Читать книгу Now You Know Big Book of Sports онлайн

28 страница из 137

What is a neutral-zone trap?

The neutral-zone trap is a dreadfully dull defensive strategy that’s popular with many hockey coaches because of its effectiveness. Although variations of the trap have existed for decades, it gained prominence when the 1995 New Jersey Devils used it to win the Stanley Cup. The goal of the trap is to clog the neutral zone with defenders so the offensive team has little momentum when crossing its own blueline. If successfully executed, the trap forces the attacking team to lose the puck before crossing the central redline, or to shoot it in. The Florida Panthers once frequently employed a twist on the trap by attempting to stop opponents before they reached the neutral zone, provoking a turnover near the opposition’s blueline.

Six Curious Terms in Hockey

• Baffle Play

• Cookie Shelf

• Eggbeater

• Slewfooting

• Snowplow

• Spinnerama

Who was the last goaltender to play without a mask in the NHL?

The Pittsburgh Penguins’ Andy Brown was the last NHL goalie to bare his face to slap shots and other on-ice hazards. Brown played his last NHL game with the Penguins in a 6–3 loss to the Atlanta Flames on April 7, 1974. The plucky, or crazy, netminder continued his professional career in the World Hockey Association with the Indianapolis Racers, and he didn’t wear a mask there, either. Brown, like the Philadelphia Flyers’ Ron Hextall, had something of a mean streak. In 1973–74 with the Penguins he achieved the then single-season NHL penalty-minute record for goalies, notching 60. He continued his warring ways in the WHA the next season, leading all goalies in that league that year with 75 penalty minutes. Incidentally, the current NHL record holder for penalty minutes for a goalie in one season is Hextall, who earned himself 113 in 1988–89 while playing for the Flyers. Hextall also has the career record for penalty minutes — 584.