DenverHabsFan
Registered User
I ended up watching a recap of the Habs last cup win against the Kings and thought it was interesting how good that team was at keeping control of the puck and creating opportunities.
Some things that the 93 team did well and that we don't see anymore:
- Gain the offensive zone with speed and in control of the puck. Very little dumping. That was surprising to me because we remember the 90's for the clutch and grab and other bad things but watch how fluid the play was.
- Make an early pass on a 2 on 1 or 3 on 2 to force the D to move. Rarely do we see that now. It drives me nuts to see a 2 on 1 and players waiting so long that they run out of space to make a pass and give the D time to dive and take the pass or shot away.
- The "Gretzky" move. Watch how guys like Damphousse (and even Brunet!) like to use the space behind the net to create chaos in front and pass to a forward at the last minute for a one timer. Last guy on our roster I remember doing it often was Koivu.
- Don't give the D a chance to pin you in the corner. That team was really good at passing the puck before taking a hit. By doing that, the D is afraid to fully commit to the check and taking himself out of the play.
Anyway, it was very refreshing to watch. I'll try to answer my own question by saying that the 2007-08 Carbo team was pretty good at passing but that was also the "peak Kovalev" era. Not sure if the whole team played that way, unlike the 93 team where scrubs like Dionne and DiPietro bought into that system.
Watch the video below and try not to bang your head on the wall when you realize that all key contributors (Leclair, Desjardins, Roy, Damphousse, etc) were traded not too long after that season.
Some things that the 93 team did well and that we don't see anymore:
- Gain the offensive zone with speed and in control of the puck. Very little dumping. That was surprising to me because we remember the 90's for the clutch and grab and other bad things but watch how fluid the play was.
- Make an early pass on a 2 on 1 or 3 on 2 to force the D to move. Rarely do we see that now. It drives me nuts to see a 2 on 1 and players waiting so long that they run out of space to make a pass and give the D time to dive and take the pass or shot away.
- The "Gretzky" move. Watch how guys like Damphousse (and even Brunet!) like to use the space behind the net to create chaos in front and pass to a forward at the last minute for a one timer. Last guy on our roster I remember doing it often was Koivu.
- Don't give the D a chance to pin you in the corner. That team was really good at passing the puck before taking a hit. By doing that, the D is afraid to fully commit to the check and taking himself out of the play.
Anyway, it was very refreshing to watch. I'll try to answer my own question by saying that the 2007-08 Carbo team was pretty good at passing but that was also the "peak Kovalev" era. Not sure if the whole team played that way, unlike the 93 team where scrubs like Dionne and DiPietro bought into that system.
Watch the video below and try not to bang your head on the wall when you realize that all key contributors (Leclair, Desjardins, Roy, Damphousse, etc) were traded not too long after that season.
