GDT: 2/28/19 - 7:30PM EDT - Tampa Bay @ Boston

[CupsOverCash]

The problem with the switch theory is that they haven't won a cup under cooper so this "switch" has been broken or doesn't work.

After a night to sleep on it...that was an embarrassing effort. Scheme wise...Cooper was outmatched yet again.

I think its ok to worry about how well we will play once in the playoffs again but the "switch" theory I think is correct. They dont play 60 mins of all 82 games. They just cant and momentum/changes in the game of hockey is huge. A team like Boston who has had a few nights off while TB has played a handful of games in a short amount of time qualifies as one of those times where its just not going to be in your favor. Add in that this is a motivated Bruins team that got their ass kicked by us in the playoffs last year. Didnt we handle them fine earlier in the year too? All Im saying is the long season of the NHL is not a strait line its all over the place. Your team will look like garbage in an 82 game season. Its a guarantee. No matter how good your team is. But dont think you are different in that we all know the playoffs could be tough again. We havent won yet so we know what we have to do. Ill just say what I always say at this time of year, are the playoffs here yet??

 

[Todd1a]

The problem with the switch theory is that they haven't won a cup under cooper so this "switch" has been broken or doesn't work.

After a night to sleep on it...that was an embarrassing effort. Scheme wise...Cooper was outmatched yet again.

the first two periods were a total joke 9 shots!!! in the 3rd we were a little better till we melted down.

 

[Antiramie]

So if this team was "gassed" against Boston, what were the excuses for coasting with a lead against the Kings and shitting the bed for 2 periods against the Rangers?

The writing was on the wall for the Boston game. This is typical "we'll win when we have to" Cooper mentality that got us bounced with a 3-2 lead in the playoffs last season. I'm not saying by any means that the Boston game was a must-win, it's just not a surprising outcome at all... Boston looks hungrier than ever, and lately we've looked like we're content with being king of the regular season.

 

[Master P]

So if this team was "gassed" against Boston, what were the excuses for coasting with a lead against the Kings and ****ting the bed for 2 periods against the Rangers?

The writing was on the wall for the Boston game. This is typical "we'll win when we have to" Cooper mentality that got us bounced with a 3-2 lead in the playoffs last season. I'm not saying by any means that the Boston game was a must-win, it's just not a surprising outcome at all... Boston looks hungrier than ever, and lately we've looked like we're content with being king of the regular season.

What is this supposed to mean? Are you saying that a team who has a 18-20 pt gap in their division and is leading the nhl by a wide margin is finding it hard to be "hungry"? This teams only goal is to win a Stanley cup. They aren't going to be playing like its game 7 every night.

 

[Antiramie]

What is this supposed to mean? Are you saying that a team who has a 18-20 pt gap in their division and is leading the nhl by a wide margin is finding it hard to be "hungry"? This teams only goal is to win a Stanley cup. They aren't going to be playing like its game 7 every night.

They didn't even play like it's Game 7 when it was Game 7...

It's just kind of hilarious to see how many Lightning fans think how far ahead the team is in the standings right now is any excuse for not coming to play for 6 of their last 9 periods of hockey. The Presidents Cup means close to jack shit.

 

[Boltswin]

There is still time this season to beat our 10 game win streak.

 

[Bolt 45]

So if this team was "gassed" against Boston, what were the excuses for coasting with a lead against the Kings and ****ting the bed for 2 periods against the Rangers?

The writing was on the wall for the Boston game. This is typical "we'll win when we have to" Cooper mentality that got us bounced with a 3-2 lead in the playoffs last season. I'm not saying by any means that the Boston game was a must-win, it's just not a surprising outcome at all... Boston looks hungrier than ever, and lately we've looked like we're content with being king of the regular season.

Our season was over at the end of December. The games are beyond meaningless at this point. It's stupid, and the players know it. We could play Boston eight more times, lose all of them, and we'd still be ahead of them in the standings. Let that sink in for a minute.

 

[Master P]

They didn't even play like it's Game 7 when it was Game 7...

It's just kind of hilarious to see how many Lightning fans think how far ahead the team is in the standings right now is any excuse for not coming to play for 6 of their last 9 periods of hockey. The Presidents Cup means close to jack ****.

Yeah, that happens to every team over the course of an 82 game season. Tampa is no different. Are you just going to look at the last 3 games and ignore everything else as if it didn't happen?

 

[Master P]

Our season was over at the end of December. The games are beyond meaningless at this point. It's stupid, and the players know it. We could play Boston eight more times, lose all of them, and we'd still be ahead of them in the standings. Let that sink in for a minute.

Yeah but Trotz though.

 

[Antiramie]

Yeah, that happens to every team over the course of an 82 game season. Tampa is no different. Are you just going to look at the last 3 games and ignore everything else as if it didn't happen?

I'm not ignoring the success of the rest of the season. I just think it's idiotic when people make excuses for bad hockey bc of the standings. Bad hockey is bad hockey, and success shouldn't absolve you of proper criticism.

 

[ccman68]

Our team has a mediocre record against other top teams. The reason we have such a good record is because we mostly win the games we are supposed to. I think there is plenty of reason to be worried.

 

[Master P]

Our team has a mediocre record against other top teams. The reason we have such a good record is because we mostly win the games we are supposed to. I think there is plenty of reason to be worried.

Please enlighten us.

 

[Antiramie]

Our team has a mediocre record against other top teams. The reason we have such a good record is because we mostly win the games we are supposed to. I think there is plenty of reason to be worried.

We're 18-7-3 against current playoff teams (if i did my math right). Extrapolate that and we still probably win the Presidents Cup (114 pts). Not even close to mediocre. However, I do think there have been a lot of games where our immense talent is able to overcome lazy tendencies. Whether that will hold up in the playoffs...we'll see.

 

[ccman68]

Please enlighten us.

We’ve looked terrible against Nashville, leafs, Boston, jets, Blues etc. Calgary is the only top team that we beat consistently and they are pretenders anyways.

I don’t think our defense is good enough for us to win the cup. Stralman has completely fallen off and Sergachev has gotten worse and worse as the season has gone on. Girardi and Coburn are both trash as well. So we are basically relying on 3 guys one of whom is a rookie. Cernak has had some sloppy games recently as well so who knows how he will play in the playoffs.

Vasy is gonna have to stand on his head or we are losing in the second round.

 

[Sky04]

There's a time to criticize and there's just complaining for the sake of complaining. You're either stupid or crazy if you think one team is going to dominate every single night.

 

[Master P]

We’ve looked terrible against Nashville, leafs, Boston, jets, Blues etc. Calgary is the only top team that we beat consistently and they are pretenders anyways.

I don’t think our defense is good enough for us to win the cup. Stralman has completely fallen off and Sergachev has gotten worse and worse as the season has gone on. Girardi and Coburn are both trash as well. So we are basically relying on 3 guys one of whom is a rookie. Cernak has had some sloppy games recently as well so who knows how he will play in the playoffs.

Vasy is gonna have to stand on his head or we are losing in the second round.

LMAO what? Both of those games against Nashville were stollen by great performances by Rinne, we've beat the leafs, we've beat the bruins, that jets game was one of the best games i've seen this year, blues goalie was fantastic. I'm not sure how the team has looked "terrible" against those teams. What about teams like the yotes where we lost 7-1? Or when we lost to the sens? Do those performances not count? As others have mentioned before, you can't expect a team to dominate every single night. Cernak has also been fantastic for this team.

Just seems like you're looking for things to complain about.

 

[Bolt 45]

Yeah but Trotz though.

Yup. Trotz is so very, very bad and scary.

 

[Antiramie]

There's a time to criticize and there's just complaining for the sake of complaining. You're either stupid or crazy if you think one team is going to dominate every single night.

How many SOG through 2 periods is complain-worthy? 5? 6? 0? Just wondering where your arbitrary line starts for future reference...

 

[Sky04]

How many SOG through 2 periods is complain-worthy? 5? 6? 0? Just wondering where your arbitrary line starts...

Ok now tell me how periods we've played this year where that has happened? Is this consistently happening every night where we have 9 shots through 2? You're seeing this as a major issue tight? Something to complain about or is it a one off thing that every team ever will go through?

What do you think the chances of having a 5, 6 shot period are tomorrow? Must be pretty high to have you so concerned right?

 

[The Macho King]

Rabble rabble rabble!

 

[The Macho King]

Also - f***. Stinkers happen. Even in the playoffs. That's why series' are best of 7 instead of one and done.

 

[Antiramie]

Ok now tell me how periods we've played this year where that has happened? Is this consistently happening every night where we have 9 shots through 2? You're seeing this as a major issue tight? Something to complain about or is it a one off thing that every team ever will go through?

What do you think the chances of having a 5, 6 shot period are tomorrow? Must be pretty high to have you so concerned right?

This happened after we looked like garbage against the Rangers for all but 1 period and let a terrible Kings team back into the game. I'm not calling for a fire sale. I'm saying it's a stretch of 3 games where we look lost or don't care. And given the manner in which the same team got eliminated from the playoffs last season and has no Stanley Cups to fall back on...I'm tired of hearing a lot of fans support whatever sense of entitlement this regular season has brought or berate other fans who are willing to critique the team when necessary. Just because the team is on record setting pace doesn't mean that you can't call a turd of performance just that and be a little cautious going forward.

 

[AlphaCatalyst]

The overreaction by a few posters to this is fun. There was not this much panic after the team lost 3/6 at the end of January. But the first loss in regulation in 13 and a 10 game win streak and it's all doom and gloom by some.

 

[Sky04]

This happened after we looked like garbage against the Rangers for all but 1 period and let a terrible Kings team back into the game. I'm not calling for a fire sale. I'm saying it's a stretch of 3 games where we look lost or don't care. And given the manner in which the same team got eliminated from the playoffs last season and has no Stanley Cups to fall back on...I'm tired of hearing a lot of fans support whatever sense of entitlement this regular season has brought or berate other fans who are willing to critique the team. Just because the team is on record setting pace doesn't mean that you can't call a turd of performance just that and be a little cautious going forward.

I'm not seeing anyone call it otherwise? You guys saying this will cost a cup is far more of a overreaction than people brushing this off.

If you want to criticize sure, you should also know the cup isn't won in February, take it one game at a time bud.

 

[Sky04]

Also - ****. Stinkers happen. Even in the playoffs. That's why series' are best of 7 instead of one and done.

These guys must be new, they we're around 3-4 years ago when there was actual, legitimate things to complain about.