From the Thumbnail, I was 95% sure this was going to be blasting the Championchip Devils teams & how they killed Hockey for a decade. What we got was a video I will point to every time the Trap is mentioned cause the stigma is real when it come to Devils & the Trap. Continue the great content & work man!
The devils only used the trap in 95 to win a cup ...in 2000 they were just by a mile the biggest fastest youngest team and possibly the best team in nhl history ... that team was beyond stacked ... ran 4 lines equally that all 4 lines could score with ease. ..plus that A line was just simply unstoppable.. best line I've ever seen ...no one ever talks about how dominant they were defensively... plus the madden pandalfo Berlin or nem line could shut down ever single top line in hockey giving the devils the ability to use the last change to put their a line against other teams weaker lines... the saddest thing was that the stars team was a pure dynasty waiting to happen ..if they just didn't have to face to devils they would have for sure won back to back cups ...
@@mostlycrazyallthetimethat's a strange way to spell Detroit Red Wings. The wings forced the league into the salary cap era. The devil's were just the only other team who could keep up.
I don’t think it was the Devils that should get the blame. It was the Panthers the next year, a hilariously unskilled team that trapped their way to the SCF and showed everyone that the trap could overcome your roster limitations and get you into contention. That’s when everyone started doing it.
To me the mst impressive part was the "83" Islanders. People have no idea just how dominating the Oliers were. Even in 1982 they were predicted to unseat the two time champion Isles before losing early to the Kings, if I recall correctly. To this day I'm conviced the strange hate towads the NYI for having the record of consecutive playoff series dubs with 19. I believe many people hold it against the isles that they're the only NHL American Dynasty.
@@xellossm8444 Carbo was 38yo but he always been an Ace defensively. He played big for his size, he was very physical. It's part of the reason why he became captain with the Habs after Bob Gainey. Carbo's arguably one of the best two-way forwards of all-time. Lehtinen was the 3rd youngest forward of their regular squad at 25yo. Though he was extremely responsible defensively, and very consistent. He also put up some good numbers throughout his career. He only played with the Stars, the fans love him. Nieuwendyk really stepped up his game, he was incredible in the Western finals vs Colorado. It was his line with Langenbrunner and Reid that made a big big difference vs the Avs. It's like part of the reason why Nieuwendyk got the Conn Smythe over Modano. Nieuwendyk was one of the best two-way players of all time, and he was 3-4 tiers above Carbo in scoring. Modano became more responsible defensively around 1996-97, during the 2nd season with Nieuwendyk with the Stars. However, unlike many other players, that change in his game barely affected his numbers because of his high skill level. Modano was about 2-3 tiers above Nieuwendyk in scoring, and likely in the top 3 of two-way 1st center at the time. Zubov and Sydor were both in the best defensemen of the league. Both of them were more on the offensive side, but they were also solid defensively. Zubov was 28 and Sydor was 26. They were right in their prime, and both were in the top 15 of the NHL defensemen. Derian Hatcher was incredibly good and arguably in the top 5 defensive defensemen at the time. He was in his prime at 26, and guys knew better than to be caught with their head down when he was on the ice. Hatcher delivered bone crushing body checks, and he was very tough to play against. Having him on your team with Zubov and Sydor made that team so hard to beat. Matvichuk was 25. He was a decent top 6. Chambers was 31 and about the same level as Matvichuk. He was a decent top 6. Ludwig was 37, he was slow but he played physical. He brought lots of leadership like Carbo. Matvichuk and Ludwig stepped up the game in the playoffs. They got a SC ring to prove it. Hull wasn't very defensive, but I thought I'd mention that his poise and confidence made him a clutch performer. With trades they added more leadership and speed in Benoit Hogue and Derek Plante respectively. Other memorable veterans were Skrudland, Keane, and Verbeek. All three of them were big time vets like Hogue as well. Plante didn't play many games in the playoffs though, he shared games with Hrkac and Marshall. Reid wasn't too shabby. The Avs acquired him later and won the cup with him in 2001. They arguably had the best team in the NHL, but they were not the fastest. Langenbrunner was one of their fastest players, and he played physical. He learned much from his years with the Stars. On top of that the stars had Belfour! The Stars were so good that Roman Turek had a record of 16-3-3 in the 1998-99 season. So I think Belfour would have won at least 45-50 games if he had played more games. He was 33yo though, so they were smart in resting him.
It's not, because every video you've ever done has the same quality. Even looking at your first video, you are so well spoken, researched and just, well, perfect. It is downright criminal you have so few subscribers. You combine documentary levels of research with an easily digestible format, as you also sprinkle in some dry comedy like pausing to ask "What is that" to those inflatable hockey player things during the NYI vs TOR series, or cutting yourself off to say "Oh my god _____ just suckerpunched" (I couldn't quite remember the video but it was funny). You seem to perfectly capture the energy and emotion of every series or season you cover, really making me feel for the teams playing even though the series is 20 years old and the players are long since retired. You're like EMPLemon but with a much better speaking voice
Part of what made the Devils trap so effective was because of Brodeaur's ability to come out of the net and play the puck. If you did manage to dump the puck past the D men, Marty would simply come out of the net and clean it up. Even if they somehow got into the zone cleanly, they still had to deal with one of the greatest goalies of all time.
Adding the trapezoid rule was a small part of it, but particularly killing the two line pass rule helped a ton. Also the blue lines are a little closer to the center red line so the defensive zones are expanded.
Hearing about a really active goalie named Marty is hilariously nostalgic, my HS goalie was absolutely stellar, just like that. We did NOT deserve him. Absolute stone wall.
Idk. People tend to overrate how defensive they were. They had some absolute lethal weapons on offence. Elias, Mogilny, Gomez, Nieuwendyk, Arnott. They were the highest scoring team in the league in 2001 when they won.
The Neutral Zone Trap is one of those styles that can perfectly work in playoff hockey with the right personnel. I think we all noticed how offensive style hockey doesn't usually work well in the playoffs. The Neutral Zone is that one style where everyone gets pissed and the people who use it just say, "If you don't like it, try to beat it."
@@a_coleman11 it worked the best for them because they didn't have the best players, but the right players. Herb Brooks system worked because he had the right players for it. Same as Jacques Lemaire with his system.
Here in Britain (where our hockey was something of a joke in the 90's) the trap allowed our teams to compete with the European nations and put them into medal contention. It's not pretty but better an ugly winner than pretty loser right? 😋
personally, i think teams running defensive styles is good for the league. The more variation in strategy, the better. With the rules we have now, the trap is much less effective so its not nearly as game breaking as during the 'dead puck era' The more players get used to playing against defensive strategies, the more they'll learn to counter it thus pushing the game forward. this push and pull is essential for the growth of the sport, and i'd argue that there aren't enough defensive teams.
@@Potent_TechmologyThe Problem was that to win the Cup last year would have required the Oilers scoring first in 4 out of 7 games as the Panthers 1-2-2 trap was unbeatable all season long with a lead. Offense is sexy, but defense wins championships almost every year with the 2022 Avalanche being a recent exception.
@@BobbyBoucher228 people keep saying defense wins championships and I just don't agree with that anymore. the Predators would've won in 2017 if that was the case. the Golden Knights and Panthers scored their way to championships, and as scoring continues to rise, I think there will be more teams like the Avs and Knights who are heavy up-front, have offensive-styled D-men on the top 2 line, but yet lack a world-class goalie.
Really enjoyed the video, but do want to point out a glaring omission. The 1993 Montreal Canadiens. After the two offensive Penguins team won back-to-back cups, the 93 Habs won playing the trap. HC Jacques Demers even once told the story how GM Serge Savard told him “don’t say the word trap to the media because you won’t hear the end of it”. Lemaire was an assistant GM on that Montreal team. Took the New Jersey job the following season. In fact, if you look at goals scored per game, the biggest season to season drop was after the 93 season, when half the NHL moved to the 1-2-2.
Very frustrating. I knew MTL continued to use it but I didn't realize it went all the way to their next Cup win. Even digging into my sources for this video again, there's no mention of it I can find of them using it in 1992-93. Guess it was just a blind spot. Thanks for bringing it up.
@ Kudos to you for digging that deep, even more so for finding all of the old footage. For the 93 team, Demers would speak about it more in the French media, as he was an analyst for RDS for years. And finally, I love all the work that went into showing the link to how former players became coaches/managers and carried it with them. A similar timeline could be made with the development of young players, and “letting them develop as opposed to rushing them”. My timeline goes from Sam Pollock (70s Canadiens) to Bill Torrey (80s Islanders) to Jim Devellano (90s Red Wings) to Ken Holland (2000s Red Wings) to Steve Yzerman (2010s Lightning), not to mention Bob Gainey (2000s Canadiens), Stan & Scotty Bowman (2000s Blackhawks), Jim Nill (2020s Stars) and on and on.
Although I agree that the Habs were really the start of trap hockey when Lemaire became coach in ‘83 and making the game so un-fun that Lafleur retired instead of playing it, the 93 Habs actually trapped much less that the previous 8 years until they got to the playoffs and got into all the OT games.
Both the 2019 Blues and the 2024 Panthers used the 1-2-2 trap when they got a lead and both were devastatingly effective at shutting down offensive chances with their defensive systems. Also even with the trapezoid rule if you have a good puck handling goalie like Binnington, a team can stop the majority of offensive chances with a good puck handling goalie who can stop teams from dumping and chasing and force them to carry the puck in the zone resulting in a lot of turnovers and odd man breaks with the 1-2-2 trap in place. If you look at the Panthers record when they had a lead last year it shows just how effective the 1-2-2 trap can be in modern hockey with a lead and a team who can execute the trap defense to perfection in every game.
Man I loved those NJ teams so much. Kind of ironic that what is a weakness today (defense and goaltending) was their greatest strength back then. I can’t stand how teams never give NJ the credit they deserve just because they emphasized defense over offense.
Now we are in an era where really aggressive forechecking teams are considered boring because they choose to get pucks in deep, whereas the trap made that a good option for the opponent. "We should get a guy like Connor McDavid" is not a viable team building strategy for the vast majority of the league because there aren't enough of those players to distribute, so building a team around a strategy to offset the disadvantage of not winning the draft lottery in a franchise altering year makes a lot of sense. It's ivory tower nonsense to look down on a team without true superstars for, you know, trying to win however they can. Like, what are they supposed to do, lie down and take their beating?
As a completely new hockey fan, this video showed up in my recommended feed, and boy I am happy I ended up here. Hockey history is so cool, thank you for the passionately made video.
@@Potent_Techmology he's talking about the devils, you know, the teams everyone thinks cheated their way to 3 stanley cups because hurr durr "the trap"
As a rangers fan, when you said you may think of the Devils at 16:20 I was nodding my head and you said the Rangers. I just said what? out loud with the most confused look at my screen lol. Another banger video! keep making these Pinholes!!
As someone who's a passionate fan of hockey and especially hockey history, I'm really pleased with how well researched this video is! It's clear you really know your stuff and you researched things very well. It was also very well presented from a visual and auditory perspective and the writing was great too. Keep this up and you'll gain significant popularity!
Very good take. It’s not the fault of the trap but rather the circumstances surrounding it. Tbh, remove the obstructing and two-line pass rules from that era and there would be way, way more scoring.
Great video. Written in a way that flows is easy to listen to, and is packed with info while still being incredibly entertaining. Above all else, it is well-researched. Love to see it.
Oh, I love those retrospective videos. Top notch quality as always. Thanks! Personally, though, the late 90s-early 00s NHL was my favourite NHL of all. I loved the aggression and literal battles on the ice to physically smother your opponent. And when the big guys had a lot more to say :) Today they want to make it almost contactless which doesn't sit well with me. I'm from Europe so maybe I'm just used to seeing few goals. Or maybe I'm just getting old, but two big hits and seeing the players and the fans react to it excites me sooooo much more than a 10-goal game. The two-line pass was the worst rule of all-time, agreed. BUT BUT BUT the trapezoid is the NEW worst rule of all-time. Completely takes such an exciting dimension away from the game. Goalies need to be set free again :)
Never saw your show before but this breakdown is fantastic. As someone who played in and later coached what is called the trap system I will say it is the greatest system ever invented. I am not finished with the show but am so impressed so far I had to comment.
this video really exceeded my expectations. as a kid i loved what's now called "dead puck era" hockey and i still do. i learned some new things and got a great nostalgia hit, so thanks for that. subbed.
I don’t really know that much about hockey but I loved every second of this, definitely inspired me to go look at more hockey content! Wonderful video!
Honestly thanks so much for how much effort you put into these videos - they have always been entertaining but I think they just keep getting better. The quality is phenomenal and you make such original and creative content! I really value this channel and look forward to future videos. Will do my best to promote your channel where I can because this content really deserves a bigger audience!
This video was absolutely effing interesting. Its gotten me to go through ALL your vids. I loved your Leafs/Islanders video given I'm a leafs fan. Id absolute LOVE for you to do a cool 3 part series comparing the 3 leafs runs to the conference finals with stats and all. I know its a bit much but seeing that would make me so happy my dude. Keep up the great work!!!
You and Hockey Psychology are my go-to for every single upload. This was fascinating and I learned way more than I thought I would. I was definitely contributing to the Devils Trap stigma from the late 90s and early 00s so I appreciate the facts and analysis here. I will absolutely point to this video when I see people spreading misinformation about "The Trap." You're the GOAT!
I first started watching hockey as a young kid at the tail end of the "dead puck era" when the awfulness of the trap and how to fix it was all the talk of the NHL, so I went into this video thinking it would just tell me a lot of what I already knew, but I was surprised how in-depth it was. A lot of the details, like the Rangers switching up their approach every year, is something that you'd only expect someone who was actively watching the league at that time to have remembered, but seeing it broken out here in such excruciating detail by someone who was too young to have been around for it [or at least I suspect that you were too young] is mighty impressive. Keep up the good work!
This is a great video! I really like your way of storytelling, and your choice of visuals to compliment the narration. This was super informative and really helped me understand this concept.
Great video. Great to have this in my recommendations and it took me back to my childhood when I got into hockey. Will definitely check out your content!
Loved the video. Really excellent production and script. I know you were focused specifically on the trap, and not trying to nit pick. But during the "dead puck" decade you identified, 5 of those years the Cup went to Colorado or Detroit. Great D on those teams, left wing lock, etc. but they were great offenses and never boring to watch.
Getting rid of the two-line pass was huge in opening up the game. It opens up the neutral zone and allows for more speed and it allows the game to flow so much better
Finally had time to watch this video, absolute masterpiece as always!! I can tell a video is a banger based on how many times I get goosebumps! Alf Smith probably has the most 1800s face I have ever seen 😤
Absolutely incredible work again. Your way of documenting this part of hockey history is incredibly important, I think. I don't know if you'll take this as a compliment or not, but -- what I'm left with is a dozen questions. Is there any way you can put together a similar video on how breakouts evolved in step with this, especially in that peak 1999-2004 era, and/or on the Soviet system of play and how it took over the NHL during the '90s as well? I don't want to tell you what to do here, it just screams to me that this is how your story continues.
8:30 - Dang, I'm impressed of this much impressive coverage and well done presentation! Yes indeed the "1-3-1" hockey style was very popular usage from Sweden, and especally its Stockholm based team Djurgardens IF. They made in its Elitserien league the finals 4 years straight (1989-1992) and won 1989-1991 = 3 straight Swedish championships! The "1-3-1" gameplay was often credited to a coach named Lasse Falk. I'm not 100% sure, but could been the gameplay Sweden used to win the IIHF 1987 World Championship in Wien.
I've been waiting for this vid for like 10 years - so cool that you've checked (no pun intended) all those old games to basically discredit the lousy Wikipedia article. Subbed!
I’m highly critical of a lot of these newer YT hockey channels ran by dismissive young fans who think hockey began in 2010 and generally look down on us older fans who don’t appreciate the soft skill, flashy type of hockey like they do. This channel, however, is top notch. This is quality over quantity. No clickbait thumbnails and titles. Just high quality, well researched, well narrated, unique content. I appreciate that you don’t focus on pumping out the same lazy, predictable, clickbait videos multiple times a day for views. Keep this up and you’ll surpass all the others in time and it’ll be sustainable. Excellent work as always 👍
I hope this doesn’t make you roll your eyes. I’m a SABR nerd and love Secret Base. I fucking LOVE finding smaller channels of similar nature that weave such a lovely story about sports. Keep grinding homie. ❤️
I remember I took a girl to her first hockey game in 01, IHL Houston vs Milwaukee. The score was 1-0 with like ten shots on goal. It was the most excruciating game I've ever seen.
Thank you for mentioning the 91 North Stars, if they were in playoff form all year they could’ve been a top 4 team that season. They had so much hidden talent and I feel they don’t get the recognition they deserve
1: Prior to Bowman, Canadiens were firewagon. 2: Bowman played a defensive system at St. Louis both because he had to and he preferred it. He was always a defense-counter attack coach; He loved offensive defensemen and defensive forwards for this reason. 3: Watch the difference between the 67 Cup and the 74 Cup. Essentially the Flyers held Orr most of the game. The talent level at that time was beyond stretched thin due to the WHA. 4: Yes, the 80's were higher scoring. But the league stabilized to 21 teams and brought in Europeans. 5; Notice the dead puck era started when...after the early 90's expansion. 5: Early on several coaches said the problem wasn't the trap itself, but the interference on the forecheckers. The puck would be dumped in and the defensemen would hold up the forwards. It was as much not enforcing the rule book as anything else. Holding, clutching, grabbing and hooking were probably more of a problem, that and the WW2 red line specifically placed to slow down talent.
Thank you, for this trip down memory lane. Many of my boyhood hockey heroes are mentioned, herein. My Uncle, Denis Paul, was one of the principal cameramen, for the early Soviet and Canada Cup tournaments. He is presently awaiting his nineteenth cancer operation. I fear that it may very well be the end for him. Go 'Nucks and Habs!
From the Thumbnail, I was 95% sure this was going to be blasting the Championchip Devils teams & how they killed Hockey for a decade. What we got was a video I will point to every time the Trap is mentioned cause the stigma is real when it come to Devils & the Trap. Continue the great content & work man!
The devils only used the trap in 95 to win a cup ...in 2000 they were just by a mile the biggest fastest youngest team and possibly the best team in nhl history ... that team was beyond stacked ... ran 4 lines equally that all 4 lines could score with ease. ..plus that A line was just simply unstoppable.. best line I've ever seen ...no one ever talks about how dominant they were defensively... plus the madden pandalfo Berlin or nem line could shut down ever single top line in hockey giving the devils the ability to use the last change to put their a line against other teams weaker lines... the saddest thing was that the stars team was a pure dynasty waiting to happen ..if they just didn't have to face to devils they would have for sure won back to back cups ...
Agreed
Yes. It's been my favorite so far. I always wondered how the Trap worked. Great explanation
@@mostlycrazyallthetimethat's a strange way to spell Detroit Red Wings.
The wings forced the league into the salary cap era. The devil's were just the only other team who could keep up.
I don’t think it was the Devils that should get the blame. It was the Panthers the next year, a hilariously unskilled team that trapped their way to the SCF and showed everyone that the trap could overcome your roster limitations and get you into contention. That’s when everyone started doing it.
Me: Can't wait to hear about the 95 Devils and 96 Panthers.
Graham: So in 1915...
You forgot about the 1999 Dallas Stars.
To me the mst impressive part was the "83" Islanders. People have no idea just how dominating the Oliers were. Even in 1982 they were predicted to unseat the two time champion Isles before losing early to the Kings, if I recall correctly. To this day I'm conviced the strange hate towads the NYI for having the record of consecutive playoff series dubs with 19. I believe many people hold it against the isles that they're the only NHL American Dynasty.
@@xellossm8444
Carbo was 38yo but he always been an Ace defensively.
He played big for his size, he was very physical.
It's part of the reason why he became captain with the Habs after Bob Gainey.
Carbo's arguably one of the best two-way forwards of all-time.
Lehtinen was the 3rd youngest forward of their regular squad at 25yo.
Though he was extremely responsible defensively, and very consistent.
He also put up some good numbers throughout his career.
He only played with the Stars, the fans love him.
Nieuwendyk really stepped up his game, he was incredible in the Western finals vs Colorado.
It was his line with Langenbrunner and Reid that made a big big difference vs the Avs.
It's like part of the reason why Nieuwendyk got the Conn Smythe over Modano.
Nieuwendyk was one of the best two-way players of all time, and he was 3-4 tiers above Carbo in scoring.
Modano became more responsible defensively around 1996-97, during the 2nd season with Nieuwendyk with the Stars.
However, unlike many other players, that change in his game barely affected his numbers because of his high skill level.
Modano was about 2-3 tiers above Nieuwendyk in scoring, and likely in the top 3 of two-way 1st center at the time.
Zubov and Sydor were both in the best defensemen of the league.
Both of them were more on the offensive side, but they were also solid defensively.
Zubov was 28 and Sydor was 26. They were right in their prime, and both were in the top 15 of the NHL defensemen.
Derian Hatcher was incredibly good and arguably in the top 5 defensive defensemen at the time.
He was in his prime at 26, and guys knew better than to be caught with their head down when he was on the ice.
Hatcher delivered bone crushing body checks, and he was very tough to play against.
Having him on your team with Zubov and Sydor made that team so hard to beat.
Matvichuk was 25. He was a decent top 6.
Chambers was 31 and about the same level as Matvichuk. He was a decent top 6.
Ludwig was 37, he was slow but he played physical. He brought lots of leadership like Carbo.
Matvichuk and Ludwig stepped up the game in the playoffs. They got a SC ring to prove it.
Hull wasn't very defensive, but I thought I'd mention that his poise and confidence made him a clutch performer.
With trades they added more leadership and speed in Benoit Hogue and Derek Plante respectively.
Other memorable veterans were Skrudland, Keane, and Verbeek. All three of them were big time vets like Hogue as well.
Plante didn't play many games in the playoffs though, he shared games with Hrkac and Marshall.
Reid wasn't too shabby. The Avs acquired him later and won the cup with him in 2001.
They arguably had the best team in the NHL, but they were not the fastest.
Langenbrunner was one of their fastest players, and he played physical. He learned much from his years with the Stars.
On top of that the stars had Belfour!
The Stars were so good that Roman Turek had a record of 16-3-3 in the 1998-99 season.
So I think Belfour would have won at least 45-50 games if he had played more games.
He was 33yo though, so they were smart in resting him.
In my humble opinion, this is my best video to date.
agreed, so well researched
Every single video that get posted on your channel is your better to date, I don't know how you keep getting better and better. Keep up!
Debatable, top 3 at least ❤
It's not, because every video you've ever done has the same quality. Even looking at your first video, you are so well spoken, researched and just, well, perfect. It is downright criminal you have so few subscribers. You combine documentary levels of research with an easily digestible format, as you also sprinkle in some dry comedy like pausing to ask "What is that" to those inflatable hockey player things during the NYI vs TOR series, or cutting yourself off to say "Oh my god _____ just suckerpunched" (I couldn't quite remember the video but it was funny). You seem to perfectly capture the energy and emotion of every series or season you cover, really making me feel for the teams playing even though the series is 20 years old and the players are long since retired. You're like EMPLemon but with a much better speaking voice
real
This man simply does not miss
Part of what made the Devils trap so effective was because of Brodeaur's ability to come out of the net and play the puck. If you did manage to dump the puck past the D men, Marty would simply come out of the net and clean it up. Even if they somehow got into the zone cleanly, they still had to deal with one of the greatest goalies of all time.
He was so good at it they changed the rules
Greatest of all time along with one of the greatest defensive units of all time. Just an amazing joy to watch
Adding the trapezoid rule was a small part of it, but particularly killing the two line pass rule helped a ton. Also the blue lines are a little closer to the center red line so the defensive zones are expanded.
Hearing about a really active goalie named Marty is hilariously nostalgic, my HS goalie was absolutely stellar, just like that. We did NOT deserve him. Absolute stone wall.
The New Jersey Devils are like the San Antonio Spurs of the NHL. They won their titles with a calculated, military-esque strategy.
And it made games a chore to watch
@@chrisuncleahmad789 oh come on, watch the 2014 spurs and tell me that's a chore
The 2000-2001 devils were a fun two years of really good hockey.
Idk. People tend to overrate how defensive they were. They had some absolute lethal weapons on offence. Elias, Mogilny, Gomez, Nieuwendyk, Arnott. They were the highest scoring team in the league in 2001 when they won.
@ they lost that cup to Colorado in 7 but you’re point stands. They were the highest scoring team that year.
The Neutral Zone Trap is one of those styles that can perfectly work in playoff hockey with the right personnel. I think we all noticed how offensive style hockey doesn't usually work well in the playoffs. The Neutral Zone is that one style where everyone gets pissed and the people who use it just say, "If you don't like it, try to beat it."
Basically 1997-2004: “you can win without offense if you put all your eggs in the defensive basket”
It also works because the refs swallow the whistles in the playoffs so you can clutch and grab way more than in the regular season...
The New Jersey Devils have entered the chat
@@a_coleman11 it worked the best for them because they didn't have the best players, but the right players. Herb Brooks system worked because he had the right players for it. Same as Jacques Lemaire with his system.
Here in Britain (where our hockey was something of a joke in the 90's) the trap allowed our teams to compete with the European nations and put them into medal contention. It's not pretty but better an ugly winner than pretty loser right? 😋
personally, i think teams running defensive styles is good for the league. The more variation in strategy, the better. With the rules we have now, the trap is much less effective so its not nearly as game breaking as during the 'dead puck era' The more players get used to playing against defensive strategies, the more they'll learn to counter it thus pushing the game forward. this push and pull is essential for the growth of the sport, and i'd argue that there aren't enough defensive teams.
2 line pass was the modern day 'no forward pass'
now if we could only get rid of the other trap...izoid
The best defensive teams make it to the Cup. Even in recent years this is proven true.
@@FelixWheatfield Oilers made it on the PP and refs calling PIMs
@@Potent_TechmologyThe Problem was that to win the Cup last year would have required the Oilers scoring first in 4 out of 7 games as the Panthers 1-2-2 trap was unbeatable all season long with a lead. Offense is sexy, but defense wins championships almost every year with the 2022 Avalanche being a recent exception.
@@BobbyBoucher228 people keep saying defense wins championships and I just don't agree with that anymore. the Predators would've won in 2017 if that was the case. the Golden Knights and Panthers scored their way to championships, and as scoring continues to rise, I think there will be more teams like the Avs and Knights who are heavy up-front, have offensive-styled D-men on the top 2 line, but yet lack a world-class goalie.
Really enjoyed the video, but do want to point out a glaring omission. The 1993 Montreal Canadiens. After the two offensive Penguins team won back-to-back cups, the 93 Habs won playing the trap. HC Jacques Demers even once told the story how GM Serge Savard told him “don’t say the word trap to the media because you won’t hear the end of it”. Lemaire was an assistant GM on that Montreal team. Took the New Jersey job the following season. In fact, if you look at goals scored per game, the biggest season to season drop was after the 93 season, when half the NHL moved to the 1-2-2.
Very frustrating. I knew MTL continued to use it but I didn't realize it went all the way to their next Cup win. Even digging into my sources for this video again, there's no mention of it I can find of them using it in 1992-93. Guess it was just a blind spot. Thanks for bringing it up.
@ Kudos to you for digging that deep, even more so for finding all of the old footage. For the 93 team, Demers would speak about it more in the French media, as he was an analyst for RDS for years.
And finally, I love all the work that went into showing the link to how former players became coaches/managers and carried it with them. A similar timeline could be made with the development of young players, and “letting them develop as opposed to rushing them”. My timeline goes from Sam Pollock (70s Canadiens) to Bill Torrey (80s Islanders) to Jim Devellano (90s Red Wings) to Ken Holland (2000s Red Wings) to Steve Yzerman (2010s Lightning), not to mention Bob Gainey (2000s Canadiens), Stan & Scotty Bowman (2000s Blackhawks), Jim Nill (2020s Stars) and on and on.
Although I agree that the Habs were really the start of trap hockey when Lemaire became coach in ‘83 and making the game so un-fun that Lafleur retired instead of playing it, the 93 Habs actually trapped much less that the previous 8 years until they got to the playoffs and got into all the OT games.
56 minute Pinholes Graham vid when I have an hour and a half lunch break? Fuck yeah.
Both the 2019 Blues and the 2024 Panthers used the 1-2-2 trap when they got a lead and both were devastatingly effective at shutting down offensive chances with their defensive systems. Also even with the trapezoid rule if you have a good puck handling goalie like Binnington, a team can stop the majority of offensive chances with a good puck handling goalie who can stop teams from dumping and chasing and force them to carry the puck in the zone resulting in a lot of turnovers and odd man breaks with the 1-2-2 trap in place. If you look at the Panthers record when they had a lead last year it shows just how effective the 1-2-2 trap can be in modern hockey with a lead and a team who can execute the trap defense to perfection in every game.
Neither of these compare to the lightning running the trap when they were losing a game. Now that’s how it’s done! 😂
Man I loved those NJ teams so much. Kind of ironic that what is a weakness today (defense and goaltending) was their greatest strength back then.
I can’t stand how teams never give NJ the credit they deserve just because they emphasized defense over offense.
Now we are in an era where really aggressive forechecking teams are considered boring because they choose to get pucks in deep, whereas the trap made that a good option for the opponent.
"We should get a guy like Connor McDavid" is not a viable team building strategy for the vast majority of the league because there aren't enough of those players to distribute, so building a team around a strategy to offset the disadvantage of not winning the draft lottery in a franchise altering year makes a lot of sense.
It's ivory tower nonsense to look down on a team without true superstars for, you know, trying to win however they can. Like, what are they supposed to do, lie down and take their beating?
How ia this guy producing that detailed and researched videos with only 15k. Give that men an audience already!!!
As a completely new hockey fan, this video showed up in my recommended feed, and boy I am happy I ended up here. Hockey history is so cool, thank you for the passionately made video.
Did the neutral zone trap make the game less fun to watch? Yes.
Did it win my team three Stanley Cups? Also yes. So I’m not complaining.
hmm which team are you a fan of? I can't immediately whittle it down to exactly 1 before watching the video
@@Potent_Techmology he's talking about the devils, you know, the teams everyone thinks cheated their way to 3 stanley cups because hurr durr "the trap"
Rofl...the devils only ran the trap in the 95 cup run... 2000 2003 they were not using anything close to a trap. .stop being so lazy ..
You mean 1
As a rangers fan, when you said you may think of the Devils at 16:20 I was nodding my head and you said the Rangers. I just said what? out loud with the most confused look at my screen lol. Another banger video! keep making these Pinholes!!
I can’t believe I just watched an almost hour documentary on the friggin trap….. well done!
Thank you!
Wooo happy Halloween to you too graham thanks for the vid as always
@@fqrez239 Happy Halloween!
The BobbyBroccoli of Hockey
Absolutely astonishingly well crafted documentary once again, thank you!
I'm a newer hockey fan and this video was awesome. Subscribed!!
I can feel the Jon Bois inspiration oozing out of this video. Very well done.
As someone who's a passionate fan of hockey and especially hockey history, I'm really pleased with how well researched this video is! It's clear you really know your stuff and you researched things very well. It was also very well presented from a visual and auditory perspective and the writing was great too. Keep this up and you'll gain significant popularity!
Very good take. It’s not the fault of the trap but rather the circumstances surrounding it. Tbh, remove the obstructing and two-line pass rules from that era and there would be way, way more scoring.
These videos take a lot of work, but I feel a lot smarter after watching them. You've outdone yourself once again, my friend!
Great video. Written in a way that flows is easy to listen to, and is packed with info while still being incredibly entertaining. Above all else, it is well-researched. Love to see it.
Oh, I love those retrospective videos. Top notch quality as always. Thanks!
Personally, though, the late 90s-early 00s NHL was my favourite NHL of all. I loved the aggression and literal battles on the ice to physically smother your opponent. And when the big guys had a lot more to say :) Today they want to make it almost contactless which doesn't sit well with me.
I'm from Europe so maybe I'm just used to seeing few goals. Or maybe I'm just getting old, but two big hits and seeing the players and the fans react to it excites me sooooo much more than a 10-goal game.
The two-line pass was the worst rule of all-time, agreed. BUT BUT BUT the trapezoid is the NEW worst rule of all-time. Completely takes such an exciting dimension away from the game. Goalies need to be set free again :)
we’ve needed a hockey centric dorktown for forever, you’re a godsend
You're the "Jon Bois of hockey" that I had been searching for. Earned a subscriber!
Even the format, too
i appreciate the amount of time and effort you put into putting these videos together! it feels weird that this great content is free
seeing the length of this vid got me seriously excited, gotta love vids that take an in-depth look on the topic 🙏
Never saw your show before but this breakdown is fantastic. As someone who played in and later coached what is called the trap system I will say it is the greatest system ever invented. I am not finished with the show but am so impressed so far I had to comment.
I really love the Jon Bois style here. It's such a fantastic way to present this kind of story, glad to see it catching on. Great vid.
Crazy to see how much better your videos are getting with every video! this is some type of Jon Bois video right here ✌
Graham never misses - I agree this is probably the best vid you've ever made... At least until your next one comes out! Keep killing it my guy
Great work. I've never wanted this deep dive, but I couldn't stop once I started. Great work
this video really exceeded my expectations. as a kid i loved what's now called "dead puck era" hockey and i still do. i learned some new things and got a great nostalgia hit, so thanks for that. subbed.
Great to hear! Thanks for watching!
These are still the best videos. I love them
I don’t really know that much about hockey but I loved every second of this, definitely inspired me to go look at more hockey content! Wonderful video!
Watching again , unreal work
Crazy high quality and well researched video. Glad it showed up in my recs!
Honestly thanks so much for how much effort you put into these videos - they have always been entertaining but I think they just keep getting better. The quality is phenomenal and you make such original and creative content! I really value this channel and look forward to future videos. Will do my best to promote your channel where I can because this content really deserves a bigger audience!
Really good stuff, I like most sports, but have never seen a full hockey game in my life, but you had me hooked
great content man! I can tell you put a great amount of effort into your vids and i really appreciate that!
This is one of the best video analysis I have ever seen, great thesis.
Thank you, sir!
There should be an honorable mention to the '03 Minnesota Wild, also coached by Lemaire. Used the trap to make the WCF.
Quite possibly be the BEST hockey UA-cam I have seen to date. Gonna go watch all ur over vids. Keep up the good work dude👍
This video was absolutely effing interesting. Its gotten me to go through ALL your vids. I loved your Leafs/Islanders video given I'm a leafs fan. Id absolute LOVE for you to do a cool 3 part series comparing the 3 leafs runs to the conference finals with stats and all. I know its a bit much but seeing that would make me so happy my dude. Keep up the great work!!!
You and Hockey Psychology are my go-to for every single upload. This was fascinating and I learned way more than I thought I would. I was definitely contributing to the Devils Trap stigma from the late 90s and early 00s so I appreciate the facts and analysis here. I will absolutely point to this video when I see people spreading misinformation about "The Trap." You're the GOAT!
Dude.. this was such a great, thorough video. Fantastic job brotha, I subscribed and can't wait to spend my break at work watching more. Thank you!
Awesome video! I learned a lot. Also the visuals are great.
You earned a new sub in the first ten minutes of this video. Great work
I first started watching hockey as a young kid at the tail end of the "dead puck era" when the awfulness of the trap and how to fix it was all the talk of the NHL, so I went into this video thinking it would just tell me a lot of what I already knew, but I was surprised how in-depth it was. A lot of the details, like the Rangers switching up their approach every year, is something that you'd only expect someone who was actively watching the league at that time to have remembered, but seeing it broken out here in such excruciating detail by someone who was too young to have been around for it [or at least I suspect that you were too young] is mighty impressive. Keep up the good work!
This is a great video! I really like your way of storytelling, and your choice of visuals to compliment the narration. This was super informative and really helped me understand this concept.
Fantastic video! Keep it up, dude!
This is the best definition of the trap summary I have ever seen.
This is a summary? Good grief i hope i never have to see the a more exhaustive historical account
This video earned a sub and a bunch of digging into previous videos.
Excellent job with the video !
I'm just discovering the channel with this one. Easiest sub in a while ^^
This is PHENOMENAL content, something hockey has been SCREAMING for. Keep it up, please!
@@francisforte4782 Will do, thank you for watching!
Wow the research that went to this is unreal! Great job amazing work!
Great video. Great to have this in my recommendations and it took me back to my childhood when I got into hockey. Will definitely check out your content!
Loved the video. Really excellent production and script.
I know you were focused specifically on the trap, and not trying to nit pick. But during the "dead puck" decade you identified, 5 of those years the Cup went to Colorado or Detroit. Great D on those teams, left wing lock, etc. but they were great offenses and never boring to watch.
Great video mate! Looking forward what this channel with come up with in the future :)
Absolutely amazing video. Well written, well edited. Feels like something Jon Bois would put out.
Great video. Informative and non AI commentary. 5 stars
Damn good video Graham.
This is brilliantly done. So well researched and produced. Well done, this could be on NHL network tomorrow and be the best thing on it. 👍
Thanks so much man!
Ummm I just got here and subbed in less than 2 mins. I wasnt disappointed, wow well done! Cant wait to see more!❤
This is a work of art
6:54 that stanley cup win brought about the tossing of octopi at red wings games as good luck
Getting rid of the two-line pass was huge in opening up the game. It opens up the neutral zone and allows for more speed and it allows the game to flow so much better
insanely good video holyyyy. you've earned my sub big dawg
I am so excited to learn about this
Edit: yep, great video. As always
This is a great channel. Thanks for the videos
Fantastic video! You've really done a thorough research on this topic and presented it to us is a top notch package. Thank you 🙏🏆
Finally had time to watch this video, absolute masterpiece as always!! I can tell a video is a banger based on how many times I get goosebumps! Alf Smith probably has the most 1800s face I have ever seen 😤
Absolutely incredible work again. Your way of documenting this part of hockey history is incredibly important, I think. I don't know if you'll take this as a compliment or not, but -- what I'm left with is a dozen questions. Is there any way you can put together a similar video on how breakouts evolved in step with this, especially in that peak 1999-2004 era, and/or on the Soviet system of play and how it took over the NHL during the '90s as well? I don't want to tell you what to do here, it just screams to me that this is how your story continues.
8:30 - Dang, I'm impressed of this much impressive coverage and well done presentation!
Yes indeed the "1-3-1" hockey style was very popular usage from Sweden, and especally its Stockholm based team Djurgardens IF. They made in its Elitserien league the finals 4 years straight (1989-1992) and won 1989-1991 = 3 straight Swedish championships! The "1-3-1" gameplay was often credited to a coach named Lasse Falk.
I'm not 100% sure, but could been the gameplay Sweden used to win the IIHF 1987 World Championship in Wien.
Best hockey content creator on UA-cam!
Surprised Guy Boucher didn't get a mention though
I've been waiting for this vid for like 10 years - so cool that you've checked (no pun intended) all those old games to basically discredit the lousy Wikipedia article. Subbed!
I love your content man, haven’t missed a vid
pinholes, you are the john bois of hockey. top chedder content, man. keep up the phenomenal work. the subs will come.
I’m highly critical of a lot of these newer YT hockey channels ran by dismissive young fans who think hockey began in 2010 and generally look down on us older fans who don’t appreciate the soft skill, flashy type of hockey like they do.
This channel, however, is top notch.
This is quality over quantity. No clickbait thumbnails and titles. Just high quality, well researched, well narrated, unique content. I appreciate that you don’t focus on pumping out the same lazy, predictable, clickbait videos multiple times a day for views. Keep this up and you’ll surpass all the others in time and it’ll be sustainable. Excellent work as always 👍
I hope this doesn’t make you roll your eyes. I’m a SABR nerd and love Secret Base. I fucking LOVE finding smaller channels of similar nature that weave such a lovely story about sports. Keep grinding homie. ❤️
Woooo Halloween and a pinholes graham video
Great video man, I love the Jon Bois format
Kings used the trap to win their cups. Great video. Really great historical look at the "trap."
I remember I took a girl to her first hockey game in 01, IHL Houston vs Milwaukee. The score was 1-0 with like ten shots on goal. It was the most excruciating game I've ever seen.
Oof man sorry to hear that. Hopefully she was receptive to the nuance (i know it's a long shot lol)
Love your videos, keep up the great content!
I know next to nothing about hockey. This was a fascinating video. Thank you sir, Jon Bois would be proud
Thank you for mentioning the 91 North Stars, if they were in playoff form all year they could’ve been a top 4 team that season. They had so much hidden talent and I feel they don’t get the recognition they deserve
Thanks man, life long fan and player, you did a great job explaining all that
Great video man really well done!
Excellent video, congratulations!
Great video, thank you for your research and timing
Really awesome vid, man!
1: Prior to Bowman, Canadiens were firewagon. 2: Bowman played a defensive system at St. Louis both because he had to and he preferred it. He was always a defense-counter attack coach; He loved offensive defensemen and defensive forwards for this reason. 3: Watch the difference between the 67 Cup and the 74 Cup. Essentially the Flyers held Orr most of the game. The talent level at that time was beyond stretched thin due to the WHA. 4: Yes, the 80's were higher scoring. But the league stabilized to 21 teams and brought in Europeans. 5; Notice the dead puck era started when...after the early 90's expansion. 5: Early on several coaches said the problem wasn't the trap itself, but the interference on the forecheckers. The puck would be dumped in and the defensemen would hold up the forwards. It was as much not enforcing the rule book as anything else. Holding, clutching, grabbing and hooking were probably more of a problem, that and the WW2 red line specifically placed to slow down talent.
Pinholes Grahan is such an underrated channel
Incredible work man, keep it up
Thank you, for this trip down memory lane. Many of my boyhood hockey heroes are mentioned, herein. My Uncle, Denis Paul, was one of the principal cameramen, for the early Soviet and Canada Cup tournaments. He is presently awaiting his nineteenth cancer operation. I fear that it may very well be the end for him. Go 'Nucks and Habs!