From the Thumbnail, I was 95% sure this was going to be blasting the Championchip Devils teams & how they killed Hockey for a decade. What we got was a video I will point to every time the Trap is mentioned cause the stigma is real when it come to Devils & the Trap. Continue the great content & work man!
The devils only used the trap in 95 to win a cup ...in 2000 they were just by a mile the biggest fastest youngest team and possibly the best team in nhl history ... that team was beyond stacked ... ran 4 lines equally that all 4 lines could score with ease. ..plus that A line was just simply unstoppable.. best line I've ever seen ...no one ever talks about how dominant they were defensively... plus the madden pandalfo Berlin or nem line could shut down ever single top line in hockey giving the devils the ability to use the last change to put their a line against other teams weaker lines... the saddest thing was that the stars team was a pure dynasty waiting to happen ..if they just didn't have to face to devils they would have for sure won back to back cups ...
@@mostlycrazyallthetimethat's a strange way to spell Detroit Red Wings. The wings forced the league into the salary cap era. The devil's were just the only other team who could keep up.
I don’t think it was the Devils that should get the blame. It was the Panthers the next year, a hilariously unskilled team that trapped their way to the SCF and showed everyone that the trap could overcome your roster limitations and get you into contention. That’s when everyone started doing it.
To me the mst impressive part was the "83" Islanders. People have no idea just how dominating the Oliers were. Even in 1982 they were predicted to unseat the two time champion Isles before losing early to the Kings, if I recall correctly. To this day I'm conviced the strange hate towads the NYI for having the record of consecutive playoff series dubs with 19. I believe many people hold it against the isles that they're the only NHL American Dynasty.
It's not, because every video you've ever done has the same quality. Even looking at your first video, you are so well spoken, researched and just, well, perfect. It is downright criminal you have so few subscribers. You combine documentary levels of research with an easily digestible format, as you also sprinkle in some dry comedy like pausing to ask "What is that" to those inflatable hockey player things during the NYI vs TOR series, or cutting yourself off to say "Oh my god _____ just suckerpunched" (I couldn't quite remember the video but it was funny). You seem to perfectly capture the energy and emotion of every series or season you cover, really making me feel for the teams playing even though the series is 20 years old and the players are long since retired. You're like EMPLemon but with a much better speaking voice
Part of what made the Devils trap so effective was because of Brodeaur's ability to come out of the net and play the puck. If you did manage to dump the puck past the D men, Marty would simply come out of the net and clean it up. Even if they somehow got into the zone cleanly, they still had to deal with one of the greatest goalies of all time.
Adding the trapezoid rule was a small part of it, but particularly killing the two line pass rule helped a ton. Also the blue lines are a little closer to the center red line so the defensive zones are expanded.
The Neutral Zone Trap is one of those styles that can perfectly work in playoff hockey with the right personnel. I think we all noticed how offensive style hockey doesn't usually work well in the playoffs. The Neutral Zone is that one style where everyone gets pissed and the people who use it just say, "If you don't like it, try to beat it."
@@a_coleman11 it worked the best for them because they didn't have the best players, but the right players. Herb Brooks system worked because he had the right players for it. Same as Jacques Lemaire with his system.
Here in Britain (where our hockey was something of a joke in the 90's) the trap allowed our teams to compete with the European nations and put them into medal contention. It's not pretty but better an ugly winner than pretty loser right? 😋
Idk. People tend to overrate how defensive they were. They had some absolute lethal weapons on offence. Elias, Mogilny, Gomez, Nieuwendyk, Arnott. They were the highest scoring team in the league in 2001 when they won.
Man I loved those NJ teams so much. Kind of ironic that what is a weakness today (defense and goaltending) was their greatest strength back then. I can’t stand how teams never give NJ the credit they deserve just because they emphasized defense over offense.
Now we are in an era where really aggressive forechecking teams are considered boring because they choose to get pucks in deep, whereas the trap made that a good option for the opponent. "We should get a guy like Connor McDavid" is not a viable team building strategy for the vast majority of the league because there aren't enough of those players to distribute, so building a team around a strategy to offset the disadvantage of not winning the draft lottery in a franchise altering year makes a lot of sense. It's ivory tower nonsense to look down on a team without true superstars for, you know, trying to win however they can. Like, what are they supposed to do, lie down and take their beating?
personally, i think teams running defensive styles is good for the league. The more variation in strategy, the better. With the rules we have now, the trap is much less effective so its not nearly as game breaking as during the 'dead puck era' The more players get used to playing against defensive strategies, the more they'll learn to counter it thus pushing the game forward. this push and pull is essential for the growth of the sport, and i'd argue that there aren't enough defensive teams.
@@Potent_TechmologyThe Problem was that to win the Cup last year would have required the Oilers scoring first in 4 out of 7 games as the Panthers 1-2-2 trap was unbeatable all season long with a lead. Offense is sexy, but defense wins championships almost every year with the 2022 Avalanche being a recent exception.
@@BobbyBoucher228 people keep saying defense wins championships and I just don't agree with that anymore. the Predators would've won in 2017 if that was the case. the Golden Knights and Panthers scored their way to championships, and as scoring continues to rise, I think there will be more teams like the Avs and Knights who are heavy up-front, have offensive-styled D-men on the top 2 line, but yet lack a world-class goalie.
Both the 2019 Blues and the 2024 Panthers used the 1-2-2 trap when they got a lead and both were devastatingly effective at shutting down offensive chances with their defensive systems. Also even with the trapezoid rule if you have a good puck handling goalie like Binnington, a team can stop the majority of offensive chances with a good puck handling goalie who can stop teams from dumping and chasing and force them to carry the puck in the zone resulting in a lot of turnovers and odd man breaks with the 1-2-2 trap in place. If you look at the Panthers record when they had a lead last year it shows just how effective the 1-2-2 trap can be in modern hockey with a lead and a team who can execute the trap defense to perfection in every game.
Really enjoyed the video, but do want to point out a glaring omission. The 1993 Montreal Canadiens. After the two offensive Penguins team won back-to-back cups, the 93 Habs won playing the trap. HC Jacques Demers even once told the story how GM Serge Savard told him “don’t say the word trap to the media because you won’t hear the end of it”. Lemaire was an assistant GM on that Montreal team. Took the New Jersey job the following season. In fact, if you look at goals scored per game, the biggest season to season drop was after the 93 season, when half the NHL moved to the 1-2-2.
Very frustrating. I knew MTL continued to use it but I didn't realize it went all the way to their next Cup win. Even digging into my sources for this video again, there's no mention of it I can find of them using it in 1992-93. Guess it was just a blind spot. Thanks for bringing it up.
@ Kudos to you for digging that deep, even more so for finding all of the old footage. For the 93 team, Demers would speak about it more in the French media, as he was an analyst for RDS for years. And finally, I love all the work that went into showing the link to how former players became coaches/managers and carried it with them. A similar timeline could be made with the development of young players, and “letting them develop as opposed to rushing them”. My timeline goes from Sam Pollock (70s Canadiens) to Bill Torrey (80s Islanders) to Jim Devellano (90s Red Wings) to Ken Holland (2000s Red Wings) to Steve Yzerman (2010s Lightning), not to mention Bob Gainey (2000s Canadiens), Stan & Scotty Bowman (2000s Blackhawks), Jim Nill (2020s Stars) and on and on.
@@Potent_Techmology he's talking about the devils, you know, the teams everyone thinks cheated their way to 3 stanley cups because hurr durr "the trap"
Very good take. It’s not the fault of the trap but rather the circumstances surrounding it. Tbh, remove the obstructing and two-line pass rules from that era and there would be way, way more scoring.
As a rangers fan, when you said you may think of the Devils at 16:20 I was nodding my head and you said the Rangers. I just said what? out loud with the most confused look at my screen lol. Another banger video! keep making these Pinholes!!
Interesting that the Devils get blamed so much for making hockey boring with the trap when they were just running a system that was already established in the league
Never saw your show before but this breakdown is fantastic. As someone who played in and later coached what is called the trap system I will say it is the greatest system ever invented. I am not finished with the show but am so impressed so far I had to comment.
I’m highly critical of a lot of these newer YT hockey channels ran by dismissive young fans who think hockey began in 2010 and generally look down on us older fans who don’t appreciate the soft skill, flashy type of hockey like they do. This channel, however, is top notch. This is quality over quantity. No clickbait thumbnails and titles. Just high quality, well researched, well narrated, unique content. I appreciate that you don’t focus on pumping out the same lazy, predictable, clickbait videos multiple times a day for views. Keep this up and you’ll surpass all the others in time and it’ll be sustainable. Excellent work as always 👍
I know a guy who was smoked by Gerry Cheevers' car while he was on his bike as a kid. LOL Cheevers was his favourite goalie and he didn't even get to meet the guy because he was unconsious!
I want 95-04 hockey back so bad, big hits, great defense, clutch and grab, actual greats manage to play through it. Now you can't play defense, you can't throw a big hit without having to fight or end up in the box, guys end up getting called for tripping for a clean hip check. It means that defense relies on flailing your stick around and hoping to block shots. It puts the risk of injury on your team instead of the opposing one and that shouldn't happen.
As someone who's a passionate fan of hockey and especially hockey history, I'm really pleased with how well researched this video is! It's clear you really know your stuff and you researched things very well. It was also very well presented from a visual and auditory perspective and the writing was great too. Keep this up and you'll gain significant popularity!
I have never clicked on a video so fast in my life. As a lifelong flyers fan, having to play against this horseshit for so many years made me want to pull my hair out strand by strand. But it also taught me two very important things about hockey... 1. Scott Niedermayer is a real life cheat code 2. Team defense and depth scoring wins championships, not great goaltending or high-end scoring. While the latter DOES help, it doesn't help like the former does.
Oh, I love those retrospective videos. Top notch quality as always. Thanks! Personally, though, the late 90s-early 00s NHL was my favourite NHL of all. I loved the aggression and literal battles on the ice to physically smother your opponent. And when the big guys had a lot more to say :) Today they want to make it almost contactless which doesn't sit well with me. I'm from Europe so maybe I'm just used to seeing few goals. Or maybe I'm just getting old, but two big hits and seeing the players and the fans react to it excites me sooooo much more than a 10-goal game. The two-line pass was the worst rule of all-time, agreed. BUT BUT BUT the trapezoid is the NEW worst rule of all-time. Completely takes such an exciting dimension away from the game. Goalies need to be set free again :)
Great video. Written in a way that flows is easy to listen to, and is packed with info while still being incredibly entertaining. Above all else, it is well-researched. Love to see it.
Thank you for this excellent presentation. I never understood why everyone complained so much about the trap. While my beloved Blackhawks of the time were stinking up the joint with a roster full of old, washed up enforcers, a nationally televised game between the Devils and Stars was a real treat to see. That combination of talent and perfectly implemented strategy was some of the best games I've ever seen.
this video really exceeded my expectations. as a kid i loved what's now called "dead puck era" hockey and i still do. i learned some new things and got a great nostalgia hit, so thanks for that. subbed.
You and Hockey Psychology are my go-to for every single upload. This was fascinating and I learned way more than I thought I would. I was definitely contributing to the Devils Trap stigma from the late 90s and early 00s so I appreciate the facts and analysis here. I will absolutely point to this video when I see people spreading misinformation about "The Trap." You're the GOAT!
This video was absolutely effing interesting. Its gotten me to go through ALL your vids. I loved your Leafs/Islanders video given I'm a leafs fan. Id absolute LOVE for you to do a cool 3 part series comparing the 3 leafs runs to the conference finals with stats and all. I know its a bit much but seeing that would make me so happy my dude. Keep up the great work!!!
Honestly thanks so much for how much effort you put into these videos - they have always been entertaining but I think they just keep getting better. The quality is phenomenal and you make such original and creative content! I really value this channel and look forward to future videos. Will do my best to promote your channel where I can because this content really deserves a bigger audience!
1: Prior to Bowman, Canadiens were firewagon. 2: Bowman played a defensive system at St. Louis both because he had to and he preferred it. He was always a defense-counter attack coach; He loved offensive defensemen and defensive forwards for this reason. 3: Watch the difference between the 67 Cup and the 74 Cup. Essentially the Flyers held Orr most of the game. The talent level at that time was beyond stretched thin due to the WHA. 4: Yes, the 80's were higher scoring. But the league stabilized to 21 teams and brought in Europeans. 5; Notice the dead puck era started when...after the early 90's expansion. 5: Early on several coaches said the problem wasn't the trap itself, but the interference on the forecheckers. The puck would be dumped in and the defensemen would hold up the forwards. It was as much not enforcing the rule book as anything else. Holding, clutching, grabbing and hooking were probably more of a problem, that and the WW2 red line specifically placed to slow down talent.
This is a great video! I really like your way of storytelling, and your choice of visuals to compliment the narration. This was super informative and really helped me understand this concept.
Great video. Great to have this in my recommendations and it took me back to my childhood when I got into hockey. Will definitely check out your content!
8:30 - Dang, I'm impressed of this much impressive coverage and well done presentation! Yes indeed the "1-3-1" hockey style was very popular usage from Sweden, and especally its Stockholm based team Djurgardens IF. They made in its Elitserien league the finals 4 years straight (1989-1992) and won 1989-1991 = 3 straight Swedish championships! The "1-3-1" gameplay was often credited to a coach named Lasse Falk. I'm not 100% sure, but could been the gameplay Sweden used to win the IIHF 1987 World Championship in Wien.
Excellent video as always. I'd like to add another reason why the trap became so widespread during the 90s: Expansion. The league added 9 teams in a decade. Those teams weren't well constructed like the Knights and Kraken were. Those teams had to deploy a trap in order to avoid losing 8-1 every night. The less said about the 03 series between Anaheim and Minnesota, the better.
15 วันที่ผ่านมา
Thank you, for this trip down memory lane. Many of my boyhood hockey heroes are mentioned, herein. My Uncle, Denis Paul, was one of the principal cameramen, for the early Soviet and Canada Cup tournaments. He is presently awaiting his nineteenth cancer operation. I fear that it may very well be the end for him. Go 'Nucks and Habs!
I've been waiting for this vid for like 10 years - so cool that you've checked (no pun intended) all those old games to basically discredit the lousy Wikipedia article. Subbed!
I was 6 at the time, but I read that the Bowman-led Pens utilized a version of the trap to swing a 3-1 series deficit against the Capitals into a series win. With the history of different trapping styles, it's very interesting to see the same handful of coaches employing it before it caught hold of the whole league. Awesome research!
Bobby Carpenter one of my all time favorite players because of 95'. Also nice use of 85-86' hockey card for the photos, hope to see more of that kinda graphics.
This is the kind of detail I like to see! I was also curious if you'd make mention of Edmonton in the '06 cup finals and how they started running the trap. I mostly remember it 'cause MacTavish got grilled by the media for it every chance they got. We were so beat up and, quite frankly, outmatched at the time it was all we could do to push things to a game 7. But it was more a moment in time rather than a season wide strat.
Great video, but id just like to say that beginning is so true. Old sports were like "Okay so we have two teams that are best in the league and they're undefeated... we'll draw straws and decide who's the national champion that way!"
Absolutely incredible work again. Your way of documenting this part of hockey history is incredibly important, I think. I don't know if you'll take this as a compliment or not, but -- what I'm left with is a dozen questions. Is there any way you can put together a similar video on how breakouts evolved in step with this, especially in that peak 1999-2004 era, and/or on the Soviet system of play and how it took over the NHL during the '90s as well? I don't want to tell you what to do here, it just screams to me that this is how your story continues.
Interesting how much credit always goes to Brodeur for the implementation of the trapezoid, but growing up a goalie I was always taught that Marty Turco was the real 'third defenseman' of the era. He won multiple NCAA championships using it and was a huge part of the Stars' success as well, and was such a good puckhandler that kids today are taught 'Turco grip' of goalie sticks. Marty did it earlier and longer, but Turco arguably did it better and was a bigger part of his teams' success.
From the Thumbnail, I was 95% sure this was going to be blasting the Championchip Devils teams & how they killed Hockey for a decade. What we got was a video I will point to every time the Trap is mentioned cause the stigma is real when it come to Devils & the Trap. Continue the great content & work man!
The devils only used the trap in 95 to win a cup ...in 2000 they were just by a mile the biggest fastest youngest team and possibly the best team in nhl history ... that team was beyond stacked ... ran 4 lines equally that all 4 lines could score with ease. ..plus that A line was just simply unstoppable.. best line I've ever seen ...no one ever talks about how dominant they were defensively... plus the madden pandalfo Berlin or nem line could shut down ever single top line in hockey giving the devils the ability to use the last change to put their a line against other teams weaker lines... the saddest thing was that the stars team was a pure dynasty waiting to happen ..if they just didn't have to face to devils they would have for sure won back to back cups ...
Agreed
Yes. It's been my favorite so far. I always wondered how the Trap worked. Great explanation
@@mostlycrazyallthetimethat's a strange way to spell Detroit Red Wings.
The wings forced the league into the salary cap era. The devil's were just the only other team who could keep up.
I don’t think it was the Devils that should get the blame. It was the Panthers the next year, a hilariously unskilled team that trapped their way to the SCF and showed everyone that the trap could overcome your roster limitations and get you into contention. That’s when everyone started doing it.
Me: Can't wait to hear about the 95 Devils and 96 Panthers.
Graham: So in 1915...
You forgot about the 1999 Dallas Stars.
To me the mst impressive part was the "83" Islanders. People have no idea just how dominating the Oliers were. Even in 1982 they were predicted to unseat the two time champion Isles before losing early to the Kings, if I recall correctly. To this day I'm conviced the strange hate towads the NYI for having the record of consecutive playoff series dubs with 19. I believe many people hold it against the isles that they're the only NHL American Dynasty.
In my humble opinion, this is my best video to date.
agreed, so well researched
Every single video that get posted on your channel is your better to date, I don't know how you keep getting better and better. Keep up!
Debatable, top 3 at least ❤
It's not, because every video you've ever done has the same quality. Even looking at your first video, you are so well spoken, researched and just, well, perfect. It is downright criminal you have so few subscribers. You combine documentary levels of research with an easily digestible format, as you also sprinkle in some dry comedy like pausing to ask "What is that" to those inflatable hockey player things during the NYI vs TOR series, or cutting yourself off to say "Oh my god _____ just suckerpunched" (I couldn't quite remember the video but it was funny). You seem to perfectly capture the energy and emotion of every series or season you cover, really making me feel for the teams playing even though the series is 20 years old and the players are long since retired. You're like EMPLemon but with a much better speaking voice
real
This man simply does not miss
Part of what made the Devils trap so effective was because of Brodeaur's ability to come out of the net and play the puck. If you did manage to dump the puck past the D men, Marty would simply come out of the net and clean it up. Even if they somehow got into the zone cleanly, they still had to deal with one of the greatest goalies of all time.
He was so good at it they changed the rules
Greatest of all time along with one of the greatest defensive units of all time. Just an amazing joy to watch
Adding the trapezoid rule was a small part of it, but particularly killing the two line pass rule helped a ton. Also the blue lines are a little closer to the center red line so the defensive zones are expanded.
The Neutral Zone Trap is one of those styles that can perfectly work in playoff hockey with the right personnel. I think we all noticed how offensive style hockey doesn't usually work well in the playoffs. The Neutral Zone is that one style where everyone gets pissed and the people who use it just say, "If you don't like it, try to beat it."
Basically 1997-2004: “you can win without offense if you put all your eggs in the defensive basket”
It also works because the refs swallow the whistles in the playoffs so you can clutch and grab way more than in the regular season...
The New Jersey Devils have entered the chat
@@a_coleman11 it worked the best for them because they didn't have the best players, but the right players. Herb Brooks system worked because he had the right players for it. Same as Jacques Lemaire with his system.
Here in Britain (where our hockey was something of a joke in the 90's) the trap allowed our teams to compete with the European nations and put them into medal contention. It's not pretty but better an ugly winner than pretty loser right? 😋
The New Jersey Devils are like the San Antonio Spurs of the NHL. They won their titles with a calculated, military-esque strategy.
And it made games a chore to watch
@@chrisuncleahmad666 oh come on, watch the 2014 spurs and tell me that's a chore
The 2000-2001 devils were a fun two years of really good hockey.
Idk. People tend to overrate how defensive they were. They had some absolute lethal weapons on offence. Elias, Mogilny, Gomez, Nieuwendyk, Arnott. They were the highest scoring team in the league in 2001 when they won.
@ they lost that cup to Colorado in 7 but you’re point stands. They were the highest scoring team that year.
Man I loved those NJ teams so much. Kind of ironic that what is a weakness today (defense and goaltending) was their greatest strength back then.
I can’t stand how teams never give NJ the credit they deserve just because they emphasized defense over offense.
Now we are in an era where really aggressive forechecking teams are considered boring because they choose to get pucks in deep, whereas the trap made that a good option for the opponent.
"We should get a guy like Connor McDavid" is not a viable team building strategy for the vast majority of the league because there aren't enough of those players to distribute, so building a team around a strategy to offset the disadvantage of not winning the draft lottery in a franchise altering year makes a lot of sense.
It's ivory tower nonsense to look down on a team without true superstars for, you know, trying to win however they can. Like, what are they supposed to do, lie down and take their beating?
personally, i think teams running defensive styles is good for the league. The more variation in strategy, the better. With the rules we have now, the trap is much less effective so its not nearly as game breaking as during the 'dead puck era' The more players get used to playing against defensive strategies, the more they'll learn to counter it thus pushing the game forward. this push and pull is essential for the growth of the sport, and i'd argue that there aren't enough defensive teams.
2 line pass was the modern day 'no forward pass'
now if we could only get rid of the other trap...izoid
The best defensive teams make it to the Cup. Even in recent years this is proven true.
@@FelixWheatfield Oilers made it on the PP and refs calling PIMs
@@Potent_TechmologyThe Problem was that to win the Cup last year would have required the Oilers scoring first in 4 out of 7 games as the Panthers 1-2-2 trap was unbeatable all season long with a lead. Offense is sexy, but defense wins championships almost every year with the 2022 Avalanche being a recent exception.
@@BobbyBoucher228 people keep saying defense wins championships and I just don't agree with that anymore. the Predators would've won in 2017 if that was the case. the Golden Knights and Panthers scored their way to championships, and as scoring continues to rise, I think there will be more teams like the Avs and Knights who are heavy up-front, have offensive-styled D-men on the top 2 line, but yet lack a world-class goalie.
How ia this guy producing that detailed and researched videos with only 15k. Give that men an audience already!!!
56 minute Pinholes Graham vid when I have an hour and a half lunch break? Fuck yeah.
Both the 2019 Blues and the 2024 Panthers used the 1-2-2 trap when they got a lead and both were devastatingly effective at shutting down offensive chances with their defensive systems. Also even with the trapezoid rule if you have a good puck handling goalie like Binnington, a team can stop the majority of offensive chances with a good puck handling goalie who can stop teams from dumping and chasing and force them to carry the puck in the zone resulting in a lot of turnovers and odd man breaks with the 1-2-2 trap in place. If you look at the Panthers record when they had a lead last year it shows just how effective the 1-2-2 trap can be in modern hockey with a lead and a team who can execute the trap defense to perfection in every game.
Neither of these compare to the lightning running the trap when they were losing a game. Now that’s how it’s done! 😂
Really enjoyed the video, but do want to point out a glaring omission. The 1993 Montreal Canadiens. After the two offensive Penguins team won back-to-back cups, the 93 Habs won playing the trap. HC Jacques Demers even once told the story how GM Serge Savard told him “don’t say the word trap to the media because you won’t hear the end of it”. Lemaire was an assistant GM on that Montreal team. Took the New Jersey job the following season. In fact, if you look at goals scored per game, the biggest season to season drop was after the 93 season, when half the NHL moved to the 1-2-2.
Very frustrating. I knew MTL continued to use it but I didn't realize it went all the way to their next Cup win. Even digging into my sources for this video again, there's no mention of it I can find of them using it in 1992-93. Guess it was just a blind spot. Thanks for bringing it up.
@ Kudos to you for digging that deep, even more so for finding all of the old footage. For the 93 team, Demers would speak about it more in the French media, as he was an analyst for RDS for years.
And finally, I love all the work that went into showing the link to how former players became coaches/managers and carried it with them. A similar timeline could be made with the development of young players, and “letting them develop as opposed to rushing them”. My timeline goes from Sam Pollock (70s Canadiens) to Bill Torrey (80s Islanders) to Jim Devellano (90s Red Wings) to Ken Holland (2000s Red Wings) to Steve Yzerman (2010s Lightning), not to mention Bob Gainey (2000s Canadiens), Stan & Scotty Bowman (2000s Blackhawks), Jim Nill (2020s Stars) and on and on.
Did the neutral zone trap make the game less fun to watch? Yes.
Did it win my team three Stanley Cups? Also yes. So I’m not complaining.
hmm which team are you a fan of? I can't immediately whittle it down to exactly 1 before watching the video
@@Potent_Techmology he's talking about the devils, you know, the teams everyone thinks cheated their way to 3 stanley cups because hurr durr "the trap"
Rofl...the devils only ran the trap in the 95 cup run... 2000 2003 they were not using anything close to a trap. .stop being so lazy ..
You mean 1
Very good take. It’s not the fault of the trap but rather the circumstances surrounding it. Tbh, remove the obstructing and two-line pass rules from that era and there would be way, way more scoring.
As a rangers fan, when you said you may think of the Devils at 16:20 I was nodding my head and you said the Rangers. I just said what? out loud with the most confused look at my screen lol. Another banger video! keep making these Pinholes!!
Wooo happy Halloween to you too graham thanks for the vid as always
@@fqrez239 Happy Halloween!
This is the best definition of the trap summary I have ever seen.
I can’t believe I just watched an almost hour documentary on the friggin trap….. well done!
Thank you!
The BobbyBroccoli of Hockey
Absolutely astonishingly well crafted documentary once again, thank you!
There should be an honorable mention to the '03 Minnesota Wild, also coached by Lemaire. Used the trap to make the WCF.
Interesting that the Devils get blamed so much for making hockey boring with the trap when they were just running a system that was already established in the league
Never saw your show before but this breakdown is fantastic. As someone who played in and later coached what is called the trap system I will say it is the greatest system ever invented. I am not finished with the show but am so impressed so far I had to comment.
I personally think the most controversial style is the Flyers of the 1970s.
I agree!
The Bruins adopted that style and never stopped using it. If you can't beat em injure em!
I’m highly critical of a lot of these newer YT hockey channels ran by dismissive young fans who think hockey began in 2010 and generally look down on us older fans who don’t appreciate the soft skill, flashy type of hockey like they do.
This channel, however, is top notch.
This is quality over quantity. No clickbait thumbnails and titles. Just high quality, well researched, well narrated, unique content. I appreciate that you don’t focus on pumping out the same lazy, predictable, clickbait videos multiple times a day for views. Keep this up and you’ll surpass all the others in time and it’ll be sustainable. Excellent work as always 👍
"Hustlin' Cheevers" is my favorite thing ever
I know a guy who was smoked by Gerry Cheevers' car while he was on his bike as a kid. LOL Cheevers was his favourite goalie and he didn't even get to meet the guy because he was unconsious!
I want 95-04 hockey back so bad, big hits, great defense, clutch and grab, actual greats manage to play through it. Now you can't play defense, you can't throw a big hit without having to fight or end up in the box, guys end up getting called for tripping for a clean hip check. It means that defense relies on flailing your stick around and hoping to block shots. It puts the risk of injury on your team instead of the opposing one and that shouldn't happen.
As someone who's a passionate fan of hockey and especially hockey history, I'm really pleased with how well researched this video is! It's clear you really know your stuff and you researched things very well. It was also very well presented from a visual and auditory perspective and the writing was great too. Keep this up and you'll gain significant popularity!
I have never clicked on a video so fast in my life. As a lifelong flyers fan, having to play against this horseshit for so many years made me want to pull my hair out strand by strand. But it also taught me two very important things about hockey...
1. Scott Niedermayer is a real life cheat code
2. Team defense and depth scoring wins championships, not great goaltending or high-end scoring. While the latter DOES help, it doesn't help like the former does.
That’s how the 03 Devils won the Cup with one of the weakest forward corps ever
A defense without an offense
These videos take a lot of work, but I feel a lot smarter after watching them. You've outdone yourself once again, my friend!
Oh, I love those retrospective videos. Top notch quality as always. Thanks!
Personally, though, the late 90s-early 00s NHL was my favourite NHL of all. I loved the aggression and literal battles on the ice to physically smother your opponent. And when the big guys had a lot more to say :) Today they want to make it almost contactless which doesn't sit well with me.
I'm from Europe so maybe I'm just used to seeing few goals. Or maybe I'm just getting old, but two big hits and seeing the players and the fans react to it excites me sooooo much more than a 10-goal game.
The two-line pass was the worst rule of all-time, agreed. BUT BUT BUT the trapezoid is the NEW worst rule of all-time. Completely takes such an exciting dimension away from the game. Goalies need to be set free again :)
Great video. Written in a way that flows is easy to listen to, and is packed with info while still being incredibly entertaining. Above all else, it is well-researched. Love to see it.
Thank you for this excellent presentation. I never understood why everyone complained so much about the trap. While my beloved Blackhawks of the time were stinking up the joint with a roster full of old, washed up enforcers, a nationally televised game between the Devils and Stars was a real treat to see. That combination of talent and perfectly implemented strategy was some of the best games I've ever seen.
Babe wake up, Pinholes Graham uploaded
Pinholes Grahan is such an underrated channel
Quite possibly be the BEST hockey TH-cam I have seen to date. Gonna go watch all ur over vids. Keep up the good work dude👍
Watching again , unreal work
seeing the length of this vid got me seriously excited, gotta love vids that take an in-depth look on the topic 🙏
You're the "Jon Bois of hockey" that I had been searching for. Earned a subscriber!
Removing the two line pass stoppage kind of single handedly blew up the trap for a few years
That particular Devils team was actually fun to watch because of the two Scotts and a few other great players that were exciting.
i appreciate the amount of time and effort you put into putting these videos together! it feels weird that this great content is free
Great work. I've never wanted this deep dive, but I couldn't stop once I started. Great work
This is a work of art
6:54 that stanley cup win brought about the tossing of octopi at red wings games as good luck
this video really exceeded my expectations. as a kid i loved what's now called "dead puck era" hockey and i still do. i learned some new things and got a great nostalgia hit, so thanks for that. subbed.
Great to hear! Thanks for watching!
You and Hockey Psychology are my go-to for every single upload. This was fascinating and I learned way more than I thought I would. I was definitely contributing to the Devils Trap stigma from the late 90s and early 00s so I appreciate the facts and analysis here. I will absolutely point to this video when I see people spreading misinformation about "The Trap." You're the GOAT!
I can feel the Jon Bois inspiration oozing out of this video. Very well done.
Crazy to see how much better your videos are getting with every video! this is some type of Jon Bois video right here ✌
Crazy high quality and well researched video. Glad it showed up in my recs!
This is PHENOMENAL content, something hockey has been SCREAMING for. Keep it up, please!
@@francisforte4782 Will do, thank you for watching!
This video was absolutely effing interesting. Its gotten me to go through ALL your vids. I loved your Leafs/Islanders video given I'm a leafs fan. Id absolute LOVE for you to do a cool 3 part series comparing the 3 leafs runs to the conference finals with stats and all. I know its a bit much but seeing that would make me so happy my dude. Keep up the great work!!!
Honestly thanks so much for how much effort you put into these videos - they have always been entertaining but I think they just keep getting better. The quality is phenomenal and you make such original and creative content! I really value this channel and look forward to future videos. Will do my best to promote your channel where I can because this content really deserves a bigger audience!
post-halloween party drunk cooking mac and cheese, can't wait to sink my teeth into this vid
Sounds like a great time lol
This is brilliantly done. So well researched and produced. Well done, this could be on NHL network tomorrow and be the best thing on it. 👍
Thanks so much man!
These are still the best videos. I love them
As A Devils fan, i always heard NJ is so boring blah blah when I was a kid. But I never bought it, winning is never boring ;) lol
we’ve needed a hockey centric dorktown for forever, you’re a godsend
Wow the research that went to this is unreal! Great job amazing work!
1: Prior to Bowman, Canadiens were firewagon. 2: Bowman played a defensive system at St. Louis both because he had to and he preferred it. He was always a defense-counter attack coach; He loved offensive defensemen and defensive forwards for this reason. 3: Watch the difference between the 67 Cup and the 74 Cup. Essentially the Flyers held Orr most of the game. The talent level at that time was beyond stretched thin due to the WHA. 4: Yes, the 80's were higher scoring. But the league stabilized to 21 teams and brought in Europeans. 5; Notice the dead puck era started when...after the early 90's expansion. 5: Early on several coaches said the problem wasn't the trap itself, but the interference on the forecheckers. The puck would be dumped in and the defensemen would hold up the forwards. It was as much not enforcing the rule book as anything else. Holding, clutching, grabbing and hooking were probably more of a problem, that and the WW2 red line specifically placed to slow down talent.
Ummm I just got here and subbed in less than 2 mins. I wasnt disappointed, wow well done! Cant wait to see more!❤
You popped off brother, great work❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
I know next to nothing about hockey. This was a fascinating video. Thank you sir, Jon Bois would be proud
This is a great video! I really like your way of storytelling, and your choice of visuals to compliment the narration. This was super informative and really helped me understand this concept.
Great video. Great to have this in my recommendations and it took me back to my childhood when I got into hockey. Will definitely check out your content!
8:30 - Dang, I'm impressed of this much impressive coverage and well done presentation!
Yes indeed the "1-3-1" hockey style was very popular usage from Sweden, and especally its Stockholm based team Djurgardens IF. They made in its Elitserien league the finals 4 years straight (1989-1992) and won 1989-1991 = 3 straight Swedish championships! The "1-3-1" gameplay was often credited to a coach named Lasse Falk.
I'm not 100% sure, but could been the gameplay Sweden used to win the IIHF 1987 World Championship in Wien.
Love how influential Jon Bois has been to sports media on TH-cam. The GOAT
This is a great channel. Thanks for the videos
The thing that made the devils so hard to play against is Brodeur nullified dump ins all the time.
Fantastic video! Keep it up, dude!
Great video. Informative and non AI commentary. 5 stars
this is the greatest hockey video on all of youtube btw
great content man! I can tell you put a great amount of effort into your vids and i really appreciate that!
You earned a new sub in the first ten minutes of this video. Great work
Best hockey content creator on TH-cam!
Surprised Guy Boucher didn't get a mention though
Excellent video as always. I'd like to add another reason why the trap became so widespread during the 90s: Expansion. The league added 9 teams in a decade. Those teams weren't well constructed like the Knights and Kraken were. Those teams had to deploy a trap in order to avoid losing 8-1 every night. The less said about the 03 series between Anaheim and Minnesota, the better.
Thank you, for this trip down memory lane. Many of my boyhood hockey heroes are mentioned, herein. My Uncle, Denis Paul, was one of the principal cameramen, for the early Soviet and Canada Cup tournaments. He is presently awaiting his nineteenth cancer operation. I fear that it may very well be the end for him. Go 'Nucks and Habs!
Damn good video Graham.
I love your content man, haven’t missed a vid
I've been waiting for this vid for like 10 years - so cool that you've checked (no pun intended) all those old games to basically discredit the lousy Wikipedia article. Subbed!
Great video man, I love the Jon Bois format
I was 6 at the time, but I read that the Bowman-led Pens utilized a version of the trap to swing a 3-1 series deficit against the Capitals into a series win. With the history of different trapping styles, it's very interesting to see the same handful of coaches employing it before it caught hold of the whole league. Awesome research!
pinholes, you are the john bois of hockey. top chedder content, man. keep up the phenomenal work. the subs will come.
Absolutely amazing video. Well written, well edited. Feels like something Jon Bois would put out.
I am so excited to learn about this
Edit: yep, great video. As always
Bobby Carpenter one of my all time favorite players because of 95'. Also nice use of 85-86' hockey card for the photos, hope to see more of that kinda graphics.
Excellent video, congratulations!
Fantastic video! You've really done a thorough research on this topic and presented it to us is a top notch package. Thank you 🙏🏆
Woooo Halloween and a pinholes graham video
The New Jersey Devils won a Stanley Cup in the nineties by riding the neutral zone trap and relying on Martin Brodeur to stop anything that got thru.
Panthers mentioned
This is great you used so many sources I enjoy well researched content it is the good good
This is the kind of detail I like to see! I was also curious if you'd make mention of Edmonton in the '06 cup finals and how they started running the trap. I mostly remember it 'cause MacTavish got grilled by the media for it every chance they got. We were so beat up and, quite frankly, outmatched at the time it was all we could do to push things to a game 7. But it was more a moment in time rather than a season wide strat.
Another reminder that those early 2000s Flyers black jerseys are goated and need to come back
Very well done video!!
Great video, but id just like to say that beginning is so true. Old sports were like "Okay so we have two teams that are best in the league and they're undefeated... we'll draw straws and decide who's the national champion that way!"
This video was a great listen. Loved the late 90's hockey.
Absolutely incredible work again. Your way of documenting this part of hockey history is incredibly important, I think. I don't know if you'll take this as a compliment or not, but -- what I'm left with is a dozen questions. Is there any way you can put together a similar video on how breakouts evolved in step with this, especially in that peak 1999-2004 era, and/or on the Soviet system of play and how it took over the NHL during the '90s as well? I don't want to tell you what to do here, it just screams to me that this is how your story continues.
Thanks man, life long fan and player, you did a great job explaining all that
Interesting how much credit always goes to Brodeur for the implementation of the trapezoid, but growing up a goalie I was always taught that Marty Turco was the real 'third defenseman' of the era. He won multiple NCAA championships using it and was a huge part of the Stars' success as well, and was such a good puckhandler that kids today are taught 'Turco grip' of goalie sticks. Marty did it earlier and longer, but Turco arguably did it better and was a bigger part of his teams' success.