The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Tim Benz posted part of a podcast interview with former Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins (among other teams) defenseman Larry Murphy this morning. Murphy discusses his famous flip pass into the offensive zone, which Penguins announcer Mike Lange deemed the “Murphy Dump”:
Few who played the game were more consistent at keeping the puck in the attacking zone — especially on the man-advantage. It’s part of the reason why Murphy can boast 547 power play points, sixth-most among defensemen in the history of the league. The other was the fabled “Murphy Dump.”
“Keeping the puck in, a lot of that is hand-eye coordination and evaluating the situation,” Murphy told me on a recent “Breakfast With Benz” podcast. “I wasn’t a guy that played with a lot of speed or had the hardest shot, but I really prided myself on being in the right position at the right time and making the right decisions. When the puck was on my stick, the chances were that I was going to get it to somebody and put him in a good position.”
The “Murphy Dump” was a basic aspect of the game that Murphy did with such regularity that the act eventually became branded with his name. Murphy claims that the moniker came from his former teammate Bob Errey, and was eventually mainstreamed by legendary Penguins broadcaster Mike Lange.
Murphy perfected the art of lofting the puck out of his zone and over the heads of the opposition, while still having enough control to land it without enough momentum to travel for an icing violation.
“It’s a very effective play,” Murphy said. “It puts the defense in a tough spot, especially landing it behind them. They have to find the puck, and at the same time, your forwards are barreling down on them.”
Murphy was so precise that he often got the puck to flatten out so that his own forwards could track it down and control it.
“The forwards would find it. The guys would love it,” Murphy said. “Phil Bourque would go crazy every time. I mean, he’s just a guy that could skate. I don’t know how many times he was able to blow by a defenseman and recover the puck. He couldn’t get enough of that.”
Continued; you can listen to Benz’ 20:40 podcast here, regardless of whether you have Spotify. You will have to endure a political commercial or two at the start of the broadcast if you live in Michigan, however.
