals who’d score no matter what, but even their stats were reduced compared to previous form.

Would appreciate a vid on the 2014/15 season/changes etc thanks

Cheers mate. Now that Spring is here is there any chance of you doing the occasional video outside? I don't know if you've ever done an outside 'show' but it is such a lovely environment up your way that it would just add to your otherwise excellent presentation. Cheers!

I think more trapping will incentivize more speed and puck handling. More going right at defenders as you blow by them. Open spaces will be more vertical and reward tose who are aggressive, athletic, and smart woth the puck. Don't know how many guys would excel at that style, but we would see more of the McDavid style of hockey I think.

I like the neutral zone trap, but I like allowing the two line pass to try to bypass the neutral zone trap.

SUNDIN TIES THE GAME !!!!! one of bob coles best calls

I'd love to see what the talented guys could do in a no/minimal contact ruleset with no fighting.

I sorely miss the Dead Puck Era. Best players, best teams, larger than life personalities (and egos), enforcers, insane rivalries, it was an amazing time to be alive.

People forget about this but Most of the drafts in the 90’s were terrible

So many great players in that era, they could have had been such a golden era, but it is what it is, scoring after the lock out increased with less offensive talent than 97-06, would be interesting to have all star teams from each conference from both eras and compare

If the NHL ended the Dead Puck Era with rule changes, they should do the same thing to the Dead Cap Era we’re in right now.

To answer your question, I’ve only started actually following the NHL after the Covid lockdown, so I cannot comment on any earlier patterns of play (Caps fan, so ‘98 kinda hurt & the NHL was harder to follow back then & the season is so long)

Let's have fun with this, no Offsides.

wonder if there are any teams that are particularly good against some of these teams that are famous for the modern trap like the trotz islanders

That over the glass would happen every time a team was pinned down in there ozone but some of the rules I grew up with I hated when the change happened . Paul Biz nasty was a known flopper and says on spitting chiclets and wears it with a badge of honor 😂

Scoring is up 12.25% this year compared to '01 when Bure had 59 goals(3.12 vs 2.76). If you adjust his goals up 12.25% that'd put him at 66.

turn effective defense into sharp transition offense?

i'm pro neutral zone trap when necessary (and if you've got the physical guys to do it). I don't want to see it all the time. But i thought there was plenty of scoring in the late 90's. I like a good 2-1 game. Especially if it's a beautiful defensive game on both sides. But the game has always been about scoring. Without goals you get shootouts every night. I am kind of opposed to these giant goalies. i keep wondering when we're gonna get our first 6-8, 260 lb behemoth who just happens to be quicksilver in net. It's bound to happen.

I noticed how forecheckers or puck carriers chipping in the puck , are now interfered getting to the puck( I get they don't call it to protect the dman from getting plastered against the boards...but it's getting ridicules with dmen taking 1- 2 steps to initiate contact on the forward

It would have been pretty remarkable if both Mogilny and LaFontaine scored 76 goals since they mainly played together in the same line. It was *akshually* Selänne who scored 76 goals that season.

Bure no doubt would've been 70+ several times if he'd played in a different era. He's one of the most talented offensive players ever in my opinion.

In April of 94 Mario Lemieux threatened to quit, he was being constantly held, hooked, slashed whether he had the puck or not. Refs wouldn't even call blatant penalties In the 70s as roster started becoming deeper( a lot of teams would not play their 4th line in the 3rd period , sometimes their 3rd line was reduces as well) buy it was still a slash league......watch the SC final between Phi and Mon , you could watch a player carry the puck into the zone, keeping the puck protected from his cover. But every opposing player ( covering their man) would reach out for a viscious slash one or two hander, on the puck carrier, while the man on him was constantly slashing him( both teams did it- maybe not quite equal close though) There have always been this penalty not called through NHL history Case in point the Detroit Red Wings in mid 2000s had the skill but also tenacity/smarts to avoid the hooks on puck carrier...they would hook the trailing , open winger( wasn't just Detriot- they were just so good at hiding it) so where you should have an odd man rush, you didn't Same old call the penalties Man has a step on you towards the goal , call the penalty shot

n.j. devils were very successful with j. leamire's style of play in 90's .. clog up the middle for 60 minutes , score 2 or 3 goals , and rely on hof goaltending to win

I remember when I think it was Andy Moog ? We used to talk about his huge glove...well it wasn't long after it became common place Than they added the cheater pad between the thumb and wrist....than everybody eentvovernmboard to some degree( beyond the number of quality goalies across the league- which was real)

Correction: Mogilny and Selanne had 76 goals, not LaFontaine

Agree I embrace puck over the glass penalty Even the best dmen,back in the day , I aim for top 2 feet below the edge of glass.....no way a player can block the puck , worst case it goes out of bounds, put fresh defensive players on the ice

I like the current rules but i dont mind watching a good defensive gritty grind it out game

Hey Shannon, what are your thoughts on introducing a 1 minute penalty for things like puck over the glass? It seems weird that you get the same punishment for dangerous plays as you do for accidentally lifting the puck into the stands. Seems like it might also give officials a little more autonomy in making calls based on the gravity of the offence. "I don't really like giving that guy a 2 minute penalty for that, but he should get SOMETHING, so..."

it is sort of fun on occasion to ask ourselves how many would player X have scored in the highest scoring era

Bring back POWER FORWARDS!!! Guys who can carry the puck through a defenseman, throw crushing hits on the forecheck, fight and intimidate the opposing team.

What is the lockout

Oh man remember selannes rookie year and lindros got a whack of points too bure bure bure mogilny tho in what 91?

I think goal scoring is in a good position right now. If you make it too easy, it dilutes how great the best players are, however you dont want goal scoring to drop tooo far for viewers. At the same time right with how many goals are scored the physicality of hockey makes it an exciting sport to watch even when the puck isnt in the net. Its the only sport I can watch that can keep my attention for a full 60. Obviously there are some boring games out there that wont but the score usually isnt the main thing that keeps my personal attention.

There's just way too much talent in the NHL right now to have another dead puck era. Not that there weren't talented players before, but with how much the talent pool has grown, even just from the early 2000's (just check how well different nationalities were represented, compared to today), it's incomparable. Plus the rule changes made in '05 definitely help. It can get more defensive, but it won't be anywhere near as bad as it has been during times of yonder.

Coaches want to win every game, not just the important ones. So they’ll employ whatever strategy is necessary to win. And very few teams can play a run and gun style effectively every game. Defense is more predictable and easier to play consistently.

Shootouts are better than ties

1. I looked at the numbers. And it looks like talent dilution wasn't really a thing. Russian and Czech players compensated for that. 2. Was there a culture thing with Russians and Czechs coming as well? Soviet system was more about trenches, mines, and barbed wire rather than cavalry charge...

I'm fairly certain it was Selanne, not LaFontaine, who scored 76 goals.

What I'd be curious about is if the top goalies of the time (Hasek, Brodeur, Roy) wouldve looked as good as they had if they hadnt had their peaks during the dead puck era.

eventually your discord will learn that the players i take are good . i liked the dead puck era i liked the trap too.i like that type of play ,is that wrong ? was the live puck in the 80s better hockey ? it seems now is always better imo . the 80s and 90s were so much simpler . soon they will count pitches like baseball , dont want that as a fan . bordeleau and brazeau have b in their names had to take them both as a pair . i have gudas and geekie because i put them as a pair and its gg when i win the week . if you have two of something . if one is bad you have another . now i have ZEGRAS! gudas goes on ir wowie wow wow , couldnt have asked for a better run .gohabsgo i took zegras cuz u a fan o dem btw , gudas im a fan of . idc where he plays . hes awesome imo .

I know this may not be a popular opinion, but I think "trap" hockey is actually very important to the sport itself. It's what allows teams with less talent to beat high end talented teams. It's part of what creates crazy upsets (Tampa vs Columbus for example) and gives the league a lot of parody. I think the issue arises when everyone starts playing that way, including the most talented teams in the league. But that can be said for any style of hockey. Having every team play the same style is just boring in general. But personally I do not think the pace of the game needs a shift for now.

Possibly an unpopular opinion, but goal scoring right now is roughly where it should be. Goals are exciting because they're difficult to get. There's 3ish per team per game now, if rises too much, goals will be less impressive.

Heavy hockey won 5 Stanley Cups between 2010 and 2015. Hard to argue with success.

Back when there were only three officials who didn't miss a thing.

Let's go Devils

If they trap is played like the blues in 2019 im fine with it , but also bring back staple gunning people to the boards physical hockey is gone it’s a bump in play league

Dude goalies got better that is the main reason goal scoring went down the second thing I’d say was the lack of calls on the obvious penalties

It’s very frustrating as a fan when a team just clogs up the middle of the ice. It becomes a very boring game when that happens.

Without the trap, would Brodeur be the all-time leader in wins? Maybe.

I understand that it's a business, but as someone who collects NHL cards as purely a hobby, I do not even know what to say about the prices NHL upper deck cards are going for today. Even if you look for older seasons, the price of cards has SKYROCKETED WAY past the actual value of the ink and paper most of the individual cards are worth... How are hobbyists and children supposed to continue to enjoy this hobby when all these "get rich quick" collectors and online "tradesmen" force them out of the market?

GKG

I remember my father, a lifelong hockey fan, speaking the name Jacques Lemaire as if it was an obscenity.

Selanne,not Lafontaine !

Get rid of the trapezoid and instigator stuff. Let fighting be how it used to be, and let goalies get involved. Crack down on headhunting, seriously. And allow the game to be more physical like it used to be.

Imo there is a lot not being called for diving and the other team is penalized instead. The other thing maybe start 2 fine referees 4 bad calls

Face Touch 5 seconds in

Personally I believe rebuilds increase scoring. Instead of low-talent teams playing defense, they can embrace the fast pace even if they lose in order to tank or let the young stars develop.

2 point for winning in OT 1 point for loss in OT, 1 point winning in shootout 0 point for loss in shootout! Change it now!

Defense Wins Championships? If that was true, the 80's Oilers would have never won a game.

All you need to see is a goalies catching glove next to someone in street clothes to know it needs to be reduced. Giant mits have nothing to do with protecting goalies.

Most of the changes were positive, however messing with goalie equipment was a dirtbag move. Some of the great goalies just weren't the same after that.

I really don't mind the trap whatsoever and don't find it boring. You can still have great offense to go along with it just look at LA right now. It's similar to soccer with more defensive orientated formations...

I believe scoring average will only continue to climb for many years and I'll tell you why. I remember the 80s and 90s and it was primarily two scoring lines and 3rd and 4th lines were really for giving the other lines a rest and hitting and fighting, that's about it. However, today's teams have mostly 3 lines that can score and many teams even get scoring from all 4 lines such as Dallas, Tampa, Vancouver and several others, I also believe that this Era of players are the most fit and healthy out of any previous generations. Great video Shannon : )