Trapped

In the postseason, offense goes further than ever before

OK, call me a jaded old goalie -- I've heard worse -- but whatever happened to the mindset of enough never being enough when it comes to goal scoring? It used to be that teams would try to intimidate an opponent by scoring as much as possible to the same degree as they would -- and still do -- on the physical side of the game. Run up the score and run 'em out of the rink applied equally.

Now, I recognize that teams play much more disciplined hockey without the puck and execute complex defensive systems more completely than a decade ago. And truly the goaltending is more consistent, certainly benefiting from the attention to defensive detail of the day. These trends have been gaining in mass appeal for some time and in and of themselves only improve the overall quality of the game.

Nevertheless, what surprises me is how quickly teams shut down their offensive impetus, forsaking creativity, looking exclusively for attack opportunities off turnovers. Two-man forechecking -- often the reason a team secured the lead in the first place -- gives way to a one-man passive sweep, with the other four men strategically positioned in the neutral zone. Again, a time-tested strategy for protecting a lead that is hardly revelatory.

However, what does seem to be a developing tendency is how early in a game teams will adopt a nearly "D-only" mentality -- and not just less-talented teams trying to shorten the game against more high-powered opponents. Even the more talented teams around are content to kill the clock -- sometimes with as much as 30-plus minutes remaining.

Witness the Red Wings' Game 2 victory against the Blues. They scored on a miscue by goalie Brent Johnson to start the game and then again on the powerplay before the first intermission. They hardly pressed St. Louis in second, but managed to score again on the powerplay. The most potent offensive team in the NHL went into a rope-a-dope posture for the better part of two periods, relying on the fine play of netminder Dominik Hasek to bring home the desired result.

Hasek prevailed, but the Wings' limited offensive focus allowed the Blues to get their attack untracked, scoring twice in the third period, possibly giving them something to build on heading into their must-win Game 3 on home ice.

Will it make a difference? Maybe -- maybe not. It just seems that the Red Wings using their sizeable offensive skills to crush the Blues spirit instead of giving them hope would be more appropriate. When is cozy too cozy? Possibly when you sit back and rely on your power play production to fuel the offensive fires.

Contrast the Wings' approach in their Game 2 to that of the Colorado Avalanche. That game's progression is actually what got me thinking about how drastically attitudes have changed within the game regarding the emphasis and balance between offense and defense. In a pre-1995 display of goal-scoring gluttony, the Avs went up early and never stopped pressing. Forechecking pressure was unrelenting, as was the support from the defensemen, as they continually joined the rush, making forays deep into San Jose's zone.

Yes, the Avalanche did get a little sloppy once up 5-0 -- one of the traits the early prevent essentially eliminates. Yet, the Avs were down a game in the series and have struggled to score goals all season long. The offensive outpouring might have been a welcome relief more than a "fill the net and fill their heads with doubt" scenario.

Regardless of the motive, the Avs rang up eight markers on the Sharks, sending them home with more questions than answers. Especially second-year netminder Evgeni Nabokov. The Avs' aggressive offensive mindset that led to the onslaught was insecurity-inducing. The Sharks and their netminder have to handle the humiliation immediately in Game 3 -- a new game, yes, but a holdover emotion. And the trap between the ears can be tougher to avoid than anything employed by between the blue lines.

Darren Eliot, a former NHL goaltender, is a hockey analyst for CNN/Sports Illustrated and will provide Stanley Cup Playoffs commentary throughout the postseason for CNNSI.com.

 

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