Lockout Shortened 94-95 Season Sees Rise of the Trap

Though New Jersey perfects the defensive trapping game, other teams are employing the same tactic due to the lack of stars to go around in the bloated NHL.
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[@sdgakatbk]

Watching Jim Carey in net for the Caps was a lot of fun that year and next! When he'd make a big save, they'd flash one a scene from Jim Carrey's Mask where he'd say "Smokin!" on the scoreboard at the Capital Centre. This was also Pat Peake's second season with the Capitals. Pat had potential offensively and showed flashes, but he had serious injuries which shortened his career. A what could have been.

[@matthewdaley746]

Both of them had short careers.

[@chrisolivo6591]

NHL ‘94 for Sega is still one of the greatest hockey video games ever. Teemu Selanne was unstoppable!

[@rodzor]

I scored over 200 goals with Bure in the playoffs one time on that game. I loved watching them skate around with the cup.

[@matthewdaley746]

@@rodzor Too bad his team couldn't do it in real life.

[@matthewdaley746]

@Mr. Man Nice to have good memories.

[@DARK24-7]

I really liked that one and '95 was my absolute fave!!!Petr Klima-was the man!!!

[@chrisolivo6591]

NHL '95 was a great game too, as it was pretty much the same game play as '94. You could do 'the move' on the goalie to score, as they changed that in NHL '96. I just remember taking Mario Lemeiux and set him up in the slot, and could score everytime on a one timer from Jagr. What made them video games great is that they didn't have all the bells and whistles the games today have, as the gameplay was what mattered. The video games today are too complicated with too many buttons to remember so I gave up years ago. The old Sega controller was easy as A was to play defense, B and C was shoot/pass and C was to skate faster. Ok now get off my lawn! lol

[@MrDrunkenDane]

I watched my first NHL game on TV at 2 months old, in the basement suite we had in Burnaby. It was January 21st, 1995. STL vs VAN in Vancouver. Score was 7-1 for the Blues. I was babbling Boos the whole time so the legend goes. 14 years later I get to see my favorite team raise their first ever Stanley Cup.

[@BDawgStudio]

Its a trap!

[@matthewdaley746]

A neutral zone trap!

[@TvDebates__]

its a trap so vegas can get marner

[@matthewdaley746]

@@TvDebates__ But, will it work?

[@TvDebates__]

@@matthewdaley746 it might

[@memomelaza]

The keenan era blues were a thing to behold. Like there has been books written about teams in a very specific era, I still think those mid 90s Blues were a very special and probably forgotten endeavor in certain ways. Even in terms of certain media nuances we see to this day. Certain nuances that present themselves in Hockey coverage that are very specific to it only because of it being the sport league that has a very cross boarder existence. The stitches on the sweatshop shirt start to slightly appear on the Keenan idea. Up to the year before he was seen probably in the most comparable to a recent coach, as Joel Quennville, in certain ways of course. But this year he flat out left an original 6 team he just won with which right there makes people atleast go "huh" and doesn't do great in his new project. Gets in an enormous amount of running fueds while in Stl, particularly mistaken on his end in doing so with players that would respond directly to him or through the media. In the Rags he feuded with his share of guys but was smart to pal with Messier. In Stl though he went right after Hull and Shanahan. Some of the wierd media things that are very hockey specific started to get a lot of play here, with the Hull coverage. Hull who was never a player that got put up on a pedestal of the height that what he had done in the years with Oates probably warrant. He got his props of course but there was a lot of push back to him as well for being lackadaisical defensively, if he was a leader, etc. All for many reasons but in part due to his playing when he played, were how a player played was measured very differently, but also were a at that time even more canadian sport, could accept an American being good, but not one born in Canada that chose to become American. I recall Hull playing almost the entirety of this season strangely as a Centre because he was trying to do more for the team at Keenan's demand, yet the tone towards him was still fairly static. In general in was very much in the tone of "well Keenan is right about Hull" to sum up the way media of the day took it in. On the other end of Keenan's wrath was one Brendan Shanahan, who was very much feuding with Keenan as well, who would always allude to how "if shanahan was half the player he thinks he is he'd be one of the best in the league" or something to that effect, which in a lot of ways along with other comments made in at that time slightly recent years by his former GM Lou Lamouriello about how he was drafted to be a power forward and not something else, seemed to very strangely echo what was viewable on the ice, but not so much in papers and tv at the time. On the ice he was a large left winger who fought a lot and scored a lot off his one timers, and did a lot of finesse scoring. You would not see him in the corners a lot or in front of the net collecting garbage goals. But how he played would lead to stat lines that were very power forward-esque, even if he wasn't really laying many hits. He had a very good on ice relationship with Janney for a while that in it by itself is a bit peculiar off of it, but lets leave it at that. But he fought, so off the ice in the media though, anything said about him was always accompanied by "he is a tough irish kid" etc etc. Keenan was generally described as being wrong with his pov of shanny but strangely was right about Hull. Not the other way around, or both measured with the same ruler. At the time plus minus was very much seen differently than today, in various ways, but one would believe that with those who at the time used it as a paragon of all things of good two way play, that hull's improved plus minus during those years would not have gone unnoticed, and Shanahan's more discrete one as well, but it seemed to get kind of brushed away. With Shanahan you had a player that was involved in multiple contract bruhahas at the time, yet during certain work stoppage's kind of walked a tight rope and worked for the league later, and on the other a guy who was pretty much according to all accounts always with the union till the end, wanted his salary dropped to try to keep Oates around, etc. But one was seen one way and the other very differently. Certain other cases jump out from the time, such as Tkachuk in the Jets some times being alluded to as being responsible for the team not succeding and that helping them get relocated, when Shanahan played in a little place called Hartford that got relocated as well. Neither case being responsibilities of said players, but in one case the argument being made and in the other it was never even floated about. Chelios and his run as the captain of the Canadiens and how that unravelled also being curious. These season's and a lot of the happenings I mention kind of really explain alot of those things you see some insiders say nowadays about "sources inside the dressing room say" etc and how said sources may or may not be when you hear certain things get said, and see players get certain types of coverage. It just is way more clear nowadays. These seasons got me right at the time I was starting to get more analytical about certain things and how alot of these things going on, were strangely facinating to kind of look back on and remember in large part thanks to these history videos. God that was long. Hatched a plan about a book to write and make a fortune off of though, at least as much of a fortune as something in the hockey market can truly make since the "garage league (another 90s reference)" has flourished.

[@OttawaNow]

If it hadn't been for the 1994-1995 Lockout/Shortened season, Wayne Gretzky would have retired with 900 goals, Messier, Yzerman with 700 goals each, and Brodeur with 700 wins!!

[@peterlananna3999]

The year the Devils won their first Cup and were launched into pop culture by Seinfeld.

[@patch8376]

Trap > Clutch and grab. At least it's within the rules, and a tactfully intelligent way to win not unlike watching a superb defensive fighter at work. I've said it before, but though I probably teased them at the time along with everyone else for their "boring trap hockey" I liked and respected the David Devils for finding a way to defeat Goliaths in the Western Conference.

[@matthewdaley746]

Too bad the NHL frowned upon it.

[@sdgakatbk]

This finals show how difficult it was for Detroit to break through before winning the 2 cups in the late 90's. They were obviously a top team, but sometimes it takes a top awhile before a top team finally wins a cup. Or a top team may not win like the Black Hawks in the late 60's/early 70's, the Rangers of the early 70's, or the Bruins of the late 70's and early 90's.

[@matthewdaley746]

In the case of the Blackhawks they had to play a great Canadiens team, the Bruins had to play them, and, a great Oilers team.

[@wilnerolivier7971]

Back in 1995!! Quebec was more concerned with the referendum vote to secede from Canada than the Nords staying.

[@matthewdaley746]

The Province stayed, the team left.

[@sdgakatbk]

@@matthewdaley746 Maybe some would have preferred the opposite?

[@matthewdaley746]

@@sdgakatbk The Quebecois would have preferred both, but the economic implications of independence were too much.

[@sdgakatbk]

@@matthewdaley746 Yeah I can see that. Kind of reminds me of hearing about Texas every so often wanting to secede from the US.

[@matthewdaley746]

@@sdgakatbk Oh, remember the good old days, when Texas was a country?

[@yoholmes273]

In 1995 the late seed NJ Devils SMOKED through the entire playoffs in dominating fashion enroute to utterly destroying The President's Trophy winning Red Wings in 4 straight to sweep their way to Stanley Cup numero uno. Like it or not , never forget how dominant NJ was that 1995 playoff season.

[@ericveneto1593]

The Morton's Fisherman logo was AWESOME! Bite your tongue Shannon!

[@matthewdaley746]

@taco meat That jersey was not.

[@PancakesAndHammers2426]

I really did enjoy the pairing of Carey and Kolzig. Godzilla is still my favorite Washington Capitals goaltender of all time.

[@matthewdaley746]

More than Holtby, he actually won the Cup?

[@PancakesAndHammers2426]

@@matthewdaley746 Yes, watched the gentlemen's entire career. Enjoyed every mintue of it. Loved him as a goalie coach. Guy picked to represent Germany internationally. I have had the pleasure of meeting the man and having a few conversations about family and hockey. So Holtby is getting there, but I really do like Kolzig a lot.

[@matthewdaley746]

@@PancakesAndHammers2426 Nice little bit of perspective.

[@sdgakatbk]

@@PancakesAndHammers2426 Hay p&h, that's really cool! Yeah, I like Olie the Goalie a lot, and I still think he should have won the Conn Smythe the year they went to the Finals against the Red Wings. He was FANTASTIC in the playoffs that year. Without him, they wouldn't have gotten a sniff of the Finals. When my parents were alive, in the 90's when I'd visit them in Florida, I often took them to a Panthers game. I was into photography at the time and when I went to a hockey game, I'd often bring my camera to games to shoot the game. In one game in Florida, it was the Caps visiting the Panthers. The Panthers were given a penalty shot. I photographed a three frame sequence of the shot. I sent a photo copy of it to Olie and he sent back an autographed picture. I also liked very much the work he did with autism. An athlete giving something back. Reminds me of Mike Gartner and others.

[@sdgakatbk]

One more thing, I loved that "fight" he got into with the best man at his wedding Byron Dafoe in the game at Boston!

[@Djungelurban]

I kinda like the fisherman jersey

[@matthewdaley746]

You are in the minority.

[@trentthurow5696]

The wings did not take getting upset by San Jose in 94 well. When they met in round two in 95 Det outscored SJ 24-6 in a four game sweep.

[@matthewdaley746]

The Sharks overachieved the year before, from then on they underachieved.

[@alexlovelock4648]

and that the 94 upset of the Wings paved the way for the Canucks cup run that year, which not many fans think of. The Canucks would have played the Wings following Calgary in the 2nd round, who knows what would have happened...

[@sdgakatbk]

That's what champions do. They don't take things like that lightly.

[@matthewdaley746]

@@sdgakatbk Like the Oilers of the 1980s, the Red Wings had to lose before they could learn how to win.

[@JoeBatson]

I remember commenting "This looked like a score from a Tennis major cause they scored 6 every game

[@gymrat2647]

Can remember hearing about the lockout before going back to Canada for six months. Was feeling a bit worried. But was glad that lockout was over and got to watch hockey including some of the playoffs. But had to miss out on the cup and had to read about who won the cup that year.

[@matthewdaley746]

A whole lot of confusion.

[@moodlampActual]

I love the fisherman jersey

[@matthewdaley746]

It's hideous.

[@matthewdaley746]

@taco meat Fish sticks were never my thing.

[@pumpkinking5174]

The dead puck era. The rise of the Legion of Doom, the Rangers reign ends magnificently and the Devils have a parade in a parking lot in front of a few friends and family.

[@matthewdaley746]

Three different mayors wouldn't allow a parade.

[@Zednix]

Legion of Doom was so exciting, the solidification of the Avalanche as a juggernaut, and the fuggin trap lol

[@matthewdaley746]

@@Zednix Many disparate elements converging here.

[@sdgakatbk]

That Devils team deserved better.

[@matthewdaley746]

@@sdgakatbk They won three Cups, I don't see how!

[@GRChrzak]

As a fan, I was frustrated by the Wings' Finals dismantling. But in hindsight, it made Mitch Albom eat a murder of crows: going into it, he wrote columns not just mocking the Devils but the whole state of New Jersey. As cocky, and annoying, as Wings fans were, Albom epitomized that. You take the bad with the glorious.

[@666kingdrummer]

Mitch Albom is a clown. I read his articles on the Devils, and really its just pathetic that a grown man can't get over the fact that his precious Red Wings didn't win, as if they deserved to just have it handed to them because.....reasons.

[@matthewdaley746]

It got MUCH WORSE before it got MUCH BETTER.

[@GRChrzak]

@@666kingdrummer I love how people can come together to drag Mitch Albom.

[@matthewdaley746]

@@GRChrzak Trust me, he SO VERY MUCH deserves it.

[@matthewdaley746]

@@666kingdrummer Ironically enough, I felt the same way about the Devils, and, Scott Stevens, in particular, when they played the Avs in the Final. I was never more satisfied than I was watching them lose.

[@meatwad42069]

i get why the fisherman is polarizing but i like it so much better

[@Major_Problems]

My first hockey season on this earth! My dad was holding me and hoisted my 9 month old self up in our living room as Scott Stevens hoisted the cup on tv!

[@matthewdaley746]

Then they missed the Playoffs the next year.

[@sdgakatbk]

I was glad Stevens had the success he had. He was a favorite here in DC though they weren't willing to spend to keep him, and the Georgetown limo incident didn't help. The Devils have definitely been part of a number of memorable Stanley Cup Finals moments, though not always on the positive side. Also, the complete game 6 of the 2000 Finals where they won their 2nd cup in 2 o.t. against the Stars is on youtube.

The year I spent in a spinal ward. Well played, Bettman.

[@matthewdaley746]

He did this a lot.

[@DARK24-7]

This season killed me-the trap def,lockout,just started to push me away.

[@matthewdaley746]

It got better the next season.

[@hockey582004]

A cup was bought once, 2002

[@smithryansmith]

and 1994

[@rashawnreese7995]

Mogilny was traded at the 95 draft for peca and a 1st round pick which was jay mckey

[@matthewdaley746]

Boy, the Canucks got hosed.

[@petermontagnon4440]

Great video!! But it really hurt when the Jets crashed that year!!

[@matthewdaley746]

Not long after, they took off, and, landed in Arizona.

[@sdgakatbk]

Hrudey was not a bad netminder. Though when he was with the Islanders, he was on the team with a legend, Billy Smith, so there is that comparison.

[@petermontagnon4440]

I am wondering what would happen if the Habs and Flyers per game interaction wou;d happen today??? LMAO

[@matthewdaley746]

It would be memorable.

[@MrBoobootastic]

He forgot to mention how the Red Wings turned into the biggest whiners in NHL history after getting swept by the Devils. They should've brought out a diaper brand named Red Wings after that series complete with pacifiers

[@patch8376]

It's a shame we didn't beat Quebec 28-0 in that final game to theoretically catch Buffalo if everyone else around us lost out, something like that.

[@matthewdaley746]

Not much went right for them around that time.

[@WolverineIncognito]

Ask the 2002 Wings if you can’t buy the Cup...

[@rollnryan27]

@theHockeyGuy Panthers stats only add up to 46 games. you forgot 2 more Ties

[@matthewdaley746]

That season was complicated.

[@kevaninthe4135]

The last season of the old Boston Garden.

[@matthewdaley746]

May it rest in peace.

[@matthewdaley746]

@taco meat I graduated college at the TD Garden, at least it had air conditioning.

[@patch8376]

Why not share the Art Ross when two or more players are tied for the league lead in points? If two or more are tied in goals, do they not share the Rocket?

[@matthewdaley746]

I don't think the NHL was much into sharing anything, including revenue, at that time, hence the lockout, I don't think the latter situation has ever happened.

[@smithryansmith]

@@matthewdaley746 in 2010, crosby and stamkos tied for the richard. in 2004, 3 players tied for it. So yeah, it has happened a lot.

[@Nickleblanc41]

They need to bring back the fisherman jerseys

[@matthewdaley746]

Please don't.

[@patch8376]

Better than their current third, imo, which is just a half-assed rendition of their primary jersey, like a rec league version of it.

[@matthewdaley746]

@@patch8376 I think that jersey has been retired because it reminds people of Mike Milbury, and, NO ONE wants that!

[@Powderkegable]

You should reverse your history videos, so when you hit auto play, they go up.

[@BvG_Venom]

All those top payroll teams are big markets or had stable owners. Then there's Pittsburgh

[@matthewdaley746]

Wait a little while, though.

[@smithryansmith]

Quebec got screwed in the playoffs against the rangers. Andy van hellamond's 'horrible whistle was the only reason NY moved on. it was so blatant that the nhl kicked out van hellamond after that, basically retired him.

[@erikjohnson3434]

That's the year that almost killed me, my wings enough said

[@matthewdaley746]

It was very dark, and, would get darker, but, the glorious dawn was coming!

[@psycosyin]

They totally jinxed themselves before that series. There was a picture of them at practice before the finals posing around a water bottle like it was the Stanley cup. God that made me cringe.

[@matthewdaley746]

@@psycosyin Tampa Bay did something similarly dumb this year.

[@quartratic2389]

@@matthewdaley746 Then they pulled a Red Wings

[@11DNA11]

Thanks Lemaire. Asshat killed hockey for 20 years.

[@matthewdaley746]

Won his team their first Cup, they let him go, then his replacement gets fired right before they win their second, Lamoriello got away with murder because of team success.

[@wilnerolivier7971]

@@matthewdaley746 He sure does!!

[@matthewdaley746]

@@wilnerolivier7971 Happiest day of my life, seeing the Avs beat them!

[@peterlananna3999]

@Matthew Daley As a Devils fan, he helped build a team that went to 5 Finals and won 3 of them but truthfully I don't think Lou's tricks worked as well once the 2006 season hit. People don't give Shanahan enough credit for helping to make the Leafs what they are now, they just assume Lou was the wizard.

[@pierresoorden5975]

We don't make the money baseball does

[@patrickbooth5091]

DEVILS WIN!!!

[@matthewdaley746]

Red Wings Lose!

[@are3287]

Got a jets contract to report

[@matthewdaley746]

I read about it.

[@Aaronschinaguide]

Trap? Where's the Akbar magnet?

[@matthewdaley746]

He probably doesn't have one.

[@allsystemsgo8678]

Isles become a complete disaster on and off the ice. Six more seasons of absolute misery. 😔😢😖😭

[@matthewdaley746]

They certainly paid for their dynasty.

[@GooseGumlizzard]

more like 20 seasons

[@matthewdaley746]

@@GooseGumlizzard They should at least get better at some point.

[@fivegum1221]

Marty’s first cup

[@matthewdaley746]

Of three.

[@666kingdrummer]

Even as a Devils fan, this Stanley cup win always felt weird to me, because of the shortened season.

[@matthewdaley746]

Even weirder, you played the entire season in the Eastern Time Zone.

[@petermontagnon4440]

The two worst teams to play for .......the Habs and the Leafs!!!! Any tender is either a God or crap!!!

[@matthewdaley746]

The Canadiens were about to find that out, the hard way.

[@RedRisotto]

94-95 Season - Peter Forsberg arrives! Forsberg powered through people and trapping teams... shortened his career but he sure was fun to watch. In general, and overall - it was shit hockey, fuelled by the success of the at the time cancerous and boring New Jersey Devils.

[@matthewdaley746]

Then they shot themselves in the foot by ditching Lemieux, a mistake they would later rectify, then repeat.

[@TvDebates__]

sparks traded to vegas

[@matthewdaley746]

Strange development.

[@TvDebates__]

@@matthewdaley746 yup

[@matthewdaley746]

@@TvDebates__ There are a whole lot of those happening right about now.

[@TvDebates__]

@@matthewdaley746 what strange development

[@matthewdaley746]

@@TvDebates__ Hey, that's my line!

[@BlackAndThrash]

Great I was born during a lockout

[@matthewdaley746]

So was my niece.

[@CMench26]

Winning!!! 😈😈😈

[@dalemoe8898]

I hate trap it kills the flow and excitement ov hockey

[@patch8376]

At least the Islanders had good posture...

[@matthewdaley746]

Good to at least carry yourself well.

[@patch8376]

@@matthewdaley746 They don't want to be a fish clump. I know I'm getting old when Hedberg refs go unrecognized.

[@browndd]

Hey THG you like fish sticks? Do you like putting fish sticks in your mouth?

[@matthewdaley746]

I never cared for fish sticks.

[@browndd]

@@matthewdaley746 I guess your not a gay fish

[@matthewdaley746]

@@browndd No, I just didn't like fish sticks, or, chicken nuggets, either.

[@chrisbliss7]

During this time period The Stanley Cup was bought by the Rangers and the Red Wings so not really sure what you mean

[@matthewdaley746]

The Rangers had a short reign, and, the Red Wings had to lose before they could learn how to win.

[@GooseGumlizzard]

the Devils ruined hockey

[@matthewdaley746]

The Avs, and, KIngs, restored hockey.