GDT: 4/7/18 - 7:00PM EDT - Tampa Bay @ Carolina

[DrMartinVanNostrand]

280 characters forced me to write why this loss was as damaging as it was so I'll just copy it here.

Boston is better than us. They would probably beat us. The best road forward would've involved both home ice and a tough 1st round for them.

But they're getting the Devils. They're gonna pummel them. So now the B's lie in the way...AND will have home ice too.

That's the only way to sum it up. We might've been able to avoid them; surely would've had four potential home games. Now NEITHER will happen (unless Toronto knocks us out first). That's the devastating part of this setback as much as anything else.

 

[FinnLightning26]

This moncho BS about you have to beat the best, Yada Yada Yada is insane. You want the best matchup possible round one. Survive and advance. We would wax NJ IMO. Toronto will be a dogfight and it will take things out of this team.

There is a decent chance we will regret tonight when trying to dig deep vs Boston.

I'm not saying matchups don't make it easier or harder but if you're counting on other teams to do this and that, you're on weak ice. Only thing you can control is beating the team you're facing. If you can't beat them, you're just not good enough. End of story.

 

[Lightning1995]

That's the way the NHL works. Every single year. Try not to be so melodramatic.

True, I’m simply suggesting tonight’s loss makes it incrementally less likely the Lightning make a deep run short of a Panther miracle tomorrow

 

[Master P]

The only thing worse than a loss is reading these threads after said loss.

 

[Lightning1995]

280 characters forced me to write why this loss was as damaging as it was so I'll just copy it here.

Boston is better than us. They would probably beat us. The best road forward would've involved both home ice and a tough 1st round for them.

But they're getting the Devils. They're gonna pummel them. So now the B's lie in the way...AND will have home ice too.

That's the only way to sum it up. We might've been able to avoid them; surely would've had four potential home games. Now NEITHER will happen (unless Toronto knocks us out first). That's the devastating part of this setback as much as anything else.

Well stated

 

[Lightning1995]

I'm not saying matchups don't make it easier or harder but if you're counting on other teams to do this and that, you're on weak ice. Only thing you can control is beating the team you're facing. If you can't beat them, you're just not good enough. End of story.

Hence why this loss sucks

 

[Bolt 45]

You can tell Coop in the postgame fully understands what was lost tonight.

If only he understood it when he penciled in his lineup.

 

[DrMartinVanNostrand]

This moncho BS about you have to beat the best, Yada Yada Yada is insane. You want the best matchup possible round one. Survive and advance. We would wax NJ IMO. Toronto will be a dogfight and it will take things out of this team.

There is a decent chance we will regret tonight when trying to dig deep vs Boston.

You know, we won the Cup in 2004. No effin' apologies for that.

What we don't always acknowledge is we beat a #8 seed, a #7, and a #6. Philly was the highest seed we faced. No Avs or Wings when they could still build veritable All-Star team rosters. Didn't have to face Ottawa either who totally owned us back then. We 100% caught breaks that year.

We were also a #1 seed. You earn those breaks with your seeding. A nice lesson to remember after what happened tonight.

EDIT - also, given how much some people fear NJ based on the reg season...

In 2004, the Islanders were 3-1 against us. We beat them in five games. Big whoop.

 

[Steazy Doo]

280 characters forced me to write why this loss was as damaging as it was so I'll just copy it here.

Boston is better than us. They would probably beat us. The best road forward would've involved both home ice and a tough 1st round for them.

But they're getting the Devils. They're gonna pummel them. So now the B's lie in the way...AND will have home ice too.

That's the only way to sum it up. We might've been able to avoid them; surely would've had four potential home games. Now NEITHER will happen (unless Toronto knocks us out first). That's the devastating part of this setback as much as anything else.

Well one might counter argue, that focusing purely on us, we played the Leafs much better then we played the Devils this year. Chances are we face the Bruins anyway, so would playing a team we've had more success against be a bad thing?

Just playing devils advocate, I still want to win the divison. It's an argument though

 

[Boltswin]

I was frustrated with the loss but there are 2 good take awayx at least... kind of. Battling back to get a point is the first. Second is there won’t be any more 3 on 3 OTs to worry about blowing for a while.

 

[CupsOverCash]

Screw who we play. We’re gonna have to beat the best to be the best.

 

[Lightning1995]

I was frustrated with the loss but there are 2 good take always at least... kind of. Battling back to get a point is the first. Second is there won’t be any more 3 on 3 OTs to worry about blowing for a while.

Generally I think the Lightning are in good shape 3v3. Not tonight

 

[gg720fla]

Screw who we play. We’re gonna have to beat the best to be the best.

Yep, I agree. There doesn't seem to be an easy team to beat this year in the East even if we got #1 seed.

 

[Leonardo87]

I was frustrated with the loss but there are 2 good take always at least... kind of. Battling back to get a point is the first. Second is there won’t be any more 3 on 3 OTs to worry about blowing for a while.

Like i said before, tonight and these last few games showed that they can throw 4 lines at the opponents that can all score. Tampa did not have that the last few years and still made it to the ECF twice, and SCF. It’s really up to the D to make the difference since scoring goals is not an issue for this team, and hoping the D pairings will be sorted out by game 1.

 

[DrMartinVanNostrand]

Well one might counter argue, that focusing purely on us, we played the Leafs much better then we played the Devils this year. Chances are we face the Bruins anyway, so would playing a team we've had more success against be a bad thing?

Just playing devils advocate, I still want to win the divison. It's an argument though

But, I mean, did we really? A 2-0 win, a 4-3 loss, a 3-3 game decided in a shootout, and a 4-3 win. Toronto had two three-goal leads against us that we came back from both times, once to win and once to lose anyway, and Auston Matthews was out for three of those four games (only game he played, Toronto won). What I see is a season series aggregate of 12-10 in the Lightning's favor, which is not really big enough to draw any concrete "Lightning > Leafs" conclusions. Frankly, I'd be of the belief that Toronto won't be blowing three-goal leads so easily again. Babcock is also now going to be getting to gameplan exclusively the Lightning, and we saw what he did with a decrepit Red Wings team in 2015 against a Lightning team that, in my opinion, was better than this one (I felt the '15 Lightning were the East favorites and said so at the time).

Tampa can beat Toronto. But I'd expect a 7-game series which won't help us if we advance to face Boston who will probably come in off a 5-game series win themselves. And, again, now Boston would get home-ice as well instead of us, and we all know just how awful this team is in Boston historically.

 

[Todd1a]

Like i said before, tonight and these last few games showed that they can throw 4 lines at the opponents that can all score. Tampa did not have that the last few years and still made it to the ECF twice, and SCF. It’s really up to the D to make the difference since scoring goals is not an issue for this team, and hoping the D pairings will be sorted out by game 1.

Vasy and our defense have to be better for sure you are correct we are deep at scoring on 4 lines way more then in 2015 and 2016

 

[Maelmoor]

No matter what, I really look forward to the playoffs, it will be tough but we can do it for sure!

 

[Todd1a]

You know, we won the Cup in 2004. No effin' apologies for that.

What we don't always acknowledge is we beat a #8 seed, a #7, and a #6. Philly was the highest seed we faced. No Avs or Wings when they could still build veritable All-Star team rosters. Didn't have to face Ottawa either who totally owned us back then. We 100% caught breaks that year.

We were also a #1 seed. You earn those breaks with your seeding. A nice lesson to remember after what happened tonight.

EDIT - also, given how much some people fear NJ based on the reg season...

In 2004, the Islanders were 3-1 against us. We beat them in five games. Big whoop.

Another example was in 2011 the capitals sweep us during the regular season and in round two we swept them out 4-0

 

[Leonardo87]

Vasy and our defense have to be better for sure you are correct we are deep at scoring on 4 lines way more then in 2015 and 2016

If the D and Vasy are giving up goals left and right will kinda negate that. But think Vasy and the D will be fine, So much experience with this D core. So I am hopeful.

 

[Fabiobest]

But, I mean, did we really? A 2-0 win, a 4-3 loss, a 3-3 game decided in a shootout, and a 4-3 win. Toronto had two three-goal leads against us that we came back from both times, once to win and once to lose anyway, and Auston Matthews was out for three of those four games (only game he played, Toronto won). What I see is a season series aggregate of 12-10 in the Lightning's favor, which is not really big enough to draw any concrete "Lightning > Leafs" conclusions. Frankly, I'd be of the belief that Toronto won't be blowing three-goal leads so easily again. Babcock is also now going to be getting to gameplan exclusively the Lightning, and we saw what he did with a decrepit Red Wings team in 2015 against a Lightning team that, in my opinion, was better than this one (I felt the '15 Lightning were the East favorites and said so at the time).

Tampa can beat Toronto. But I'd expect a 7-game series which won't help us if we advance to face Boston who will probably come in off a 5-game series win themselves. And, again, now Boston would get home-ice as well instead of us, and we all know just how awful this team is in Boston historically.

"Game one" at Toronto --> Bolts won 2-0.
"Game two" at Toronto --> Leafs won 4-3, but Tampa missed tons of scoring chances (in particular with Johnny).
"Game three" at Tampa --> Bolts won 4-3 SO
"Game four" at Tampa --> Bolts won 4-3

We're 3-1-0 against Leafs this year, with the only one we lost...we did it wasting lots of chances...
I agree with you: we can draw any concrete Bolts > Leafs.
The real is that Bolts >> Leafs.

 

[DrMartinVanNostrand]

Another example was in 2011 the capitals sweep us during the regular season and in round two we swept them out 4-0

Well, not quite. They went 3-2 on us with a shootout win mixed in as well. 2-1 in Washington, 1-1-1 in Tampa. And, factoring out empty net goals, the Lightning won the first three games by one goal each. Lightning benefited from some luck (MSL goal in Game 2 right off Mike Green's skate on a pass, for example) but no apologies because sometimes you benefit from luck and that's the difference when margins are tight. But the Caps didn't overwhelm the Lightning that regular season as much as they usually have.

 

[DaBolts]

Let's just hope that Vasy enters into God mode after this long break. He needed the rest and now has time to ice it up and reset.

A disappointing finish, but now comes the heavy lifting. GO BOLTS!

 

[Hint1k]

Toronto core - won the whole 2 PO games out of 6
Tampa core - won 5 PO series out of 7

I am really scared to play vs Toronto. Yeah, really.

 

[These Are The Days]

We were in the Final in 2015, our second playoff year with this core. I find the bolded statement awfully dismissive without merit.

And that core also got veterans from the previous year's Stanley Cup Final when a fellow playoff veteran (to that point) in Callahan was joined by his buddies Stralman and Boyle. We then completed a trade for another Cup run vet in Coburn. We were also backed by a Vezina caliber goaltender. All of them in the prime of their career and experienced. Yzerman literally and figuratively built a championship team over night. We win the Cup if we stay healthy probably both times in 2015 and 2016.

The Leafs have Patrick Marleau and Ron Hainsey. The premise of my statement was that the Leafs are young and still have to learn how to win. Our guys were in their prime and the backbone of our team. Apples to oranges.

Toronto is talented but they do not share our luck in being given a sudden backbone of a contender

 

[DrMartinVanNostrand]

"Game one" at Toronto --> Bolts won 2-0.
"Game two" at Toronto --> Leafs won 4-3, but Tampa missed tons of scoring chances (in particular with Johnny).
"Game three" at Tampa --> Bolts won 4-3 SO
"Game four" at Tampa --> Bolts won 4-3

We're 3-1-0 against Leafs this year, with the only one we lost...we did it wasting lots of chances...
I agree with you: we can draw any concrete Bolts > Leafs.
The real is that Bolts >> Leafs.

These are often two way streets though. That game was in February, two months ago now. Easy enough to remember missed chances on our end, but I'm sure Toronto let some chances go as well. And wasting chances can happen again in the playoffs too.

Also, again, Matthews is their best player and he only played one game against us. Them having their 40-goal scoring #1C is a big difference.