Pre-Game Talk: 2014-15 Playoffs - ECSF: Montreal Canadiens vs Tampa Bay Lightning

[DFC]

Time to go for the jugular. A 3-0 deficit would be almost impossible to overcome for Montréal. 2-1 and it's a totally different series.

I think Montreal can come back as of now. But 3-0? ...They don't look like the most mentally strong group. Especially once we started beating Price.

 

[Volodya Krutov]

I think Montreal can come back as of now. But 3-0? ...They don't look like the most mentally strong group. Especially once we started beating Price.

I see a team in denial. It's anybody's fault but theirs when they lose a game.

 

[zeykshade]

I see a team in denial. It's anybody's fault but theirs when they lose a game.

They'll regroup. They're not going to take that many penalties again and our PP is still **** despite the levee breaking last night.

I would love a sweep, but I just don't think the Habs are going to roll over and let it happen. They're good enough to beat us at least once in 12 potential games. Once is enough to let them know they can do it and extend the series.

 

[DFC]

They'll regroup. They're not going to take that many penalties again and our PP is still **** despite the levee breaking last night.

I would love a sweep, but I just don't think the Habs are going to roll over and let it happen. They're good enough to beat us at least once in 12 potential games. Once is enough to let them know they can do it and extend the series.

I've had my eye on Game 3 for a while, because I think that's the night where we'll be the team to start fast. This could be the game where Price steals one, for sure, but I do think this will be the first time where we're going to have our legs fully under us. So I think we'll make Montreal at least work for it if they win. Or, well, we'll make Price work for it.

 

[Brie]

Here is what was said:

Boyle: "Thought the power play was great throughout, helped us get the win. Stamkos will be huge for us going forward."
Boyle: "I wouldn't say we have Montreal's number"
Boyle: "I think Stamkos has handled not scoring throughout the playoffs extremely well. It was a big goal for him and for us"
Boyle on Prust: "I didn't see a lot of that when I played with him, it was out of the ordinary what I saw last night"
Boyle: "There's no way we can be overconfident. The series isn't over."
Boyle: "We understand that they are going to bring more, we need to win game three"
Boyle: "I expect the Canadiens to be more disciplined."
Boyle: "We will protect our goalie as we see fit"

Coburn: "I'm sure Prust was trying to get me to punch him to negate his penalty. Sometimes you need to take a punch"
Coburn: "You always want to try and stay as disciplined as you can in the playoffs"
Coburn: "Every win gets harder in the playoffs. It's the nature of the timeline of the series."
Coburn: "I'm not sure exactly what was said but it's hard for me to comment on something I didn't hear"
Coburn: "I think any time you can face a little adversity and come out on top, it can help"
Coburn: "For our club, it's trying to learn how to move along in the playoffs. We're trying to find what works for us."
Coburn: "You don't play a series to win two games, you need to win four. We need to keep playing and get better."
Coburn: "It's a little unusual (playing back to back in the playoffs). You just have to prepare and deal with it."

Jon Cooper: "I can't explain why we have so much success against Montreal this season."
Jon Cooper: "Aside from a 7-1 game at the very beginning of the year, these games have been really close vs Montreal."
Jon Cooper: "I think anytime on team has a dominance over another, that's going to come into your mind."
Jon Cooper: "We haven't beaten anyone yet, we're only half way there."
Jon Cooper: "No indication on Cedric Paquette today. He's doing much better, fully expect him to practice tomorrow."
Jon Cooper: "The Jon Cooper up 2-0 this year vs Montreal is certainly happier than the Jon Cooper down 2-0 last year."
Jon Cooper: "Last year was such an up and down season, we didn't have anything left in the playoffs."
Jon Cooper: "Montreal beat us last year, they were the better team. For it to end so fast, it wore on myself."
Jon Cooper: "This year's Jon Cooper is so much more relaxed."
Jon Cooper: "When I look back at this now, I wasn't sure how we were going to come out in game one."
Jon Cooper: "As it turns out, let's just keep on playing. Now we get the extra day, we needed a break. Rest the body/mind"
Jon Cooper: "If Steven Stamkos doesn't score, we can still win. That's a confidence booster for us."
Jon Cooper: "If we want our best chance of winning, we need to get Stamkos on the board. It's not for a lack of trying."
Jon Cooper: "Stamkos got rewarded for his work, and it bodes well for us. Hopefully Stammer can find his way on the sheet more"

 

[LightningStrikes]

That first quote. I ****ing love Coburn. What a great addition he was. If I had to describe his play so far in one word it would be "smart".

As for Boyle: He wears the A for a reason on his chest.

 

[DFC]

That first quote. I ****ing love Coburn. What a great addition he was. If I had to describe his play so far in one word it would be "smart".

As for Boyle: He wears the A for a reason on his chest.

He's exactly the type of player most of us were talking about acquiring (minus the PP RHD). Just smart, yeah, and reliable. And wow is he a timely goal-scorer.

 

[DaBolts]

That first quote. I ****ing love Coburn. What a great addition he was. If I had to describe his play so far in one word it would be "smart".

As for Boyle: He wears the A for a reason on his chest.

I love Boyle man. He takes it to the other team, doesn't back down, plays solid D and dispenses justice on the other team when needed. That one game way back in January I think it was when he was mic'd up was the best.

 

[Leonardo87]

I love Boyle man. He takes it to the other team, doesn't back down, plays solid D and dispenses justice on the other team when needed. That one game way back in January I think it was when he was mic'd up was the best.

Not to knock Stralman, but was actually more excited when I heard Boyle had signed back in the Summer. The guy is just a great leader, and he does everything right on the ice.

 

[Brie]

More guys recalled from the crunch:

 

[Mikeaveli]

The new question is will Coop play Dotchin at forward before Drouin

 

[Boltsppy]

Guys ... our run in this playoffs seems pretty good now, I get pumped every time I think about it. We are leading 2-0 now, next 2 games we play at home. If we kick off Habs (I know its not the end so far and it will be difficult) we will face Rangers or Capitals in ECF. ECF ! Eastern Conference Final ! That is what we were dreaming about few weeks ago. Rangers or Capitals are pretty good teams, but look at our team. We are not worse. We can beat them. And if we do, we are final. And then ... who knows.

I know this is a bit off topic here, but I thought about it when having shower few minutes ago and wanted to write about it here

GO BOLTS !

 

[ThunderAlleyNomad]

Habs fans seem to think that if they just play tough, the Bolts will lose focus and cave. Did they not see what we saw? Prust starts his **** with Bishop, Coburn grabs him and is just goofing with him during that whole "fight". Prust throws his elbow pad at the Lightning bench and the whole team is laughing and joking from Coop on down. They aren't scared of the Habs, they aren't intimidated and DSP and Emelin getting out there and throwing a few big hits isn't going to change that.

Right now the Lightning are having a good time playing their game. It isn't going to be a sweep, but the Habs should be worried.

 

[ArmaHedman]

Habs fans seem to think that if they just play tough, the Bolts will lose focus and cave. Did they not see what we saw? Prust starts his **** with Bishop, Coburn grabs him and is just goofing with him during that whole "fight". Prust throws his elbow pad at the Lightning bench and the whole team is laughing and joking from Coop on down. They aren't scared of the Habs, they aren't intimidated and DSP and Emelin getting out there and throwing a few big hits isn't going to change that.

Right now the Lightning are having a good time playing their game. It isn't going to be a sweep, but the Habs should be worried.

Agree. The other key component is they thought if they bumped Bish that he was easy to get off his game. Bish has stood tall and taken what they have dished out, and our players for the first time have consistently gone in after anyone messing with Bish. I am really glad they finally started to do that.

The Habs fans are funny. They thought Stone was faking a wrist injury from PKs lumberjack chop. They think all the Bolts are flopping like fish, and especially Johnson on that cross check without the puck by the net by Gilbert. They said Prust tapped Bish in the back and Bish floppped. Weird how its always the other teams players and not the Habs actions. Now Bish does tend to go down pretty easy sometimes but the other players not so much.

 

[The Macho King]

They're salty after being embarrassed on home ice. Let's not rub salt in the wound.

...

Yet.

 

[DFC]

Agree. The other key component is they thought if they bumped Bish that he was easy to get off his game. Bish has stood tall and taken what they have dished out, and our players for the first time have consistently gone in after anyone messing with Bish. I am really glad they finally started to do that.

The Habs fans are funny. They thought Stone was faking a wrist injury from PKs lumberjack chop. They think all the Bolts are flopping like fish, and especially Johnson on that cross check without the puck by the net by Gilbert. They said Prust tapped Bish in the back and Bish floppped. Weird how its always the other teams players and not the Habs actions. Now Bish does tend to go down pretty easy sometimes but the other players not so much.

I'm so glad we played the Wings first. I think that series prepared the team for this. We look so much stronger, mentally, than I'm used to. They jumped on guys who needed to be jumped on (Coburn/Prust) and when it was time to let it go, they let it go. Montreal fans did a lot of talking like we weren't prepared for the kind of physical series they had against Ottawa, but I think they underestimate what a slog-through-the-mud series we had with Detroit, and how that can be even more taxing. Once Bish had let in the softie and then the team responded the way they did, it was like visible proof that they'd matured into something better than we've seen yet.

And Montreal has about the exact opposite going on. They came unglued as soon as things got tough.

 

[These Are The Days]

More guys recalled from the crunch:

Ohhh man. Ohhhhhhh man. OHHHHH MAN!!

 

[IdealisticSniper]

They're salty after being embarrassed on home ice. Let's not rub salt in the wound.

...

Yet.

If we go up 3-0. I'm letting loose. No way in hell they win 4 before we win 1 when they haven't beaten us with Bishop in almost two years.

 

[Obviously]

I can't stop fantasizing about the possibility of sending Marty home, if we win this series.

 

[These Are The Days]

I can't stop fantasizing about the possibility of sending Marty home, if we win this series.

The Rangers still have to win theirs to get there. Ovechkin and the Capitals are actually for real this time. A run to the ECF for them would not surprise me at all. Trotz is probably the best kept secret in the NHL.

His biggest problem is that his teams never had any BIG offensive talent post 2006ish when they had guys like Kariya, Arnott, Hartnell and Radulov.

 

[snowden]

If we lose Game 3, we will lose the series.

 

[Bolto]

The Rangers still have to win theirs to get there. Ovechkin and the Capitals are actually for real this time. A run to the ECF for them would not surprise me at all. Trotz is probably the best kept secret in the NHL.

His biggest problem is that his teams never had any BIG offensive talent post 2006ish when they had guys like Kariya, Arnott, Hartnell and Radulov.

Personally I think we would have a tougher go against the Caps than we would against the Rangers. But.......we have to finish off the Canadiens first.

 

[Hictor Vedman*]

Sometimes I think Cooper is a brilliant, composed and silent mastermind behind the bench.

Jon Cooper: "I can't explain why we have so much success against Montreal this season."

And then he says things like this that make me realize he has no idea what he's doing.

 

[xteesy]

Sometimes I think Cooper is a brilliant, composed and silent mastermind behind the bench.



And then he says things like this that make me realize he has no idea what he's doing.

It's not exactly like he can say "Well I figured out their system and now I'm beating the **** out of them with a counter"...

Cooper's a brilliant coach, but he's also a lawyer. The guy knows how to sound humble while secretly knowing he can screw you sideways 4 times over.

 

[Bruinswillwin77]

Be cool to see Stamkos win a Cup.