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1-3-1
By Mark Briggs
1-3-1. No its not a new scoring system, a team’s record, or the start of a bad joke. It is in fact the Tampa Bay Lightning’s formation.
Hockey has been entirely dominated by 2-3 for, well forever. The idea of two defenseman on the ice along with three forwards is fundamental to the way hockey is played, and what makes it such a spectacle.
While in the modern game even the greats such as Ovechkin and Crosby (who is due back on the ice this week after a massive lay off with concussion) all have to get back to help out, the idea that there are more offense minded players than defense minded keeps the game flowing and, in the most part, the scores high.
The formation isn’t entirely new. Tampa Bay themselves used it in the playoffs last year, resulting in a few murmurs, and teams have been know to adopt it when protecting a lead.
But what has caused the murmurs to grow louder this autumn focusing on a game between Tampa and Philadelphia.
1-3-1 reduces your fore check to almost none existent proportions. The fore check being when you try and win back the puck in your opponent’s own end. One man patrols the blue line, three line up across the neutral zone while another drops back to “sweep” in his own end.
Last week the Flyers simply held the puck in their end waiting for the fore check, when it didn’t come, with the puck not moving, the ref blew the whistle for a face-off.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmuugKeLnaI
Reaction has been pretty mixed over whether this is a black mark against the Lightning or the Flyers, but no one wants a repeat.
When the game eventually got going, the Lightning went on to win 2-1 in OT. But how the game started, rather than how it finished are likely to have further reaching ramifications.
The issue was raised at the meeting of the General Managers, who while not happy, said there is no way to legislate for how a team plays.
They also pointed out that this has only happened once since the 2004 lock out. But it has been noted, and should it come up again, I think the issue will become slightly more heated.
Mark Briggs @briggsma
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| 12th March 2006 19:00 | ||
5-3 |
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| 12th March 2006 19:00 | ||
4-5 |
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| 12th March 2006 19:00 | ||
1-4 |
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| 12th March 2006 19:00 | ||
4-4 |
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| 11th March 2006 19:00 | ||
2-4 |
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| 11th March 2006 19:00 | ||
| Club | GP | W | L | OL | GF | GA | Pts |
|---|
5-8 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
5-1 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
4-1 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
5-2 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
3-7 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
1-1 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
| Club | GP | W | L | OL | GF | GA | Pts |
|---|
- Adam Walker
- Alex Birch
- Andy Pierce
- Chris Gent
- Christopher Beal
- Craig Simpson
- Dave Simms
- Elliott Stanley
- Gareth Chalmers
- James Broughton
- James Gordon
- Katy Madgwick
- Luke Catterson
- Mark Briggs
- Mark Duell
- Mat Young
- Patrick Smyth
- Promotion
- Russ Morrell
- Seanna Murdock
- Stephen Dowson
- Stewart Roberts
- Tom Forster
- Vicki Smart
- William Lyon
