Philly vs. Tampa - Standstill!

[Dobber]

If Tampa Bay wants the puck, they can go in and get the @%$@% thing. The Flyers should have kept doing that all day (I assume they had the lead at the time? Didn't watch the game only that highlight). If the Flyers were down a goal, then they can move the puck up the ice. But if they're winning, what's the incentive when the other team is set up to employ an effective trap?

If teams want to employ the stupid 1-3-1 strategy and hold to it with an iron fist - to the point where they won't even go into the opposition zone to press for the puck - then they can sit in the neutral zone for 60 minutes. Until/unless it becomes illegal, all teams should do what the Flyers did once they get the lead.


Listen - the Flyers are influencing hockey into becoming a more open game. Tops in the league in goals scored. Nearly tops in the league in goals against. And teams like TB want to reel our game back in? No thanks. Let the trap teams stand there in the neutral zone for 60 minutes and lose 1-0.

And if what I suggest does happen, the NHL will ban zone defenses. Too much money from disgruntled fans would be lost otherwise. But neither team did anything wrong here.

Well done, Laviolette. Well done sir.

[SeaDawg]

Before the NHL bans neutral zone traps, they will pass a rule like the NBA in which the puck must cross the defending team's blue line within 45 seconds (or some arbitrary time period) once they have clear possession of the puck.

I do hate the system Tampa plays, though.

[JagrBomb]

thank you dobber, i thought it was hilarious. as much as i dislike the flyers, i would have sat my ass in the defensive zone waiting until i got attacked. just to mock them, and to show the rest of the hockey world how damn boring it is

[wendelclark17]

AGREED! I think it was great that Philly brought this to everyones attention. The last thing I want to see is a return of trap hockey, its boring and sucks for fantasy.

I was having a couple beers while watching last night but my recollection is the first time Philly did it the game was tied 0-0 but they also did after they went ahead. If I was a Tampa fan who had paid to watch that game live last night and I had to watch my team sit back and do NOTHING while they were losing I might have actually walked out and asked for a refund.

[newper114]

I thought something happened and that's why they froze like that. But yeah it was 0-0 . They did it in the first min of the game. I thought they were stalling to get a line change or something

[wendelclark17]

I thought something happened and that's why they froze like that. But yeah it was 0-0 . They did it in the first min of the game. I thought they were stalling to get a line change or something

I missed the first few minutes so I didn't even see that time. Thats even more of a statement.

[Renegade]

Best part about it was just imagining the grin on Pronger's face and he is enforcing this.

[oceanic39]

Folks, it'd be one thing if Tampa did this all the time. They did it about 10 times Wednesday, and the Flyers stalled on six. TB normally does that about 4-5 times per game. It's one of MANY tactics Boucher uses. There are how many shifts per game? This is about 5-10% of what Tampa does.

It's being blown out of proportion.

They run 2-1-2 more than they run 1-3-1.

[Pengwin7]

It was actually the first time I've enjoyed watching a hockey game from the end-zone camera angle.

[Dean Youngblood]

The referees made the right call. The Flyers can continue doing it all game but as an official, I would keep blowing it down after about 20 seconds.

Mockery of the game IMO.

[ultrawhiteness]

preach it, dobber!!

[Dobber]

The referees made the right call. The Flyers can continue doing it all game but as an official, I would keep blowing it down after about 20 seconds.

Mockery of the game IMO.

I agree. But after a faceoff, Philly can then move it up because TB will not have time to set up. So Philly wins in this arrangement. The odds of losing a draw are less than the odds of losing a rush against a 1-3-1

[Dobber]

Folks, it'd be one thing if Tampa did this all the time. They did it about 10 times Wednesday, and the Flyers stalled on six. TB normally does that about 4-5 times per game. It's one of MANY tactics Boucher uses. There are how many shifts per game? This is about 5-10% of what Tampa does.

It's being blown out of proportion.

They run 2-1-2 more than they run 1-3-1.

I singled out this game, but I'm saying that all teams in all games should do this. Not just against TB, but against the other teams who pull the 1-3-1 and refuse to enter the zone and challenge.

[Ballsakic]

What was really sad was the fact that the game was nationally televised .

What a bad job of marketing. The game of Hockey looking really boring,

[Gandhi]

Completely agree Dobber. The game was 0-0 and the puck was in Tampa Bay's "offensive" zone and they did not even forecheck. This system is terrible for the game of hockey. This is a team that has Martin St. Louis, Vincent LeCavalier, and Steven Stamkos and they are not even trying to recover the puck in their offensive zone.

I'm glad the Flyers finally brought this issue to light and hope the NHL does something to address it. Fans of hockey want to see goal scoring from the games stars not Martin St. Louis standing still in the neutral zone, like a cone, while the puck is in his offensive zone. I really hope the NHL realizes this as the lack of offense is already alienating fans from the game.