Leafs and Neutral Zone Trap
- Thread starter PromisedLand
- Start date
The trap works on every team, that's why it's a staple defensive system.
End of story
End of story
Muston Atthews
Bunch of Bangerz
It's up to players to buckle up and grind it out for 60 minutes, not much the coach can do. The trap team teams are low skilled but hard-working players playing a defensive system.
Notsince67
Papi and the Lamplighters
- Apr 27, 2018
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2 ways. Dump and chase hockey relying on speed and crisp passing through the neutral zone. Glaring weakness of RHD in controlled zone exits leave us with a dump and chase as a primary tool. We need Hyman back
Egghead1999
Registered User
- Nov 9, 2007
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CantLoseWithMatthews
Registered User
- Sep 28, 2015
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if the Leafs could be totally shut down by playing a trap, they wouldn't be 2nd in the league right now. they had one bad loss, and they'll be fine
The Leafs suffer so much against the neutral zone trap that they're 2nd in the league in points, goals for, +/-, and regulation+OT wins.
Clearly they need to change their approach and personnel entirely.
Do you people hear yourselves?
Clearly they need to change their approach and personnel entirely.
Do you people hear yourselves?
(I also would prefer shorter breakout passes because it seems to result in better possession... and Babcock seems to deploy both the stretch and higher forwards at different parts of different games...)
AreBe
This is the Real Are Be and not a Burner account!
- Apr 1, 2013
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Clogging the neural zone and skating at- not with - the Leafs is the key to beating them
I think they need to work on short quick passes rather than missing stretch passes and standing their and whine.
Dump and chase isn't really the Leafs thing- it's more "Dump and give up the puck" idiot mayhem
They need new and better breakout plays, as the other teams take away time and space - bounce puck off the boards, use of exceptional hand eye coordination and super fast speed will have the Leafs bulging the twine
Speed is the key here - you can burn your opponents with your speed - you just have to be patient with your opportunities and have to take full advantage of those chances
Instead of long stretch passes rely on quick short passes (not giving any chance to opponent to react)
Nalens Oga
Registered User
They've had plenty of bad losses this season. I'd even say that a lot of their wins were bad undeserving wins. Team's relying on talent in most games, they often get outchanced and outworked.
Polaris1010
Registered User
There are only two ways to break the trap.
1. Dump and chase.
2. The stretch pass.
Nothing else will work. Do not believe otherwise, regarding better breakouts, because in the end a team trying to break the trap means it has the puck in the offensive zone.
Gretzky only skate through 5 guys once or twice in his career. So skating through the trap is nonsensical.
Short passes to break the trap is completely redundant. It would be like fore-checking in the neutral zone. Turn it over, it is going the other way. Compared to the stretch pass, at least there are two guys back, and probably a third, and the other team not in a clear formation. Turn it over coming out of your own zone as a unit ie short passes, then that is trouble.
It is impossible to break the trap with short passing. If you are in the neutral zone, and make a short pass, before the short pass you are in the trap, after the short pass you are still in the trap, and you could turn it over. Just dump it in.
Do not fool yourself, this idea short passes can break the trap is total bunk. If that could work, we would see rush chances in a typical NHL game. The idea of a short pass is nothing new. Why don't we see rush chances?
unitedstars87
Registered User
- Jun 2, 2006
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Dump pucks into corner play strong down low game. I’ve noticed Matthews, Marner, Kap, Mango, etc playing more of this. This is why they wanted Tavares as he’s great along the boards and in the slot. Starting to have a rub off on everyone. You can play run and gun against some teams but to beat the truly elite like Tampa, Boston, Pitt, Washington, etc you need to pin them deep and score dirty in the playoffs. I’ve seen Tavares does this, now everyone has too. When a team plays trap they are hoping you make a mistake in transition to counter, chipping down low and playing with speed and pressure dmen is key to breaking the trap. However there is a certain physicality needed, hope they find that.
Last edited:
- Dec 12, 2017
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AreBe
This is the Real Are Be and not a Burner account!
- Apr 1, 2013
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Leafs do rely on talent - finally 1/3rd of the way to a Soviet Red Army Detroit Red wings "skill- set"
The Leafs seem to negate icing calls through speed for the stretch pass theory but when it fails I get somewhat irked.
Leafs seem to lack something in the "Chase" part of Dump and Chase, so they need to work on strategy on where the puck is expected to end up and race to that area, grab the puck and reset
All the Leafs need to do is match their hustle to their considerable speed, be alert and stay perked!
We are all going to find out soon in round 1 against Boston when Bruins play their 5 man game in the half ice. I would like to have 2 defense on bench who have the ability to hold the puck in their own end and can withstand the heavy forecheck. To me that is the key to winning it and getting home ice advantage for Freddy.
PromisedLand
I need more FOOD
the problem with the stretch passes I've found is that leafs often have players above opposition waiting at the opposition blue line (or close to) and the stretch passes from the Leafs D-core is often intercepted and then transitioned by opposition making turnovers into offense (most time odd-man) on the leafs.
Freddie has bailed the Leafs team out many times this season. Leafs rank among the worst teams in the league for SA/game
NHL.com - Stats
and the shot differential is negative.
normally what I've noticed is that the successful teams that use stretch passes for tip-ins and then chase the puck usually don't have opposition below them waiting to intercept the passes.
Leafs on the other hand employ the system where forwards blow the leafs' d-zone for the stretch pass play; the stretch passes often get intercepted or are icings.
And if they are tipped in then we hardly ever recover the puck in the o-zone
PromisedLand
I need more FOOD
yup agreed. I have noticed this too that the Leafs' D does not do well in terms of taking heavy forecheck/hit to hold on to the puck a bit longer to make the play. They are easily pushed off of the puck.
- Oct 18, 2010
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If only the Leafs were one of those "successful team" you speak of, we could have made the playoffs this season.
PromisedLand
I need more FOOD
This post is a biggest f***ING JOKE. I still recall some morons talking about how good things were under carlyle because they made the playoffs......
seriously LOL
funny enough you start whining but call others whiners when they raise any concern. Do us all a favour if you want to drink the koolaid thats all fine and dandy don't expect everyone else to apply the same moronic logic
PromisedLand
I need more FOOD
Yup there is evidence to back this up. Star did an article in november 2018 ( a bit dated) but they said Leafs led the league in icings/game
Leading NHL in icings a byproduct of Leafs’ game plan | The Star
