Left Wing Lock

I think that our two biggest problems as a team are:

1. We don't score enough (9 goals for in 5 games, less than a 2 goal a game average).

2. We allow too many goals (21 goals against in 5 games, an average of 4.2 goals against per game).

Scoring takes time to develop, however a team-wide defensive system may be easier to implement and reap benefits from immediately. If defensive play is improved to the point that we cut our goals against in half, the result is we will be in every game up until the final buzzer.

If you've followed hockey in the in the last 12 years, you may have noticed up until recently, there was always a defense-oriented team in the finals; teams like the Redwings, Devils, Panthers, Stars, and Sabres. For nine consecutive seasons (1995-2003) each of these defense-oriented teams made it to the Stanley Cup Finals, winning seven times in that span. These teams almost ALWAYS had less firepower than their opponents (especially the Sabres and Panther, but the Devils also in the earlier years), but they managed to win by playing a simple defensive system designed to stifle offensive opportunities and capitalize on turnovers.

While we have four very polished scorers on this team, we still don't have enough firepower to compete with most teams in our league. No amount of hustle will turn a team that is rostered with a significant amount of Men's League rookies into a scoring machine. We are a new team in a league of established teams that have the benefit of years (not months) of playing together.

The way to overcome our scoring deficiencies is to bring our goals against down to the level of our opponents. We can do this by employing a defensive system that every Stormtrooper must buy into and play their part to the letter. I think one of the simplest, yet most effective defensive systems out there would be the Left Wing Lock.

What is it?: A system of controlled forechecking that disrupts the opposition before it has a chance to escape its own zone.

What does it look like?: A basic 2-3 formation in which the center and right wing cruise into the opponent's zone to forecheck. The left wing joins the two defensemen to create a three-pronged wall at the blue line.

How does it work?: The idea is that the center and right wing's presence in the zone will force the opposition to funnel the play to the left side of the ice. If they go left, they'll eventually run into the left wing, and as a result, be locked. If they go right, the defensemen will be waiting to break up the play. The offensive team faces a difficult task regardless which side is chosen.

Where does it come from?: The left-wing lock is similar to the neutral-zone trap in that it was created by international organizations with the intention of slowing the mighty Russian teams of the 1960s and 1970s. The Swedes came up with the trap. Czechoslovakia came up with the lock.

Why does it get so much attention?: Like the trap, the lock became popular once a team won the Stanley Cup with it. The Devils won in 1995 with a trap-based system. The Red Wings, under Scotty Bowman, won in 1997, 1998 and 2002 with a lock-based system.

Let's get the comments section going and start talking this out.

Stormtroopers Fall to Big Pharma

Unable to prevent their opponents from scoring at will, the Stormtroopers fell to Merck 9-2 in Tuesday evening’s Keystone Hockey League action. Kevin Aliprantis and Mike Katz each collected a hat trick as Merck spent much of the evening swarming the offensive zone. The loss brings the club's Summer League record to just 1-4.

Unable to overcome clogged passing lanes and stifling defense, the Stormtroopers managed just 13 shots on the evening, but did manage to make it onto the score sheet with goals by Michael Baranich and Rob Pacan.

Next up for the Stormtroopers: a Sunday evening rematch against the Renegades, who defeated the Troops with a third period comeback 3-2 in their previous meeting. The puck drops on Sunday, August 19 at 9:30 p.m.

Stormtroopers Blast Their Way Into the Win Column

The Stormtroopers earned their first victory of the 2007 summer season after dispatching the Mustangs 4-0 in Monday evening's Keystone Hockey League contest. Greg Wedemeyer and Bob Reitinger each collected a pair of goals, while Victor Bruno stifled the Mustangs throughout the evening, turning aside all 25 shots that he faced for his second shutout as a Stormtrooper.

The team's first win comes on the heels of a disappointing loss to the Renegades, a game in which the Troops might have won but for a third period rebel surge. On a positive note, however, the Stormtroopers have score six goals in the last two games, and have given up only three against. This is a marked improvement when contrasted against the team's first two contests of the summer season, in which they surrendered 11 goals against, and scored just one for.

The Stormtroopers return to action Tuesday, August 14 when they face off against Merck. The game is scheduled for 9:30 p.m

Rebel Scum Victorious Once Again

Unable beat back a third period onslaught, the Stormtoopers fell to the Renegades in Thursday evening's Keystone Hockey League contest, 3-2. Owning the third period, the Renegades collected all three goals in the final stanza, with Lucas McCarty scoring the game winner with a little over 5 minutes remaining in the final period. McCarty, a force at both ends throughout the evening, finished the evening with a goal and an assist.

The Stormtrooper managed to keep their opponents off the scoreboard through most of the evening until late in the game as the Renegades began their surge with a goal by StenSchwandt at 6:07 of the third period. Despite a losing effort, Stormtrooper pivot Michael Baranich turned in a 2 goal performance.

Up next for the Stormtroopers are the Mustangs on Monday, August 6th at Oaks Center Ice. The puck drops at 9:15 p.m

Troops Suffer Second Consecutive Loss

Allowing four unanswered goals, the Stormtroopers were handed their second consecutive defeat of the 2007 summer season as they fell to the Knights 4-1 in Wednesday night's OCICS contest. Three of the four goals against were surrendered in the second period, a recurring theme for the Troops.

The lack of Stormtrooper offense for the second consecutive game did not appear to be correlated to a lack of shots, as the Troops peppered Knights goaltender Mike Levin with 30 shots, quite an improvement over the 6 shot performance last week against the Coyotes.

Bob Reitinger ended the Stormtroopers 79:35 scoreless drought early in the third period when he found the puck in a wild scramble in front of the Knights net, poking it in to set the final tally at 4-1. Reitinger, along with linemates Mike Baranich and John Held, provided much of the Stormtrooper attack throughout the evening.

The Stormtroopers return to the ice Thursday, August 2 at 9:15 p.m. to engage the Renegades, also winless through their first two games of the summer season

Set Your Goals!

With the worst defeat in franchise history behind us, we can all look forward to the remaining seven games of the Summer season. I think we should use the remaining games this season to set individual goals for things each of us can work on with regards to our own performance leading into the Fall 2007 season.

Please use the comment section of this posting to share with the team three aspects of your individual game that you feel could use some work and you are commited to improving. My thought is that a public pronouncement of these things will keep us all a little more honest, and might prompt encouragement or reminders from our teammates as we rise and fall with our individual goals.

I'll be the first to admit my shortcomings in the comment section. I hope you'll all do the same. Just a reminder for those of you who have not signed up as an author for the blog: you don't need to be an author to leave comments. Anyone can participate in the comments section.

Little #89

July 17, 2007: Monday Night Massacre

The Stormtroopers suffered their worst loss in franchise history, falling to the Coyotes 7-0 in Monday evening's OCICS contest. The loss marks the fifth time the team has been kept off the score sheet in nine games.

Unable to mount an effective counter attack, the Stormtroopers spent much of the evening in their own end under an intense barrage of rubber. By the end of the second period, the outcome of the game and the final box score were determined as the mercy rule kicked in and the clock ran down the third period without stoppage.

In the previous meeting for both teams, the Stormtroopers managed a scoreless stalemate, handing the Coyotes one of the few setbacks of their 6-1-1 regular season record. In the rematch, the Troopers found themselves missing several key players in Michael Baranich, Nathan Clemens, and Rob Wrzesniewski. The Coyotes on the otherhand have added several offensively gifted players to what was already a leathal attack.

Next up for the Stormtroopers is the Knights, the defending OCICS Spring League champions. The puck drops Wednesday, July 25 at 9:00 p.m.