Are the Flames and Lightning's failures proof that the top 2 teams should still buy at the deadline?

[MMC]

A lot of times, the very best team(s) in the league refrain from doing too much buying at the deadline to not disrupt chemistry. Do their failures show that these teams should still make major additions at the trade deadline?

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[Mr Hockey]

you're missing the Bruins?

 

[CRDragon]

you're missing the Bruins?

Can't be top 2 when you're third.

 

[leaffaninvancouver]

What did Tampa need to add? If you replay that series ten times, they probably win nine of them.

Calgary has goaltending issues, not sure why they never addressed it.

 

[DFC]

I don't think adding a player, or two players even, would have changed TB's fate. There's a fatal flaw there when they play a team that traps, and it's probably the coach. A team that skilled should be able to break through, but, as Stamkos said, "We had no answer." I think that's an indictment of the coach.

 

[DFC]

What did Tampa need to add? If you replay that series ten times, they probably win nine of them.

Calgary has goaltending issues, not sure why they never addressed it.

Disagree. We got beat badly and did not look like the better team in any game.

 

[leaffaninvancouver]

Disagree. We got beat badly and did not look like the better team in any game.

I think confidence had a lot do with it. Hedman being injured was also completely unforeseen.

Seriously what did Tampa need to add?

 

[Hoek]

Some more defensive depth might have helped a little assuming you knew Hedman and Stralman would be out.

 

[Mr Hockey]

Can't be top 2 when you're third.

oh, ok, thanks man

 

[Iceman]

...and we were talking about a 2004 rematch... lovely.

 

[Leafs87]

What could Tampa have added that makes them better ?

 

[Matty Sundin]

This was an abnormally

 

[leaffaninvancouver]

Some more defensive depth might have helped a little assuming you knew Hedman and Stralman would be out.

Homestly, what were they supposed to add? A second elite defensemen just in case?

 

[haveandare]

I don't think adding a player, or two players even, would have changed TB's fate. There's a fatal flaw there when they play a team that traps, and it's probably the coach. A team that skilled should be able to break through, but, as Stamkos said, "We had no answer." I think that's an indictment of the coach.

I agree for the most part. I also think they need some heavier, more relentless and physical players though.

Coach is the main issue though for sure.

 

[Hoek]

Homestly, what were they supposed to add? A second elite defensemen just in case?

Not an elite guy just someone better than Girardi and Rutta. That's not a big ask. The only other possible addition was a power forward type. Even then we played like crap in all facets so..

 

[Fixxer]

What could Tampa have added that makes them better ?

Trade to get back Drouin ...

 

[generalshepherd141]

Trade to get back Drouin ...

Too bad he sucks

 

[Slyfox]

They added Rutta for defensive depth and added Girardi as well at the beginning of the year as a 6/7 dman.

 

[Hoek]

They added Rutta for defensive depth and added Girardi as well at the beginning of the year as a 6/7 dman.

We had Girardi the previous year.

 

[DFC]

I agree for the most part. I also think they need some heavier, more relentless and physical players though.

Coach is the main issue though for sure.

Maybe one guy for the top-six. The bottom-six is pretty heavy and relentless. But we don't have a guy who can play that way with the required skill to play with Stamkos or Kucherov.

But I mean... our bottom six played heavy all year, and they got bottled up the same way. We had no idea how to get through a NZ trap.

 

[DFC]

I think confidence had a lot do with it. Hedman being injured was also completely unforeseen.

Seriously what did Tampa need to add?

A new coach.

We lost Hedman, but defense wasn't our problem. We couldn't score goals at ES, same as happens every time we play a team who traps (WSH last year; even Detroit in 2015). It's a coaching problem, first and foremost, although I won't argue some size in the top-six could have helped.

I know Hedman is a catalyst for offense, but McDonagh was actually a better catalyst at ES this year. But our system involves a lot of defensemen joining the rush, which isn't all that possible when the NZ is clogged up. Cooper had no answer. I believe he could literally have had an all star team (...which he kind of did) and still would have had no answer.

This series was not close. CBJ demolished us because Tortorella successfully took away our ability to outskate his team. Cooper had no answer.

 

[DJJones]

I don't think stone would have changed the series and we'd be out our first plus valimaki.

I'm content

 

[Yung Rotini]

What did Tampa need to add? If you replay that series ten times, they probably win nine of them.

Calgary has goaltending issues, not sure why they never addressed it.

Smith was our best player in that series. It’s the skaters who fell flat on their face. Smitty was a stud and i’d almost consider bringing him back next year honestly, though I recognize that it probably wouldn’t be the greatest idea.

It sucks that the rumoured Zucker deal fell through, I think having another legit scoring threat would have helped the Flames a lot.

 

[KingPuckChoo]

ok can we stop lumping the flames with the lightning?

Lightning was a legit thing

Flames belong with the rest of the pack

 

[Alan Wake]

proof that this playoffs is actual dog shit

source: i'm a biased pissed off drunk little f***