Hockey is a game filled with strategies, and hockey teams tend to employ strategies that work well with the makeup of the team. Teams with more offensive talent will use more offensive strategies, and defensive teams will use more defensive strategies. The neutral zone trap is a defensive-minded plan that is designed to stifle an offensive attack by the opposition before it really gets started. The trap requires patience and dedication from everyone on the ice.
Premise
The premise of the neutral zone trap is to clog up the neutral zone of the ice so the offensive team can’t carry the puck into your team’s zone. The neutral zone refers to the area in the middle of the ice, between the two blue lines. The object is to force a turnover or cause the offensive team to dump the puck deep into the zone.
Execution
For a defensive team to pull off a successful neutral zone trap, it must be disciplined in its approach. The 1995 New Jersey Devils executed the trap to perfection on their way to the 1995 Stanley Cup. The defensive team must attack the puck carrier as soon as he brings the puck into the neutral zone. One way to execute the play is for the defensive centerman to intercept the puck carrier, forcing him to unload the puck. One winger and a defenseman collapse onto the side the puck is passed, cutting off any progress on that side. The last winger and defenseman are available if the puck is shot in deep or comes back out to the middle of the ice.
Scenarios
A team may choose to use the neutral zone trap to make up for a weak offense or to protect a lead late in the game. If a team doesn’t have many offensive stars, the trap can lead to odd-man rushes and opportunities the team may not get otherwise. Teams that play the trap must be patient and take advantage of scoring chances as they present themselves.
Considerations
Since the rules of hockey have become more stringent regarding holding, clutching and grabbing, the trap isn’t used quite so much. It can still be an effective tactic, but with the offensive players able to move more freely in the neutral zone, the offense has more opportunity to thwart the strategy. If the offensive team has quick forwards, dumping the puck in deep and getting to it before the defensemen is an effective solution to the trap.
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