Toughest game to date upcoming. Will need to be near perfect. Focus on defense and making the neutral zone a pile of sand and wait until their frustration leads to the odd man break.
IMO this is the season; win this and the series is ours. Lose and its a toss up, though we would still have home advantage and given how quiet/disinterested the Amalie Arena fans are, playing there is almost like a bubble game.
I believe the players and Trotz KNOW this is a winnable series, they just need everyone to give an all out effort on EVERY shift - a SMART effort, without retaliating for the inevitable tampa player provocations (Kucherov, anyone?).
If they can do that and control their aggressiveness, using it sparingly like Dom7 keys (for you musicians) and taco hot sauce (for you chefs), they will keep the TBL off balance. I think Tampa expected a different Isles approach; a plodding, heavy hitting team like last year, but got a strategically placed, keep-the-puck-on-the outside-at-all-times scheme that moved up ice FAST when the opportunity presented itself, and cycled down low - even though we are without Anders.
I have to admit, Palmieri and Zajac have been a god-send for the team, so I'll eat my crow there. Hope they re-sign both next year.
