FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — There was a time when disciplined, well-coached hockey was synonymous with low-scoring affairs. This era saw the prevalence of defensive strategies like the left-wing lock, implemented by coaches such as Jacques Lemaire and Darryl Sutter, and a style often associated with Swedish and Swiss teams, seemingly draining offensive excitement and goals from the game.
This period earned the nickname “Dead Puck Era.” During these years, goaltending equipment became notably larger, contributing to a decline in scoring. As an example, in the five seasons between 2000 and 2004, three out of the five players who won the Art Ross Trophy for leading the league in points failed to even reach the 100-point mark.
This starkly contrasts with the current wide-open Stanley Cup Final, which feels like a departure from that past.
It`s almost a tribute, celebrating a time in the NHL when two goals could be sufficient for a win, and goaltenders like Jean-Sebastien Giguere achieved remarkable save percentages, including his .945 when he earned the Conn Smythe Trophy. In the same 2003 playoff run, Martin Brodeur`s Cup-winning save percentage of .934 was still significantly lower than Giguere`s outstanding performance.
Moving to the present day, Florida`s Sergei Bobrovsky holds a .912 save percentage in the current playoffs. However, only two games into this Stanley Cup Final, the Edmonton Oilers have already managed to score eight goals against him.
Oilers center Adam Henrique, a former player for the Ducks (Giguere`s team), reflected, “You think back to Giguere, his playoff run… how good he was. It feels like those days are a little behind us.”
Many seasoned observers consider the initial two games of this Final to be among the most action-packed, high-tempo, and thrilling opening contests in the history of the Stanley Cup Final.
A prime example is the first period of Friday`s game in Edmonton, which saw five goals scored within a span of just over 10 minutes. This included a memorable play where Connor McDavid delivered a spectacular assist to Leon Draisaitl for a goal that will likely be featured in Stanley Cup highlights for years to come.
