The neutral zone trap almost killed hockey in the mid-90’s because it was so boringly effective. After a series of rules changes, it had mostly gone the way of the mastodon and Jaromir Jagr’s mullet for the betterment of the sport. That is, until last Wednesday. Faced with the Tampa Bay Lightning’s 1-3-1 trap, the Flyers simply sat back in their own zone and refused to attack. The crowd was upset and the refs were so confused as to the legality of it, they had to consult Toronto. The Flyers’ stalling ways must’ve angered the hockey gods, though, and they lost the game in overtime 2-1, giving Lightning fans a happy and well-rested journey home.
I like physical, defensive, low-scoring games, but when you have a goal celebration as fucking awesome as this, you really need a more up-tempo scoring attack. As for the Flyers, you know how to beat the neutral zone trap? You stop being a pussy and attack it. Or fight. This is hockey after all.
Rainman Suite 