Asked about adjusting to Dale Hunter’s 1-2-2 defensive system, Caps forward Brooks Laich turned a tad testy after practice on Wednesday.
“Everyone talks around here about systems, systems, systems. I don’t know if you really pay attention to the game,” Laich said. “The mistakes are obvious and it’s not system play. It’s not flawed systems. It wasn’t that under [former coach] Bruce [Boudreau]…It’s not that under Dale. It’s not a system flaw or structure flaw. It’s the execution of it.”
And as Hunter pointed out after practice, a lot of teams use a version of the 1-2-2. It does focus on forcing turnovers in the neutral zone. It does limit odd-man rushes. It does take some discipline. But at some point in his career, almost every NHL player will have been on a team that uses this structure. It’s nothing new. And if players are doing their job at the other end of the ice, you’re in that system less anyway.
“Most of the time you want your team to be forechecking,” Hunter said. “If you dump it you’re not going in on a 1-2-2. You’re playing a 2-1-2 where guys are going. So it’s mostly on line changes and lost draws you end up playing it.”
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