Left wing lock
The left wing lock is a defensive ice hockey strategy similar to the neutral zone trap.
In the most basic form, once puck possession changes, the
odd man rushes
.
With the reinforced defensive line, the
right wing forecheck
aggressively. Often the forecheckers will try to drive the puck over to the opponent's right wing.
Under coach
NHL record for most points in a season by a team. However, the system broke down during the playoffs each year, especially as they were frustrated by the neutral zone trap strategy employed by Jacques Lemaire's New Jersey Devils in the 1995 Stanley Cup Finals. It was not until 1997 that Detroit broke through and finally matched their regular-season success with a Stanley Cup
championship.
Although "the lock" was made famous by the Red Wings and has been used to great success in their
teams of the 1970s.[1] A former assistant coach under Scotty Bowman, Barry Smith, was credited with seeing the left wing lock in Europe and bringing it back to the Red Wings.[2]
The simplicity of "the lock" has made it popular at all levels of hockey and it is not uncommon to see it implemented in
youth hockey
.
References
- Notes
- ^ a b Raimondo 2007.
- New York Times
- Raimondo, Gianni (2007). "The Left Wing Lock".
