Thursday, February 09, 2006

Off-Week All Around

I took a week off. What was there to say after St. Cloud handed UAA their asses? Other than Mike Rosett playing solid for 5 periods there was nary a highlight. There's one road series left (CC) and one home series (Gophers) then it's off to the home rink of this years McNaughton Cup winner for the playoffs and barring any ridiculously heroic effort from the team, that'll be the end of the season. The most positive thing that the Seawolves will likely accomplish during the remainder of the season is to be a thorn in the side of somebody's PWR ranking because our's is so low. And there's very little real satisfaction in that.

I caught some flack from the SCSU fan base for revealing that their coach was playing the trap. Apparently some numbnuts with his nancy-panties in a bunch even emailed Motzko asking if it was true. His response? Whaddya think he said? "Sure we play the trap"? LOL. No. He said "We don't play the trap. I'd quit hockey before I play the trap." Yeah ok. Whatever coach. Motzko is going to deny it fully because playing the trap has such a negative connotation. Mike Eaves calls it playing "positional defense". Motzko's PR experience has prior to now been watching Lucia talk. If tDonnie doesn't like the question he deflects and/or denies.

Lemme be very clear here. First: I know exactly what a trap is; I was a Devils fan until I quit watching the NHL in 01 and Dean Talafous used the trap at UAA for a couple of seasons; so I have plenty of experience watching that scheme. Second: I don't write things that I haven't considered carefully. I watched the GCI archived UAA/SCSU games. I could easily watch them again and provide timestamps for evidence but I won't because I was/am right. Playing a trap isn't necessarily some all encompassing defensive scheme that you'll see a team use for the entire game. It is a defensive method that comes into play depending on the circumstances of the game. Anyone that takes the time to look at SCSU tape will find them lined up in a neutral-zone trap whenever the score is close and the opposition has the puck behind their own net prior to breaking out. Watch where the puck goes and see how the SCSU forwards stationed at the other teams blueline react to the puck. Watch where the single forechecking SCSU forward goes and how the SCSU defensive pairing reacts. Once you watch several similar breakouts you too will be able to spot a trap at work. It isn't difficult. You won't see this in every breakout situation as there are other dynamics of the game that affect a teams ability to set up. Nuff said.

Isn't Bob something you do for apples? Or something you do to a Boxer's tail?

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, you used to be funny. Now you are making stuff up...and really becoming quite tiresome...

Anonymous said...

To suffer through the unending winter must be bad enough, but to keep being a fan of this squad must truly be excruciating. To be so bitter about your own club to keep diminishing the play and accomplishments of another is laughable. I will take the snowmobile jackets, trap and the concrete over your pathetic club anyday.

Donald Dunlop said...

St. Cloud is on a six game winning streak trying to maintain their position for a home ice playoff spot with a big series against CC this weekend and their fans have nothing better to do than read the fan blog of the LAST PLACE team and use the exact same adjectives they've been using for 5 years. Do you think they really know what the word "pathetic" means?

Chris said...

Hey, can you send me an email, DTP?

Anonymous said...

DTP, I agree with you that the trap is awful hockey and that teams like St. Cloud that use it are a sad excuse for what hockey should be. But if your team has a bunch of no talents at forward, you have to do something to keep yourself in the game. I wouldn't worry too much though. They'll get exposed when the teams with a lot of talent play them.

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