ECF Game 3: Tampa Bay Lightning @ Washington Capitals | 8 PM ET | CBC, SN, TVAS, NBCSN

[HunterSThompson]

Tampa wins this game, I'd bet my life on it

Do it. Bet your HFBoards life.

 

[third man in]

I think this game will be closer than the last 2. 3-1 Caps with an empty netter from Eller

 

[yay]

I see a tighter, close game. 3-1 Tampa (with an empty net). Point, Stamkos, Stralman, and OV.

 

[T REX]

Fine. They've sucked so far this series.

I wasn't talking about overall.

Obviously a great run they've been on the past 4 years. 3 ECFs in 3 Playoff tries is nothing to scoff at.

Ok, then I apologize. Yes, they have sucked vs the Caps and it is because of the caps. I refuse to take anything away from the caps.

We destroyed NJ and Boston though. That felt good. LOL. Right now, the Caps are owning us. I don't see it changing.

 

[PensandCaps]

Ok, then I apologize. Yes, they have sucked vs the Caps and it is because of the caps. I refuse to take anything away from the caps.

We destroyed NJ and Boston though. That felt good. LOL. Right now, the Caps are owning us. I don't see it changing.

Still see Tampa prevailing. Too deep and talented not too. Much like the Pens though...the skaters are better, but the goaltending might kill yah. Holtby has been amazing and Vasi is awful right now.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

First time all postseason the Caps have had high expectations place on them. They were left for dead after losing the first two against Columbus, everyone picked the Pens to win, and then the Caps allegedly didn't belong on the same ice as the Lightning after Tampa dismantled New Jersey and Boston. They've been playing the underdog and adversity card perfectly... how will they handle people singing their praises and expecting them to do well? Also, Capital One Arena is going to be bananaland tonight... can they keep enough focus and continue playing the way they've been playing or will they come out overly amped up?

 

[haveandare]

This is an inch away from being a must win for TB. Should be pretty clear a few minutes in if they've figured a good counter for the way the Caps are playing or not. If they haven't, they're going to be in big trouble.

 

[BL92]

C'mon Tampa, I don't want Caps to make in to the finals.

 

[shtorm2005]

Spoiler: Vasilevsky & Dmen

 

[StrikingDistance]

I'd expect this game will be a lot closer and a lot more low scoring.

Could definitely see the Bolts winning it, especially if luck favors them a little more tonight.

Caps score 1st and it will be Hard Times for the Bolts and truly the Sign of the Times...

I hope the the Caps Show You No Mercy at all! haha

 

[Lawd Stanley]

Yes. Garbge. Yes embarrassing. Sucks? You can go #$#$@#! yourself. Tampa has a great team and a **** stain coach. 3/4 con finals and a cup finals doesn't suck. Our coaching staff underachieves. The Caps are a GREAT team also. And on a mission. We do not have an answer for them. They are the better team in all facets. But to say TB sucks is pure haterade and misguided. It'
s a punk statement, nothing more. I'll call you out on it everytime.

Even with the 2 games I wouldn’t say the Caps are the better team until they win 4 first. The fact that it was domination in game 2 still only counts as 1 win just like a close game does. I know it’s pessimistic but all those goals mean nothing tonight. The Caps have made DC fans afraid of and expecting failure after all these years. We don’t want to be this way but a lot of us are. Ovi could be raiding the Cup and we would be afraid he’d drop it and break his foot, suffering a career ending injury or something. It’s not just the Caps either it’s DC sports in general. I can’t be confident no matter how hard I try. I’m afraid he Bolts will come back. I can’t even watch when the Caps are losing I have to turn on the radio. Maybe I have a mental disorder but my father was the same way.

 

[DavePoulin4PM]

Tampa has faced zero adversity thus far. I think they will respond. Washington has made them look slow and soft thus far.

 

[Plural]

Massive game. Cutting the series lead to 2-1 and the odds of winning the series get huge boost. Allowing the series lead to expand to 3-0 and the odds of winning the series get shrinked from very low to practically non-existent.

In terms of odds, this will be the biggest swing game of the series.

 

[Midnight Judges]

What is with the chair throwing?

That's how we roll.

 

[Lawd Stanley]

Massive game. Cutting the series lead to 2-1 and the odds of winning the series get huge boost. Allowing the series lead to expand to 3-0 and the odds of winning the series get shrinked from very low to practically non-existent.

In terms of odds, this will be the biggest swing game of the series.

Winner of game 3 wins the series too often to ignore. It may actually mean something.

 

[VinikToWinIt]

Fully expecting another squash.

I swear we have the most reactionary fan base. 2 games ago you were telling everyone who would listen how we would sweep.

Hockey isn't always a smooth path, but you have to take the bumps in the road in stride. No team is ever as good as they are on their best day, nor as bad as they are on their worst.

 

[Midnight Judges]

Tampa has faced zero adversity thus far. I think they will respond. Washington has made them look slow and soft thus far.

Charmin soft. Especially along the boards. Caps are winning everything along the boards.

 

[God King Fudge]

I swear we have the most reactionary fan base. 2 games ago you were telling everyone who would listen how we would sweep.

Hockey isn't always a smooth path, but you have to take the bumps in the road in stride. No team is ever as good as they are on their best day, nor as bad as they are on their worst.

I never said they'd sweep. I said 5 games.

I thought they planned on showing up for this series.

I was wrong.

"Bad fan" shame me all you like (we have a fanbase that LOVES to shame each other unless we all think exactly the same). Until I see ANYTHING resembling some kind of interest in this series from this team, I expect the sweep.

 

[Midnight Judges]

I swear we have the most reactionary fan base. 2 games ago you were telling everyone who would listen how we would sweep.

Yes. Yes he was. He was also saying how the Caps have "no D."

Carlson - Niskanen - Orlov = scrubs.

 

[Midnight Judges]

"Bad fan" shame me all you like (we have a fanbase that LOVES to shame each other unless we all think exactly the same).

You earned it. Thoroughly.

 

[MartyOwns]

Tampa wins this game, I'd bet my life on it

i'll take that bet

 

[God King Fudge]

Yes. Yes he was. He was also saying how the Caps have "no D."

Carlson - Niskanen - Orlov = scrubs.

Sure wasn't. 5 games isn't a sweep.

 

[VinikToWinIt]

I never said they'd sweep. I said 5 games.

I thought they planned on showing up for this series.

I was wrong.

"Bad fan" shame me all you like (we have a fanbase that LOVES to shame each other unless we all think exactly the same). Until I see ANYTHING resembling some kind of interest in this series from this team, I expect the sweep.

Look - I'm not trying to fan shame. I agree that things look bleak. It's just hard being a sports fan without the expectation of ebbs and flows.

 

[haveandare]

TB got too much of the NYR disease imo.

Last game could have been AV behind the bench - came out cold, struggled to get sustained pressure, got beat to every puck, got physically abused and didn't answer... it was eerie.

Then of course, G playing it off the glass to the other team over and over, Miller passing up a quality shot for a stupid pass that ends up in his own net, McD disappearing.

G and Miller are the most problematic imo - Miller is a quality scorer at times and G can be serviceable with light usage but they're both very error prone, and the margins are too tight for that kind of BS late in the playoffs.

 

[God King Fudge]

Look - I'm not trying to fan shame. I agree that things look bleak. It's just hard being a sports fan without the expectation of ebbs and flows.

No, that's pretty much exactly what you were trying to do, and it is what it is.

I understand that teams go through waves. It comes and it goes. We had a season long argument about this on the team boards and the "flip the switch" stuff.

I have expectations that TB shows up and plays like they mean it. They haven't even made the Caps work for the wins. Hell, they didn't even bother showing up until the third period of game 1. All I see is a team that's playing like something is owed to them. And you're not going to win that way. Unless I see otherwise tonight, I have no reason to believe this goes more than 4.