Welcome To Shot Blocking Country

Two decades ago it was banging bodies, right before the lockout was the neutral zone trap, and now the evolution of defense in the NHL has taken another turn. Last night, after watching the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals block over 80 shots on net, it dawned on me how many teams have started using shot blocking as the main tool on defense. If the puck can't get to your goalie, it can't go in the net. 

Noticing more of the Rangers blocked shots since I am a fan of them myself, I can't tell you how many times I thought Henrik Lundqvist would have to make a huge save to extend this game three. However, out of nowhere many of the times, a sprawled out, flying body would come across and block the shot. For example, Washington came up in OT with a three on two twice, once with Ryan Callahan back and once with John Mitchell. Both times the Capitals hit the top man on the triangle for a hard, what seemed to be open shot. However, both times once it left the Capitals' sticks, sliding bodies came across (Callahan and Mitchell) and took the brunt of the 80+ mile an hour shot of 6oz vulcanized rubber with little to no disregard for their own bodies. Callahan was all over the ice last night, contorting his body in any way necessary in order to block whatever he could.

Those are just two quick examples of scoring chances being broken up by a blocked shot. Again, it happened over 80 times last night and it was almost an even split between the two teams. Teams are realizing with better equipment being offered to players that blocking shots game after game, as the Rangers have done all season, is fully possible. Instead of clogging up the neutral zone and risking a likely goal if beaten, teams are now collapsing in their own zone in front of the net and forming a wall of players to block shots. They keep the opponent to the outside of the ice and keep their bodies in front of the puck at all times. When the shot is finally taken, there are five defensive players within the vicinity and with all likelihood, it will catch some sort of pad and be blocked away.

Teams that have used this method most successfully in the playoffs have been the Rangers in the East and the Coyotes in the West. Mike Smith has had a huge help from his defense in blocking shots against the Predators in games one and two. The Blues also play a very defensive system and attempt to block as many shots as they can. When playing this system, however, teams have to watch out for a few things. One is re-directions when they don't catch the whole puck and it ends up changing directions on their goaltenders. Another is the screen that defenders put on their goaltenders by trying to step in front of a puck. The other, of course, is injuries from shots to unpadded areas like the face. 

Although, when a team blocks shots, it also allows for quick transition to offense and to take the full load off a goaltender. All it requires is a players who's willing to do anything for his team to win, which as a coach, you would hope would be everyone. We will definitely see how the development of shot blocking evolves in the NHL as time goes on. Will the NHL change the rules to disallow shot blocking in order to keep the shot totals up? Or will we see an interesting defensive system come into play more and more as time goes on? Only time will tell.....