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

[82Ninety42011]

No Flames went cold with bad goaltending and Lighting just shit bed. It happens doesn't mean you need to make a trade at deadline to win. It's a shock indeed but that's NHL playoffs especially first round anything can happen.

 

[OVO16]

Flames couldve really used Mark Stone.

Heck, even the Jets. Both missed out

 

[majormajor]

Calgary could have used Micheal Ferland.

Tampa too. Everyone kept linking them to Wayne Simmonds, mentioning that the Lightning needed more grit for the playoffs. They were right about the grit part, but Simmonds is over the hill. I'm not sure if there were great options in terms of heavy players. Ferland not on the market, who else was available?

Mark Stone would have been a great add for anyone, but if you can't re-sign him you can't justify the price tag - most teams don't even have a Brannstrom level prospect to offer.

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.

It would have helped if you watched those series.

Mike Smith was Calgary's best player. And Tampa would have lost that series 9 times out of 10, they got outplayed in about 9 of the 12 periods.

 

[mw2noobbuster]

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.

That's not good math. Since the Jackets won 4-0, if you simulate it 10 times, it'll be 40-0.

 

[Tike Myson]

No Flames went cold with bad goaltending and Lighting just **** bed. It happens doesn't mean you need to make a trade at deadline to win. It's a shock indeed but that's NHL playoffs especially first round anything can happen.

Huh?

 

[Spearmint Rhino]

Most of the playoffs have taken on a Bizarro World spin but Bolts needed a heart transplant not any extra players

 

[TomasHertlsRooster]

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

They needed a more consistent and more effective F1 for Point and Kucherov. They also needed some better depth on the blue line. Guys like Dan Girardi and Jan Rutta should not be playing for an NHL team that isn't tanking.

Having said that, I'm not convinced that either addition would have changed their fortunes against Columbus.

 

[82Ninety42011]

Huh?

Flames as a team went cold and their goal tending was weak coming in. Not even knowing who was gonna start game 1 doesn't really give confidence to your team. Mack was incredible though for Lanche.

 

[Boud]

Flames as a team went cold and their goal tending was weak coming in. Not even knowing who was gonna start game 1 doesn't really give confidence to your team. Mack was incredible though for Lanche.

Mike Smith played extremely well. To put the loss on goaltending is not accurate at all. If anything it might be the only thing you cannot blame the loss on. Put any other goalie in for that series and they still lose.

 

[majormajor]

So what could Tampa have possibly added that made any sense? I’m not saying Columbus didn’t earn that win, but there’s a reason underdogs usually lose.

Yes, heavy underdogs that win usually rely on lucky breaks and hot goaltending. Not this time.

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

They did, his name is Ryan McDonagh. The bottom pair D were a bit of a problem, but not even the biggest problem.

The big issue for Tampa was just losing battles. Especially in front of the net. Vasilevskiy couldn't see the puck, Bob could. The Lightning forwards were boxed out consistently, they didn't have the size and strength to contest that issue. Compare that to Josh Anderson and Pierre Luc Dubois parked in front of Vasi.

So to answer your question, Dave Andreychuk.

 

[82Ninety42011]

Mike Smith played extremely well. To put the loss on goaltending is not accurate at all. If anything it might be the only thing you cannot blame the loss on. Put any other goalie in for that series and they still lose.

After a shut out he let in 17 goals in 4 games and lost twice in OT. I know he can't score to but a goalie has to do better then that. Regardless Flames shit the bed as a team and Smith might not deserve much blame but he does deserve some. He was the best of a bad effort from Flames. Maybe they over achieved during regular season but I expected more from Flames. However credit to Lanche they got it done.

 

[majormajor]

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.

The Jackets NZ play neutralized the Bolts rush play, which really any team ought to do against the Lightning. But even in the offensive zone the Lightning looked bad. Other than maybe Cirelli, they did not contest the dirty areas.

To me it was like the Lightning didn't have the confidence to try and win through something other than run and gun. I don't know if that's all on Cooper, or if the personnel is an issue.

 

[biturbo19]

I think it's really just more "proof" that parity can be harsh. A couple players can tip the scales. A couple key players having off games at the wrong time can sink a team in the playoffs.

More than anything, it's proof that the regular season is way too long. For what little it matters in the end, it really needs to be shortened.

 

[Boud]

Im surprised to see threads like this and Im also surprised to see so many people shocked that the Lightning lost the series.

Not a single team in this league can easily overcome losing or missing their 2 top pairing Dman. You're losing 25+ minutes a night of elite play from Hedman and Stralman neutralizing the other teams top lines and replacing that with 2nd pairing and 3rd pairing dman. That's a gigantic loss for a team.

The Lightning are an extremely talented team but you just cant fill in holes like that within your roster. Also take in the fact that Columbus with the addition or Duchene and Dzingel are a much better team than the standings would make you believe. They can now easily roll 4 lines against anyone and then couple that to the fact that the Lightning are missing their two best dman and that explains a lot.

 

[Pavels Dog]

What could Tampa have added that makes them better ?

You can always add. A little veteran depth on D maybe? A gritty forward to bring a different element?

Sometimes it’s the small additions that make the difference.

 

[The Panther]

I am not shocked that Tampa lost their series. I am shocked that they lost in four straight, and weren't even close after the second period of game one.

Calgary's loss had nothing whatsoever to do with goaltending. They lost because their top line sucked. If Gaudreau and co. had come up with a goal in one of the overtimes, it would have been a seven-game series.

Gaudreau is still a young player, but there is already some question about his ability to deliver in the playoffs.

Anyway I agree with the poster who said that top line was never the same after the All Star game, for some reason.

 

[Oddbob]

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.

Wow, Detroit wasn't a trap team in 2015 or any other year. During our good years, we were a puck possession team, that out chanced most of our opponents. Trap teams do the absolute reverse of trying to out-chance their opponents, by sitting back and waiting for mistakes. In the 30 years I have been watching the Wings, we have never played a sit back and wait style. Now we can't get out our zone for the most part because we suck from the blueline, but nothing close to trap, we are simply so bad, we are always in our own end.

 

[Oddbob]

Im surprised to see threads like this and Im also surprised to see so many people shocked that the Lightning lost the series.

Not a single team in this league can easily overcome losing or missing their 2 top pairing Dman. You're losing 25+ minutes a night of elite play from Hedman and Stralman neutralizing the other teams top lines and replacing that with 2nd pairing and 3rd pairing dman. That's a gigantic loss for a team.

The Lightning are an extremely talented team but you just cant fill in holes like that within your roster. Also take in the fact that Columbus with the addition or Duchene and Dzingel are a much better team than the standings would make you believe. They can now easily roll 4 lines against anyone and then couple that to the fact that the Lightning are missing their two best dman and that explains a lot.

Injuries are just excuses, as every team gets significant injuries they have to overcome, at some point you have to fight through it. Not sure if you are a TB fan, but a number of them, throw this out there every single year.

 

[Mr Zappalanche]

After a shut out he let in 17 goals in 4 games and lost twice in OT. I know he can't score to but a goalie has to do better then that. Regardless Flames **** the bed as a team and Smith might not deserve much blame but he does deserve some. He was the best of a bad effort from Flames. Maybe they over achieved during regular season but I expected more from Flames. However credit to Lanche they got it done.

You have to restrain yourself from commenting things you clearly dont know about. Smith was fantastic in this series.

 

[crackdown44]

Winnipeg made a significant add, Nashville made a couple significant adds. You can add and lose too

It’s just about getting hot at the right time

 

[majormajor]

Im surprised to see threads like this and Im also surprised to see so many people shocked that the Lightning lost the series.

Not a single team in this league can easily overcome losing or missing their 2 top pairing Dman. You're losing 25+ minutes a night of elite play from Hedman and Stralman neutralizing the other teams top lines and replacing that with 2nd pairing and 3rd pairing dman. That's a gigantic loss for a team.

The Lightning are an extremely talented team but you just cant fill in holes like that within your roster. Also take in the fact that Columbus with the addition or Duchene and Dzingel are a much better team than the standings would make you believe. They can now easily roll 4 lines against anyone and then couple that to the fact that the Lightning are missing their two best dman and that explains a lot.

I think this is overstated.
1) Stralman hasn't been good in a while.
2) A healthy Hedman certainly would have made a difference but I'm seeing his defensive abilities exaggerated. This was a playoff warzone, and he's not Chris Pronger.
3) Hedman-Stralman didn't play 25 minutes a night. It was even minutes with McDonagh and Hedman, and McDonagh was the better D-man at both ends at 5 v 5. About 22-23 minutes for those two, and Stralman a bit less.
4) Hedman missed a dozen games in the regular season and it didn't slow down the Lightning.
5) Braydon Coburn looked like one of the Lightning's better D-men when he came into the lineup for Hedman.

 

[Sensators]

So what could Tampa have possibly added that made any sense? I’m not saying Columbus didn’t earn that win, but there’s a reason underdogs usually lose.

Ahh I see, if you're looking at it from the trade deadline I agree Tampa didnt look like they needed to add anything. I picked Tampa in 5 so I certainly didnt expect them to have to add anything.

It is unfortunate that hedman and stralman got injured and they played poorly when in the lineup.

 

[Nithoniniel]

I don't know what the Lightning could have added that would be a substantial addition on what they already have. They had a fantastic roster, an absolutely amazing team, and they proceeded to look flatfooted, disjointed, and utterly confused in these playoffs. No player addition would have changed that.

In a situation where a team look lost across the board like this, you have to look at coaching. A team like that has an answer to every challenge thrown their way. Coach just failed to find it.

 

[CauZuki]

People reading way too much in what is essentially a very exceptional case. As if teams shouldn't strive to outproduce their conference as some kind of anti-jinx measure is ridiculous. There are no guarantees in sports and technically anything can happen , that doesn't make it likely and exceptional circumstances shouldn't generate a reactionary approach. Perhaps Columbus is setting a new trend but I don't think it's sustainable in the cap era.

 

[DFC]

Wow, Detroit wasn't a trap team in 2015 or any other year. During our good years, we were a puck possession team, that out chanced most of our opponents. Trap teams do the absolute reverse of trying to out-chance their opponents, by sitting back and waiting for mistakes. In the 30 years I have been watching the Wings, we have never played a sit back and wait style. Now we can't get out our zone for the most part because we suck from the blueline, but nothing close to trap, we are simply so bad, we are always in our own end.

Honestly I'm calling it a trap because of the insane amount of obstruction Babcock was using that year. It's still more than anything I've seen since. You're right though, I probably shouldn't have, since I can't really remember the actual structure.