GDT: 5/21/18 - 8:00PM EDT - #1A Tampa Bay @ #1M Washington [ECF GAME 6]

[LonLon Lei]

Every year this happens it feels like I am having apart of my soul ripped out.

well let's hope for a different outcome...!!

 

[OurlordAndSaviorKuch]

I wonder if we do get bounced Wednesday night if Stevie Y shit cans Cooper.

 

[Hoek]

This team is just allergic to Game 6s in the ECF. Lost every damn one of them.

 

[Lightning1995]

Game 7 is simple, if we show up and play like scared little children like we did in game 6, we lose. If we show up and play like we actually care about winning anything of worth, we win. We'll find out Wednesday.

It’s not that simple. It’s one game now. Anything can happen. Hoppie could steal it. Vassy could steal it. Who knows.

 

[SF91]

For every clutch goal (that never led to a Cup) there’s a game he takes off that led to an elimination.

Someone else can pay him 11 mil to be a crybaby for all I care.

Love when we lose we are quick to blame the players who got us here- Russian connect-Kuch & Vasy. Kuch is our best player now and Vasy second, both are irreplaceable.

 

[DFC]

So that's three playoffs in a row where we've run into a team that's been night and day better than us.

Is that not unusual? We're not just getting beat, we're getting THOROUGHLY beat.

We might not be the best team in the league.

 

[LonLon Lei]

I'll admit it - I'm the biggest negative, sky is falling fan. Fire Cooper. Kucherov sucks. Stamkos is invisible. Hedman was terrible. I'm as pissed as anyone about tonight's effort.

But I say just step off the ledge and take a deep breath.

I just have this feeling that Wednesday night we will all be singing a different tune. I just feel it.


Who's with me?

The team, hopefully!!!!
cuz we can't play for them, just cheerin'

 

[Fabiobest]

But we've to remember one thing.
We lost game 7 in 2016, ok, but now the situation in very different.
1) We'll play at home.
2) Stammer, in 2016, was injured. Now he's ok. And, in 2016, he wasted a big scoring chance (if he scored, we were 2-2...).
3) We've lost that game also thanks to a bad play of Vasy. Today Vasy is very different from 2016 Vasy.
4) Trotz is not Sullivan I think.
If we'll play well, probably we'll win.

 

[Antiramie]

Love when we lose we are quick to blame the players who got us here- Russian connect-Kuch & Vasy. Kuch is our best player now and Vasy second, both are irreplaceable.

I agree about one of them.

 

[SF91]

No offense, but I just don't think we are watching the same series.

None taken. 3-3 going to game 7 after being down 2. Ask Winnipeg who the much better team was....

 

[DFC]

So Kucherov never took off games before this series? The entire board was in an uproar for half the season because the guy looked like a head case. But yea keep making excuses.

Of course he did. And he was still our best player down the stretch and in the NJ series. He's been bad for 11 games and suddenly we should be thinking about resigning him?

All players take games off. 95% of our team went on vacation somewhere around January, which, probably not coincidentally, is exactly what those old dynasty Red Wings teams did.

If you expect every player to be at their best all the time, every single one of them is going to disappoint you.

Kucherov has a proven track record. More proven than just about any player in the league at his age. He's had 11 bad games. Sure, it sucks, but let's not start rethinking our future based on it.

 

[Hoek]

We might not be the best team in the league.

*gasp*

This is the year where we have the best argument for sure, but the last two times the Hawks and Pens definitely had VERY strong cases of their own.

 

[Cigar City]

 

[DFC]

I wonder if we do get bounced Wednesday night if Stevie Y **** cans Cooper.

Oh my God let's please not start this. I'm not even much of a Cooper fan, but there are like three teams who've been more successful than us since Cooper's come on board. NHL coaches do not get fired in this situation.

We have to step down from the ledge. We're a good team who might possibly have run into a better team.

 

[gg720fla]

Oh my God let's please not start this. I'm not even much of a Cooper fan, but there are like three teams who've been more successful than us since Cooper's come on board. NHL coaches do not get fired in this situation.

We have to step down from the ledge. We're a good team who might possibly have run into a better team.

I agree with you , I think we have run into a better team.

 

[Antiramie]

Oh my God let's please not start this. I'm not even much of a Cooper fan, but there are like three teams who've been more successful than us since Cooper's come on board. NHL coaches do not get fired in this situation.

We have to step down from the ledge. We're a good team who might possibly have run into a better team.

We’re a top 4 team that Cooper can’t lead to a Cup. Sounds like a coaching problem.

But hey letting our window pass until we fade into a non-playoff team is the correct response right?

 

[Stammertime91]

The only reason we aren't already golfing is because of Vasy. I think we will be by Thursday. Just a hunch. This team, repeatedly, is getting dominated and tonight was really embarassing as a fan seeing our 4th line, Coburn and some of our gnats get tossed across the ice. They're bigger, just as fast and make smart plays. We dump it in and if we manage to retrieve the puck by the grace of God, and up giving it right to them. We get the puck in our zone and flick it our or again - give it right to them. Our entire game plan tonight looked like a mix between Lost and Survivor. Neutral zone was completely garbage as it has been for 5 of these games. They zip ONE pass and beat 2-3 of our guys which they manage to make one more and create 2v3 and 1v2 situations in our zone. We lose our coverage and fail to do something about it, or hustle to knock them off the puck. It's the same thing from puck drop to the end of the 3rd. These guys, Cooper or whoever you want to point a finger at, give them too much respect while at the same time their high hockey IQ suddenly fades when they're on the defensive side of the game.

As for the posters blaming Kucherov. Blame Stamkos. Blame Palat whose sorry ass killed damn near everything tonight. Blame McDonagh for failing to clear a puck 345 times. Blame Gourde for losing board battles. Blame Killorn for having 3 solid shifts and disappearing. Blame Johnson for not creating offense. Blame Cirelli for missing his 1v1. Blame Stralman for that awful failed clearance on the first goal. Blame everyone bar Point and Vasy cause they all deserve it.

Kucherov is the best offensive talent we have on this team. He was an inch or two away from 20 posts saying "KUUUUUUUUCHHHH" or "He's been off but there he is!!" We don't run the Eastern Conference ablaze the last 4 years without him. We don't get by the Isles in 5 without him. We don't get by Detroit two years ago that easily without him. We don't come within 1 point from him dragging this team to a playoff spot last year. He had 10 points in 5 games. He scored a crucial goal against Boston late in the series. Not every player is Crosby who can be off and suddenly run up 7 points in 2 games and win a series being 50%. There's no player in the modern era that's been a dominant star EVERY round. Kucherov is a lazy player at times but the problem lies with the team not shooting, hustling, etc - not Kucherov who propelled this team to where it's at. Wanting to get rid of him because he's not performing in one round and a half is laughable. He's the highest producing player since 2015 that's still in the playoffs. That's not a coincidence. Plenty of hall of famers, legends and superstars today don't perform every round.

With that said, I do think Brayden Point is the most valuable skater on our team. Without him we would be at the country club.

 

[OurlordAndSaviorKuch]

Oh my God let's please not start this. I'm not even much of a Cooper fan, but there are like three teams who've been more successful than us since Cooper's come on board. NHL coaches do not get fired in this situation.

We have to step down from the ledge. We're a good team who might possibly have run into a better team.

It is a ledge the team has pushed us towards. Make it to the ECF and then collapsing just gets tiring as a fan and something has gotta give at some point.

 

[Hoek]

Lol if we lose it'll only have been the 2nd time we "collapsed" in the ECF, and somehow that's "tiring."

 

[OurlordAndSaviorKuch]

Lol if we lose it'll only have been the 2nd time we "collapsed" in the ECF, and somehow that's "tiring."

Yes because the first was enough having ones soul yanked out after such a long season/Postseason is tiring.

 

[Lightning1995]

Caps have outshot the Lightning 209-145 for the series. That’s a material difference over a material 6 game sample size.

Washington just matches up well here. It’s gonna be tough to win game 7. I don’t think Washington will choke. That would have come tonight.

We have home ice and a hot goaltender. That’s a good recipe for victory. Washington is going to carry play for long stretches. They’ve proven to be superior at puck possession and 5v5.

But the Lightning will get chances. I believe they will play hard and be more physical compared to tonight. I hope that’s enough.

 

[DFC]

I agree about one of them.

The one who had the most recent good game, I'm guessing.

 

[DFC]

We’re a top 4 team that Cooper can’t lead to a Cup. Sounds like a coaching problem.

But hey letting our window pass until we fade into a non-playoff team is the correct response right?

Show me an NHL coach who's been fired in this situation.

You won't find one.

 

[Lightning1995]

I wonder what Coop will do with the lines. I really don’t know what he SHOULD do. I like the idea of splitting up Stammer and Kuch. But there is something to be said to dancing with what brung ya in a game 7.

Next year, cup or no cup, I hope they get split.

 

[Stammertime91]

Lol if we lose it'll only have been the 2nd time we "collapsed" in the ECF, and somehow that's "tiring."

3rd depending on where you stand about 2011. It is tiring because it's very frustrating. Not to sound like I'm spoiled, but I do think we were 2nd best in 2011 and 2016. We will never know because we couldn't get by Boston and Pittsburgh in what was a terrible ass officiated game and injury riddle in 2016. I'll always feel we were better than Vancouver and San Jose. Two blown opportunities where we (insert Thomas, refs, Crosby, etc reasons) couldn't get it done. We ran on fumes in 2015 and lost 3 in a row. IF we lose Wednesday, I believe it will be a different case this time. As much as we would like to believe we are the better team - and on paper we certainly are - we arent. This is the best team iced in these playoffs and we are being outplayed by Washington whole Vegas is probably another basket case to deal with. At best, we are probably 2nd best. Without Vasy turning into Khabibulin for three straight gamea, this thing is done and dusted. We are very fortunate he got it together after game 2 to watch more hockey cause it could've been 3-1 at the least but he stole one for sure, but 2 in my opinion, for us to be 3-3. On paper, this is embarassing. Very. On the ice, it's even more embarassing. Caps have been nearly every period with the exception of a few. They're completely killing us. I mean, tonight was brutal watching that. And it's not the Caps "A game," that's just their entire game. That was no different than games 1 and 2 and parts of 3 and 4. They're the better team and if we manage to best them, Vasilevskiy should flat out name his price.

 

[Antiramie]

The only reason we aren't already golfing is because of Vasy. I think we will be by Thursday. Just a hunch. This team, repeatedly, is getting dominated and tonight was really embarassing as a fan seeing our 4th line, Coburn and some of our gnats get tossed across the ice. They're bigger, just as fast and make smart plays. We dump it in and if we manage to retrieve the puck by the grace of God, and up giving it right to them. We get the puck in our zone and flick it our or again - give it right to them. Our entire game plan tonight looked like a mix between Lost and Survivor. Neutral zone was completely garbage as it has been for 5 of these games. They zip ONE pass and beat 2-3 of our guys which they manage to make one more and create 2v3 and 1v2 situations in our zone. We lose our coverage and fail to do something about it, or hustle to knock them off the puck. It's the same thing from puck drop to the end of the 3rd. These guys, Cooper or whoever you want to point a finger at, give them too much respect while at the same time their high hockey IQ suddenly fades when they're on the defensive side of the game.

As for the posters blaming Kucherov. Blame Stamkos. Blame Palat whose sorry ass killed damn near everything tonight. Blame McDonagh for failing to clear a puck 345 times. Blame Gourde for losing board battles. Blame Killorn for having 3 solid shifts and disappearing. Blame Johnson for not creating offense. Blame Cirelli for missing his 1v1. Blame Stralman for that awful failed clearance on the first goal. Blame everyone bar Point and Vasy cause they all deserve it.

Kucherov is the best offensive talent we have on this team. He was an inch or two away from 20 posts saying "KUUUUUUUUCHHHH" or "He's been off but there he is!!" We don't run the Eastern Conference ablaze the last 4 years without him. We don't get by the Isles in 5 without him. We don't get by Detroit two years ago that easily without him. We don't come within 1 point from him dragging this team to a playoff spot last year. He had 10 points in 5 games. He scored a crucial goal against Boston late in the series. Not every player is Crosby who can be off and suddenly run up 7 points in 2 games and win a series being 50%. There's no player in the modern era that's been a dominant star EVERY round. Kucherov is a lazy player at times but the problem lies with the team not shooting, hustling, etc - not Kucherov who propelled this team to where it's at. Wanting to get rid of him because he's not performing in one round and a half is laughable. He's the highest producing player since 2015 that's still in the playoffs. That's not a coincidence. Plenty of hall of famers, legends and superstars today don't perform every round.

With that said, I do think Brayden Point is the most valuable skater on our team. Without him we would be at the country club.

So you basically just admitted that Kucherov’s past success has made him forever infallible. He has been the embodiment of not shooting and hustling yet you refuse to put him in the same group as all the other players you called out. Despite what you may think, winners don’t rest on their laurels.