GDT: 3/19/14 - 7:00PM EDT - Tampa Bay @ Toronto

[DFC]

Bernier won't be playing. Reimer, or maybe even MacIntyre, will be in. Plus, Toronto is coming in from a tough road game, albeit not a distant road game, in Detroit.

...Too much is going in our favor. These are the games we lose.

Remember the good old days of playing in Chicago on banner night?

 

[The Podium]

The ignorance from some fans..I found this on the Toronto forum

You should also post all the sky is falling posts, our fan base it too extreme

 

[WeedCrimes]

3-0 game, Ranger with the Hatty.


Wait who is he playing for now?

 

[ThunderAlleyNomad]

This game has disaster written all over it. We go up 2-0 on Stammer goals and lose 4-2 with all 4 Toronto goals coming in the last three minutes.

 

[Five Alarm Fire]

Kadri is going to make Hedman look foolish tonight.
MacIntyre will show that he's a better goalie than Bishop.
Kessel will out-snipe Stamkos.
Without MSL we're toast, no true playmaker and our locker room is full of distractions.
Toronto always has our number, so we can write this game off.

 

[Cigar City]

Maypel Leaves score a touchdown and win 7 - 1.

Bolts don't score until the third, when MacKinnon puts on Palat's sweater and shows him how to win the Calder.

 

[2MinutesforGiraffing]

Reimer is back in net tonight for the Leafs, apparently. Given all the drama over Carlyle saying he was 'just OK' last night and basically blaming him for the loss...this should be interesting.

 

[Five Alarm Fire]

Maypel Leaves score a touchdown and win 7 - 1.

Bolts don't score until the third, when MacKinnon puts on Palat's sweater and shows him how to win the Calder.

Disagree. We go to a shootout, and we call up Drouin on an emergency basis, only to have Mantha take his sweater and show him how to score goals.

 

[TheDaysOf 04]

https://twitter.com/Missy_Zielinski

Today's starting goalie will be Ben Bishop; Keith Aulie, Mark Barberio, Nikita Kucherov and Richard Panik are scratched.

https://twitter.com/erlendssonTBO

Looks like same lines, Killorn-Stamkos-Johnson; Palat-Filppula-Callahan; Brown-Pyatt-Purcell; Malone-Thompson-Crombeen

 

[The Macho King]

I'd like to scratch Purcell for Kucherov. Whatever.

 

[Cor]

Reimer is back in net tonight for the Leafs, apparently. Given all the drama over Carlyle saying he was 'just OK' last night and basically blaming him for the loss...this should be interesting.

Carlyle didn't blame his for the loss. He got asked how he thought Reimer did, he said he thought Reimer was just ok.

Which that is all he was, he made some good saves, but let in 2/3, arguably 3/3 stoppable shots.

There was no blaming, or throwing under the bus. It was all so blown out of proportion.

Anyway, good luck to you guys tonight, should be a good game with a playoff type intensity. Massive game for both sides.

 

[Steve Yzerman]

https://twitter.com/Missy_Zielinski
https://twitter.com/erlendssonTBO

So this is becoming a regular thing now, huh?

 

[The Macho King]

So this is becoming a regular thing now, huh?

Well - Cooper seems like the guy that doesn't want to stop what's working. The past three games we have dominated with this line-up (minus the last five minutes of two of the games). If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

 

[chasespace]

Need to start working those guys back into the line-up. Gonna need them all healthy and warm for the playoffs.

 

[NHLeitner]

Cannot express how excited I am for this game. Should be the first true taste of NHL playoff intensity for our rookies.

That said, it will only hurt that much more when Kadri drops an Ovechtrick and the Leafs win 10-3.

 

[TheDaysOf 04]

http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/light...fs-tonight-almost-like-a-playoff-game/2170905

About wings B.J. Crombeen and Ryan Malone, who have played the past two games after being scratched in four straight, Cooper said, "They're playing the best hockey they've played all year." Cooper admitted scratching veterans like Malone and Crombeen and helping them understand their roles on the team has been something of a priority. "All players have pride and as a coach you never want to embarrass a player," Cooper said. "You have to be in full communication with these guys. Ultimately, in the end, you know you've got good guys when they put the team ahead of themselves, and that's what these guys are doing."

Said Crombeen: "Obviously, it is what it is, but it's kind of a difficult situation for all parties. Nobody's really happy when you're told you're not playing. But everyhone has to buy into the greater good for the team."

What has Malone and Crombeen brought to the team the past two games? "First and foremost they've given us unbelievable stability on the bench," Cooper said. "They're pulling on the bench. They keep guys into it. The other thing is they make our team a little bit taller." As Crombeen said: "We play a pretty hard, straightforward type of game, and this time of year that's usually when it's at its best, when games are tighter and physical and everyone is scratching and clawing for everything out there."

With Malone and Crombeen getting minutes, rookie Nikita Kuchorov, who was off to such a good start, has been a scratch in four of Tampa Bay's past five games. "I've never been in this situation before," Kucherov said. "I just need to play better. I'm playing bad." Kucherov has eight goals, 15 points in 41 games, but has just one assist in his past 10 games. "I just maybe need to bring my confidence back, first of all," Kucherov said. "It's so hard."

 

[The Macho King]

Damn Kucherov... I almost feel bad for him in that quote. Seems like he has a really good head on his shoulders.

 

[MattM92]

Damn Kucherov... I almost feel bad for him in that quote. Seems like he has a really good head on his shoulders.

Same. Kid is smart and uber talented, so he'll get it going again. I think it was a good thing for Coop to scratch him though. Dude has never had to deal with a scoring slump like this before and you could see how frustrated he was getting. Coop truly is the Rookie Whisperer.

 

[DFC]

Kucherov will be fine, long-term. It's just sad that he's going to wind up in the pressbox when he would be better off getting minutes. That said, the reason he's there is because we're getting good performances out of Crombeen, and to a much lesser extent, Malone. Crombeen, vs. Vancouver, played as well as he has all year IMO. To be honest, I even feel like Teddy Purcell's been playing better since Marty's exit, and I'm about the biggest Teddy-hater around (I still want him traded, don't get me wrong, and I'd take a bag of pucks for him).

I'd like to see Kucherov get a shot next to Johnson/Stamkos.

 

[HoseEmDown]

I'd rather play Panik over Kucherov if we are going to play a rookie winger. He's outplayed Kucherov since being called up.

Toronto is a physical team so I would've expected Malone and Crombeen to have dressed form this game.

 

[Kramerica Industries]

Not that I'm complaining given his relatively poor play, but I'm a little surprised to see Barberio scratched.

 

[Yzlamic Preacher*]

Today we are going to feel the wrath of the Toronto Maple Jesus. Why do they always play divine against us? 5-1 Maple Jesus. Bishop turns out to not be a Bishop after all.

Johnson with the only goal.

Man we suck.

 

[DFC]

Not that I'm complaining given his relatively poor play, but I'm a little surprised to see Barberio scratched.

Yeah, seems like Cooper's just a little more comfortable with Kostka.

 

[Yzlamic Preacher*]

I'd rather play Panik over Kucherov if we are going to play a rookie winger. He's outplayed Kucherov since being called up.

Toronto is a physical team so I would've expected Malone and Crombeen to have dressed form this game.

Pretty much this. Still unfortunate for Kucherov. We get to see another game of Panik driving down his off wing and going for a backhand.

 

[caz16]

Good luck! I hope you beat the Leafs. It is unbearable listening to the media here already.