The Zetterberg Era
Ball Hockey Sucks
Net front presence. Anchoring a player in front of the goalie in the low slot like Holmgren or Franzen is quite modern. Started late 1970s progressing to specialists.
Previously it was flow through movement,arc thru,dart in, the high and low slot for deflections,tip-ins, re-directs and rebounds,chase the puck down in the corner,etc. Skate, keeping moving so that the passing and shooting lanes were not constant. Put pressure on the d-men, especially on the PP, creating odd man situations, hard to set a box or diamond.
First Canadiens player to spend time in the low slot was Yvon Lambert.
Then exploded with the influx of the butterfly. They had guys do it before that but like you said it wasn't necessarily dedicated. It became more necessary when the goaltender position evolved.
I mean you do have to acknowledge how much better goaltenders are in the modern NHL as well.
You didn't used to say if he sees it he stops it when I was real little, now you do.