GDT: 4/23/24 - 7:30PM EDT - #1 WC Tampa Bay @ #1 Florida [ECQF GAME 2]

[JTBF81]

Dress Sergachev for the next game.

No reason to risk bringing him back early. They have way too much invested in him to risk his future for this series.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

what was the cap and roster still looking like when carter left?

all the main guys were still here, right?

johnson, palat, killer, gourde, etc? my memory is shite

one thing jbb can't do is find the those cheap productive guys. yzerman brought in both marchessault and carter, right? doubt he thought they would flourish like they have, but he had an eye

look at all those guy in florida's lineup who were brought in for dirt cheap who have made them into who they are

jbb settled for a no upside vet like Sheary (never thought he'd be this bad), and Boston got a young guy like Geekie for the same price who flourished

I was in favor of bringing Rodrigues (scoring depth) and/or Heinen (energy, some scoring depth).

I really wanted Strome or Kubalik in summer of 2022 when the Blackhawks let them walk.

 

[JTBF81]

I knew we weren't bringing Dumba back (which is obviously good), but now more convinced that they're not bringing Duclair back.

If it means going out and adding a clear top 4 RD, I'd be good with not re-signing him.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Love how we just let Carter walk and leave town and keep worse players

f***ing Mitchell Stephens ugh

 

[Bozo Nicholson]

Series not over, boys!

WOOOOOOO!

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Crozier and Lilleberg weren't great at all tonight but were still somehow nowhere close to our worst defensemen. Feel bad for Hedman having to put the entire unit on his back.

And before people start talking positively about what Sergachev may have done in this series, just remember that he would have rimmed it around the boards to no one right onto Tkachuk's stick to set up an easy 2v1 scoring chance.

Goals: Hagel, Stamkos, Point, Stamkos.

Someone else outside of our top scorers has to get the job done. Kucherov has been piss poor for the most part but you need Paul, Duclair, Cirelli, Eyssimont to get one.

Chaffee has been exposed for the most part as weak "depth" although he was better later in Game 2.

 

[LightningStrikes]

Alright, let’s win the next two at home and go from there.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Alright, let’s win the next two at home and go from there.

Not happening unless they come out skating like it's the final lap at Daytona or Talladega (which they've done in previous years). Feels like the dressing room isn't held as accountable without Maroon & Perry in there.

 

[OffBy1]

Through two games Kucherov is playing like he has imposter syndrome after beating Mc and Mac Jesus for the Art Ross. And well I guess part of it is Florida committing to cover him no matter how far out of position that takes them and daring the other 4 skaters to do something about it. Which brings me to Point - he's playing like it's the start of another regular season and not the post season. Where is his ability to create offense? He looks flummoxed by FL's defense and consequently slow.

Cooper should be able to get Kucherov out there against FL's worst d pair at home - if he can't do anything then, it will be a post season matching the regular season.

Vasy is without a doubt back. Thank goodness he's not looking like a washed 9.5 mil per goalie any more. Neither he or Cooper can help the fact we have Paul and a mixture of 4th liners and AHLer's for our bottom six, a pair of rookie blueliners, a regressing Perbix, Calvin De Washed, and a half speed Hedman.

I don't think Duclair is doing particularly bad, but I don't think he's a great fit for the top line. Coop puts Hagel on the top line for game 3 or it's over.

I'm glad we got the loss we needed over with to get De Haan back out of the lineup over with quickly.

And before people start talking positively about what Sergachev may have done in this series, just remember that he would have rimmed it around the boards to no one right onto Tkachuk's stick to set up an easy 2v1 scoring chance.

DH had similarly bad plays in our zone without the skill and skating ability. Serge wouldn't be our savior, but he's better than DH and this year's Perbix. Part of our 5 on 5 scoring problem is a lack of scoring depth and offensive skill in the bottom six and after Hedman on the blueline.

 

[Maelmoor]

Damn, we didn't have the margins on our side in this one, that stings..

.. can't give up yet, let's try to win the next one to begin with.

 

[Sky04]

Damn, we didn't have the margins on our side in this one, that stings..

.. can't give up yet, let's try to win the next one to begin with.

Disagree, Florida has outplayed us significantly in the 2 games so far and have somehow only barely come out with a win in both games. Both games were sitting there waiting to be stolen and we just didn't take it. If the current level of play continues we are looking at a blowout game against sooner rather than later.

 

[Antiramie]

Disagree, Florida has outplayed us significantly in the 2 games so far and have somehow only barely come out with a win in both games. Both games were sitting there waiting to be stolen and we just didn't take it. If the current level of play continues we are looking at a blowout game against sooner rather than later.

Yup. Everyone thinks we're due to break through when it's more likely we're gonna get our brakes beaten off.

We had a 25% expected win rate in Game 1 and 29% in Game 2. That ain't gonna cut it. Unless we play completely different going forward we'll be lucky if we force this to 5-6 games.

 

[LightningStrikes]

Stamkos hitting iron or Dumba shooting right on the arm of Bob on a wide open net eventually cost us the game. It’s that close in the playoffs. Also, how many breakaways did Cirelli have, like three?

Again, it’s not like Florida is out-chancing us, they’re just more efficient. I don’t have the stats but my feeling says high danger chances were about even this game. Their play without the puck is a lot better than ours though.

 

[Antiramie]

Stamkos hitting iron or Dumba shooting right on the arm of Bob on a wide open net eventually cost us the game. It’s that close in the playoffs. Also, how many breakaways did Cirelli have, like three?

Again, it’s not like Florida is out-chancing us, they’re just more efficient. I don’t have the stats but my feeling says high danger chances were about even this game. Their play without the puck is a lot better than ours though.

And how many times did Vasy rob them? People keep focusing on how we'd win if we capitalized on a couple chances and completely ignore that we've gotten outplayed for 70% of this series so far.

 

[Sky04]

Stamkos hitting iron or Dumba shooting right on the arm of Bob on a wide open net eventually cost us the game. It’s that close in the playoffs. Also, how many breakaways did Cirelli have, like three?

Again, it’s not like Florida is out-chancing us, they’re just more efficient. I don’t have the stats but my feeling says high danger chances were about even this game. Their play without the puck is a lot better than ours though.

Even strength scoring chances 34-14 for Florida, high danger scoring chances for 18-8 for Florida, yes they are constantly out chancing us, like I said we're lucky to have avoided a blowout so far.

Right now, you have to hope they run of out gas of some sorts or start making stupid mistakes because there's really no strategy to counter being outworked.

 

[Antiramie]

Even strength scoring chances 34-14 for Florida, high danger scoring chances for 18-8 for Florida, yes they are constantly out chancing us, like I said we're lucky to have avoided a blowout so far.

Yea FLA is getting goalied and is still winning. If Vasy has even a mediocre game we're gonna get smoked.

 

[LightningStrikes]

Even strength scoring chances 34-14 for Florida, high danger scoring chances for 18-8 for Florida, yes they are constantly out chancing us, like I said we're lucky to have avoided a blowout so far.

Right now, you have to hope they run of out gas of some sorts or start making stupid mistakes because there's really no strategy to counter being outworked.

I stand corrected then. Thanks for looking it up for my lazy ass.

 

[DFC]

Florida just looks like a much better team, which we knew anyway.

 

[Master P]

Guess Vassy let us down again. He’s washed. Worst signing in the league. Trade him for peanuts.

 

[flying squirrel]

Even strength scoring chances 34-14 for Florida, high danger scoring chances for 18-8 for Florida, yes they are constantly out chancing us, like I said we're lucky to have avoided a blowout so far.

Right now, you have to hope they run of out gas of some sorts or start making stupid mistakes because there's really no strategy to counter being outworked.

Yep, agree with much of this.... Lightning might be best playing more aggressive and stop worrying about structure so much. Witnessing this scaredy-cat type Lightning team right now: reminds me of when Bama football started recruiting so many NFL players after early successes. Those players wouldn't stay long and would play one yr on-the-field at times.. Bama wasn't able to build teams into a experienced bunch. But Saban & staff would try to make those less experienced Bama defenders play Saban's complex defensive X's & O's schemes. Instead of letting players, play loose sometimes,, so they could just go make plays without overthinking things. With Bama staying in this must play structure game approach. More than not, Bama's defenders were behind just enough during plays. This created situations where Bama player's lost crucial second(s), or even less, that put them in bad angles, bad positioning, etc. Bama's players and coaches got frustrated by trying to force different inexperienced group of Bama players, to play same as more experienced groups before them. That didn't work, Square peg meet round hole.... Bama got new defensive coordinator that play more aggressive D style , that allowed players to play. Bama's defenders started thriving again and making plays again.

At this point in season, if Lightning players don't revert back to whatever been taught whole season. Your toast anyways, so let them play looser game and see what happens! But Lightning might of lost that chance to test those waters, but when desperation sets in, we might see taste of what might of been.

Cooper is good coach, and see it all by now I bet, but Copper is acting as if this Lightning team has same team chemistry, same leadership within locker room, same players who kept locker-room in-check, same experienced defenders, and same team that took many yrs to build to win "Cups". That is not this Lightning bunch right now though. Might be best to adjust according by letting players play more aggressive and see what happens..... With Vasy playing well and Lightning giving up breaks & high chances anyways. Why not? But saying all this just now: Lightning could've still stolen both games, and should've won last nights game. Vasy play during bad stretches allowed this, but offense & special teams has to do their part in that equation. Special teams failed Lightning during bigest swing moment in both games. Kinda ironic, when considering that's Lightning's strengh. On to game 3 and we'll see what Lightning bring.

 

[Outl4w]

Yep, agree with much of this.... Lightning might be best playing more aggressive and stop worrying about structure so much. Witnessing this scaredy-cat type Lightning team right now: reminds me of when Bama football started recruiting so many NFL players after early successes. Those players wouldn't stay long and would play one yr on-the-field at times.. Bama wasn't able to build teams into a experienced bunch. But Saban & staff would try to make those less experienced Bama defenders play Saban's complex defensive X's & O's schemes. Instead of letting players, play loose sometimes,, so they could just go make plays without overthinking things. With Bama staying in this must play structure game approach. More than not, Bama's defenders were behind just enough during plays. This created situations where Bama player's lost crucial second(s), or even less, that put them in bad angles, bad positioning, etc. Bama's players and coaches got frustrated by trying to force different inexperienced group of Bama players, to play same as more experienced groups before them. That didn't work, Square peg meet round hole.... Bama got new defensive coordinator that play more aggressive D style , that allowed players to play. Bama's defenders started thriving again and making plays again.

At this point in season, if Lightning players don't revert back to whatever been taught whole season. Your toast anyways, so let them play looser game and see what happens! But Lightning might of lost that chance to test those waters, but when desperation sets in, we might see taste of what might of been.

Cooper is good coach, and see it all by now I bet, but Copper is acting as if this Lightning team has same team chemistry, same leadership within locker room, same players who kept locker-room in-check, same experienced defenders, and same team that took many yrs to build to win "Cups". That is not this Lightning bunch right now though. Might be best to adjust according by letting players play more aggressive and see what happens..... With Vasy playing well and Lightning giving up breaks & high chances anyways. Why not? But saying all this just now: Lightning could've still stolen both games, and should've won last nights game. Vasy play during bad stretches allowed this, but offense & special teams has to do their part in that equation. Special teams failed Lightning during bigest swing moment in both games. Kinda ironic, when considering that's Lightning's strengh. On to game 3 and we'll see what Lightning bring.

We played good enough to win last night, but our defense is not good enough to steal games we get outplayed. We invested in Jeannot total bust, Sheary total bust, DeHann hasn't been good, Dumba total bust, and Duclair who played well in season play but is a nonfactor right now. Imagine if we used the picks to acquire Dumba and Jeannot to acquire an actual top 4 defenseman and a bottom 6 guy that is good at blocking shots, playing physical, and isn't pure crap at defense.

 

[Tampa22]

Sadly another lost. I expected take one from Sunrise. Another first period joke, still can't believe we tied the game. We also have a golden opportunity to take the lead with that Dumba chance.
Don't like how we played game 1 and 2. Expected a physical series and my god we look like a figure skating team. Zero intimidation, a few stupid scrums and we don't scare anybody. You can take out 5 minutes Tkachuk or Bennet and don't have anybody to be smart for doing that.
Defense sucks, I bet those ugly years from 1996/1999 are better D than this.
Vassy play another solid game, the only reason to be on board this two games.
Still have faith, but I have my doubts in how we can react tomorrow!

 

[The Gongshow]

Florida just looks like a much better team, which we knew anyway.

Florida has an actual NHL roster. We're basically icing an AHL squad. Pretty pathetic lineup from our GM

 

[OffBy1]

Disagree, Florida has outplayed us significantly in the 2 games so far and have somehow only barely come out with a win in both games. Both games were sitting there waiting to be stolen and we just didn't take it. If the current level of play continues we are looking at a blowout game against sooner rather than later.

The reason is clear, it's #88, the guy you've been saying was washed since last year's the Toronto series and that the the rest of us were pretty much in denial on it, etc. Granted - he did play the worst hockey of his career in that Toronto series and continued to do so up through the last month of this season, but he looks like he's fully back to peak form right now.

Even with how well he played last night, FL still missed the net on multiple glorious scoring chances - I don't expect that to continue. We should be losing these games by multiple goals with the way our team defense has played. Last year it was Vasy letting the rest of the team down. Kuch, Point, and most of the rest of the team has let him down thus far.

 

[Whoshattenkirkshoes]

Yeah. He definitely channeled goonerov during that scrum. Someones about to eat the glass or get elbowed. Kuch with a game misconduct and suspension is all we need to see.

I'll eat my hat if that comes true and I'll live up to my word unlike @Whoshattenkirkshoes

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