The Tampa Bay Lightning Trap: What in the Blue HELL is This?!

If you pay attention to the hockey world at all, chances are you've hear of 'trap defense'. It is primarily when one team sticks back in their own zone and sets up in an fortified defensive position, while at the same time, not pressuring the puck, as the defending team waits for the offensive team to make the first move. Originally set up by the Crypt Keeper Jacques Lemaire with the New Jersey Devils. At the time, it was deemed as the tactic that "killed hockey" and many called for a change to the rules as it was a painstakingly boring process as the Devils would win a good majority of their games to the score of 1-0.

With Jacques Lemaire back in his mausoleum tending to his fellow skeleton buddies, the trap has been fairly done away with, up until the puck dropped in Tampa Bay last night. The Lightning and Flyers squared up to face each other last night, and the initial jump was not what was expected. Thirty seconds into the game, the Lightning got secured into their positions in head coach Guy Bouchers 1-3-1 defensive strategy (a newer version of the trap where the defending team sets up one player on each blue line, and three players along the center ice line) and went about their normal routine of defense. Except the Flyers found a loophole in this strategy, they found out that if they just hold onto the puck, no one on the Lightning is going to come and get it. Brayden Coburn literally sat in his defensive end, with the puck, not moving, for an entire 30-seconds until the referee realized that if they don't do something soon, Tampa Bay fans were going to riot like true hockey fans are ones to do (cept I think Tampa, 'riot' is just a big group taking a trip to the beach). So the refs blew the whistle and set up for another face off.

This was not the only time that the Flyers pulled this strategy, for they did it multiple times throughout the period. And, of course, people are fired up at Guy Boucher! They want him penalized for making the game boring! There have already been many different ideas tossed up like enforcing a minor penalty, or even something a ridiculous as a shot clock. I've found a much more useful way to keep teams from doing this, without taking away the defense altogether.



The league needs to look at this play much like they looked at icing when it first came about and there was no call. I'm not too sure of the origins of icing the puck all the way down the ice, but I'm pretty sure it was exploited for the most part, much like the trap in the 1-3-1 defense is doing. So, on the part of the referee's, they should be given the right to decide whether or not the defending team is making a legitimate effort to forecheck the puck. If they decide the defending team is doing what you saw the Lightning doing in that video and just standing waiting for the Flyers to make a move, the ref should be able to call a faceoff in the defending teams zone. Much like the three-second violation in basketball, the refs should be given a time in which they believe the defensive team needs to get settled and pressure the puck. If the defender does not forecheck after said allotted time, the referee blows the whistle, and the puck drops for a face off in the defending zone.

It's the easiest type of solution without overhauling the leagues play. Normally, I'd prefer no trap, but as long as these loopholes exist in the rule book, teams will exploit them. Oh, and a tip to Guy Boucher and the Lightning, send the guy on the offensive blue line to pressure the puck, even if he doesn't get it, he has three defenders on the red line at center ice, I think that's fine for defense.