The general definition of the phrase “trap game” in hockey’s lexicon no longer references the playing style of the New Jersey Devils of yore. These days it refers more to the schedule; maybe a bottom-feeding team played in Nashville on a Saturday night, then had to head to Minnesota the next day for a matinee game. Meanwhile the Wild haven’t played since Thursday, so they’ve just been resting up at home. That’s generally an automatic “schedule loss,” for said lesser team, barring the emergence of what we’re talking about here – the trap game. How seriously would Minnesota be taking that mid-season game in which they seem to have so many advantages?



Maybe a few of the Wild players think their much weaker opponent will all but forfeit the upcoming game and they’ll play accordingly (“I think I’ll let my opponent be first on that puck and just throw a bodycheck”). Maybe a few players go out the...