Swamp Devils style of play
The Left Wing Lock
Much of this is in Jaroslav Pitner's profile, but I want to talk about the system the Swamp Devils will be playing.
First off, the Left Wing Lock has several variations, and the form used is ideally based on a team's personnel. When Scottie Bowman brought that system to Detroit, it wasn't always the left wing who was to act as a third defenseman. But the Swamp Devils roster is built to play the original version of the Left Wing Lock pioneered in Czechoslovakia, where it was always the left wing who would rush back to act like a third defenseman.
Here is a really concise description of the system:
hockeyplayer.com said:
The left wing lock looks like a basic 2-3 formation, where, once puck possession changes in the neutral zone or offensive zone, the center and right wing forecheck aggressively, and the left wing moves back in line (or top of the circles) with the two defensemen to form a three man wall at the blue line. Generally, the left wing is responsible for the left lane, the left defenseman is responsible for the middle lane, and the right defenseman is responsible for the right lane at the blue line. This tactic helps to avoid odd man rushes by having 3 players back at all times.
More details in Pitner's profile.
Here is a description of how Bowman's version of the LWL worked in the 1997 finals against Philadelphia:
Craig Simpson said:
If you watched the Stanley Cup finals series verses Philly, Detroit implemented this defensive strategy to perfection. There was just no room for Philly in the neutral zone. Every time Philly got a transition rush, they were always up against a minimum of three guys, and a lot of times the fourth guy was coming back and taking away the puckcarrier. So there really wasn't an open Flyers player to get the puck to, and what Detroit was hoping for in this situation was for Philly to start making cross-ice passes, where the Red Wings could pick off the pass and then they make another offensive rush
The Left Wings
I think the Swamp Devils forwards are very well equipped to play the traditional LWL.
Tommy Phillips:
LOH said:
He showed himself to be a speed merchant on the blades and had no peer as a backchecker
In many ways, he was, in the modern vernacular, a complete player. He had great speed and a terrific shot, and he was a backchecker without compare
Herbie Lewis:
LOH said:
known for his relentless defence and blinding speed
See their profiles for more quotes.
Tommy Phillips and Herbie Lewis are the perfect LWs for this system - they are excellent two-way players and two of the fastest players in the draft. Normally I would think some of Lewis's speed is wasted playing next to two slower players, but in this system - I think it's an asset as he can quickly make the transition from offense to defense and visa versa. Lewis can rush back into a defensive posture when the opponent takes possession of the puck, but also has the speed to catch up to his slower linemates when the Swamp Devils retake possession of the puck.
Doan is pretty fast for the NHL, but his speed isn't anything special in an all-time sense, so he won't always be able to join the offensive rush of his linemates after sitting back as a third defenseman. But once the puck gets into the offensive zone, he'll be active, doing the dirty work for his line.
MacKell is a speed demon, as well. And while he's not a shutdown guy at even strength per se, he's definitely a responsible player.
Right Wing and Center
I like the Left Wing Lock in the ATD much more than a more conservative system like The Trap, because it allows the center and right wing to just go out there and play hockey like normal. Of course, they are tasked with backchecking like normal - which they will to varying success - obviously Henri will be a much more tenacious backchecker than Maurice.
Creating offense
The blazing speed of Tommy Phillips, Henri Richard, Herbie Lewis, and Fleming MacKell gives the Swamp Devils some of the best speed in the draft. Maurice Richard and Palffy are especially deadly in transition and will be deadly in the counterattack, as well.
The Starshinov line will give the defense a different look from the more speed-based game of the first and third lines. Lewis is the lightning fast two-way presence, but the line as a whole will generate most of its offense from a grinding, cycling game that will hopefully wear down the defense.
Here are some more descriptions of how the Left Wing Lock helped Detroit clog up the neutral zone in the 1997 finals and led to multiple rushes the other way, with their faster skilled players:
hockey player.com said:
ESPN analyst Barry Melrose said, "When playing the left-wing lock, your defense would have nothing worse than a three-on-three situation 99 percent of the time. Those three defenders (the two defensemen and the left winger) stand up, most of the time before the blueline, and it takes the speed away from the offensive team. As that is happening, the two guys that are backchecking are coming back as hard as they can. They are picking up men from behind while they are closing in on the puckcarrier. So the combination of the three guys back slowing down the rush with the two backcheckers coming back with speed many times creates a situation where, if they don't dump the puck in, they will turn the puck over and, bang, you now have a transition play going the other way."
Said Hockey Night In Canada commentator Greg Millen: "In the recent Stanley
Cup finals, many times all of the Flyers would be coming out of their defensive zone with the puck, but they would need to stop and go the other way after turning the puck over to the Red Wings; while Detroit, which has a lot more team speed, is [suddenly] counterattacking, and that is why there were so many man-advantage breaks against Flyer goalies Ron Hextall and Garth Snow."
