LightningStrikes
Champa Bay Lightning
- Nov 24, 2009
- 26,239
- 10,093
Post-Game Talk: Series Discussion: 2015-16 ECF - Pittsburgh vs. Tampa Bay
- Thread starter LightningStrikes
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Kazuichi
Registered User
Pens definitely.. think we match up well with them speed wise, if not faster.
I'll just leave these here too. We've done well against them in regular season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6s_i-gONtk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezCPGGVPb1Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DdtsxG_PGY
I mean seriously, after how deep this Lightning team is, that we've seen advance to the ECF in 10 games.. Pens don't look too initimidating. Now the Caps..... not only match in depth, but they are way, way hungrier imo, don't want none of that.
I'll just leave these here too. We've done well against them in regular season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6s_i-gONtk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezCPGGVPb1Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DdtsxG_PGY
I mean seriously, after how deep this Lightning team is, that we've seen advance to the ECF in 10 games.. Pens don't look too initimidating. Now the Caps..... not only match in depth, but they are way, way hungrier imo, don't want none of that.
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Kazuichi
Registered User
The Gongshow
Fire JBB
Pittsburgh is the better team I think, but Washington scares me more. I think i'd rather face Murray than Holbty. Washington has a much better D core than Pitt as well. Pittsburgh is rolling 3 solid lines right now too
The Lightning Killer Malking is always scary tho
The Lightning Killer Malking is always scary tho
TheDaysOf 04
[ 2 6 ] [ 4 ]
We were better vs the Pens in the regular season. We tore through their defense and MAF, but they're also not the same team we faced in January and February. Stralman was awesome vs the Pens too. 4 goals in 3 games, so hopefully we get him back. But as we saw in this series, the regular season means nothing. Islanders always had our number, especially on the road and we beat them in 5. All that said, I think I'd still choose them. I think we can continue to play our game vs them better than we could vs Washington.
Caps are tempting because they've yet to prove themselves in the playoffs. For years all they've done is disappoint, but if they can get past Pittsburgh maybe that changes something.
Caps are tempting because they've yet to prove themselves in the playoffs. For years all they've done is disappoint, but if they can get past Pittsburgh maybe that changes something.
The Macho King
Back* to Back** World Champion
- Jun 22, 2011
- 48,776
- 29,312
DaBolts
Stanley Cup Boat Parades ROCK
- Feb 3, 2015
- 15,126
- 10,772
After all the injuries, all the insanity we went through this season and still ongoing lack of respect by some of the "experts", I'm just happy we're still playing.
Would love the Pens because I like fast wide open hocky.
Would love the Caps just to watch Ovi and Hedmonster match up.
Would love the Pens because I like fast wide open hocky.
Would love the Caps just to watch Ovi and Hedmonster match up.
These Are The Days
Oh no! We suck again!!
ElectricDreamMachine
Registered User
- Nov 5, 2013
- 318
- 184
I really don't care who we face. The margins are so small and the bottom line is that we have to be capable to win both of the teams left in the Metro in order to beat who ever comes from the West.
AlphaCatalyst
Elite Fan
Seems we are the major underdog regardless of who comes out of that series.
But that's okay we be like...
But that's okay we be like...
Volodya Krutov
Lost Cosmonaut
- Jan 18, 2012
- 8,135
- 1,036
In regards to interact with the opposite fanbase. Either the Caps or the Pens, but especially the Pens, avoid the main boards at all costs or you're gonna lose it. No need to say I already miss the Isles fans. Very cool bunch.
I think Pens are the hotter team but Washington is the better, deeper one and a worst match-up to us. I hope Pens win in a bloodbath 7 games series and come back down to earth comes ECF.
Let's go lightning !
I think Pens are the hotter team but Washington is the better, deeper one and a worst match-up to us. I hope Pens win in a bloodbath 7 games series and come back down to earth comes ECF.
Let's go lightning !
dbieon12
Vinik-Brisebois-Cooper
- Jul 22, 2010
- 5,505
- 1,018
Both teams are deep and will be the favorites. Both teams are basically the same distance travel-wise.
Both teams will net more goals than the Islanders - that's for sure. Isles left a lot of opportunities not capitalized. Penguins are birds.
Both teams will net more goals than the Islanders - that's for sure. Isles left a lot of opportunities not capitalized. Penguins are birds.
AlphaCatalyst
Elite Fan
It's not even the Islander fans who you might expect having some hurt feelings. It's mainly Pens and Red wings fans from what I can see. Just so odd.
Oh and Chicago Manhandled us in the finals last year too.
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Lol really? HF main boards is always salty about us being good. They wish it was 1992 and we would suck forever. There's this perception that we should always be the "lowly Lightning" that was a meme in hockey coverage for years.
Kramerica Industries
Registered User
Part of me can't get used to the Lightning being a successful and, frankly, model franchise in the NHL. Lightning have only missed the playoffs five times in the last 13 seasons, when you expand the sample outwards to 2002-03, even. The days of shady Japanese ownership and general front office incompetence are pretty far in the past now.
Not that I enjoy playing this particular card, but it's almost obviously a Sunbelt thing. Even though you can find columns written by actual Canadian media members that praise how much of a hockey culture Tampa has developed, especially in recent years now that the Lightning finally have a stable ownership that has interest in making inroads within the community. Jeffrey Vinik is the best thing that ever happened to this franchise, and people in Tampa have been more than willing to show their appreciation in return.
Which reminds me that I am glad that the Lightning did not bring back that mickey mouse tactic of keeping ticket sales within the state of Florida. I didn't like that tactic when I saw Nashville and (I think) Anaheim do it and I sure as hell didn't like seeing the Lightning succumb to it themselves.
I'm not sure it's just a Sunbelt thing. It's always felt to me like everyone falls over themselves kissing the Panthers feet and saying this is the year they finally compete (whaddaya know the broken clock is finally right this year). I think again they take their cues from the media which pined for them to be relevant in season previews year after year while writing LOL lowly Lightning for our blurb back when at least we had guys like Vinny, Brad, and Marty and they had nothing. I guess because in their view Miami is more relevant than Tampa. The California teams have a ton of respect on here even though the Sharks and lately the Ducks are choke artists. The Preds don't get dissed as much. It's always Tampa that seems to take the main board's skepticism off the charts. That's slowly changing but only ever so slowly. Look at how people are so quick to pile on Yzerman and blame him for everything that is totally out of his control despite all the crazy success. All very thinly veiled saltiness that hasn't been directed at Tallon for instance.
These Are The Days
Oh no! We suck again!!
Kramerica Industries
Registered User
I think one thing that is difficult for people to get used to, including us for sure (I'm guilty as charged) and even fans of perennially successful teams, is that some teams just sandbag the regular season. We definitely didn't take to that as well as we should have this year, even though some of us kinda/sorta expected it!
What do I mean by that? Ok, the Lightning finished #6 in the East on points. The whole "easy as piss playoff road" discussion has been beaten to a bloody pulp. That the Lightning a couple years back finished #3 overall in the East and were rewarded with a first round matchup with the #4 overall team seems to get forgotten; what also seems to get forgotten is that regular season point totals aren't always indicative of the quality of teams (in that season, specifically, I felt that the Rangers proved they were the best team in the East even though they were #5 overall, or thereabouts).
Discuss the easy playoff road all you want, the broader point is - does anyone on this website truly believe the Lightning were only the 6th best actual team in the East this season? As in, does anyone truly think that, besides the Caps and Pens, that the Rangers, Islanders, or Panthers are actually better teams than the Lightning are? Because anyone who really thinks that is utterly kidding themselves. It's what frustrated us all season when many of us (again, myself included) were missing the forest from the trees. This Lightning team is no worse than the third best team in the conference; the weaker conference, admittedly, but still, no worse than that. And I tend to think that, if the regular season were of greater importance, that the Lightning would have played at a level more commensurate with that.
During the season, when there are multiple games a week and we're stuck in constant reflexive mode, it's easy to forget that, during the playoffs last year, the Lightning went 6-4 on the road against three of the best teams in the league. They were 7-3 on the road in the East playoffs, and when they needed to win a big road game, to break the home ice, or to win a series, they were generally able to do so. They can win road games, and they have deep playoff run experience now as well which has already shown itself in this postseason; Tampa was 3-3 in close-out games last postseason, and 1-2 at home. They're already 2-0 this postseason.
There is still no denying that the Lightning have had the benefit of a pretty easy road, but there's nothing they could do about that. They got a break in the system this year. Maybe next year will be different; who the hell knows. What I also know they've done is they've played the two teams drawn on their schedule, and gone 8-2 against them. New York was a struggle with the OT games, but they pulled both out which helps. Jon Cooper, bless his heart because I've ripped him enough, has shown himself much better this postseason with his matchup acumen than he had shown in either of the previous two postseasons. Maybe the benefit of facing a rookie NHL head coach and Jack Capuano? Maybe, but, again, he can only go up against what the schedule tells him to. Mike Sullivan or Barry Trotz will be a different challenge, but the early returns have been encouraging.
I had absolutely no direction or structure to this post. I think the tl;dr to this is we always hear about how the regular season is meaningless, the Presidents' Cup is meaningless, etc etc etc. And while I find that mindset unfortunate from an evaluating and analytical perspective, the net effect is that, yes, those all are pretty meaningless. Which means, if they are meaningless, then why on earth are those same meaningless games and standings accumulated through such games then used as arguments to demerit the Lightning, in this case, or any team in general? It just wouldn't be an internet forum for discussion without blatantly inconsistent arguments!
(that was way too long to be a tl;dr. Whatever. I don't care.)
What do I mean by that? Ok, the Lightning finished #6 in the East on points. The whole "easy as piss playoff road" discussion has been beaten to a bloody pulp. That the Lightning a couple years back finished #3 overall in the East and were rewarded with a first round matchup with the #4 overall team seems to get forgotten; what also seems to get forgotten is that regular season point totals aren't always indicative of the quality of teams (in that season, specifically, I felt that the Rangers proved they were the best team in the East even though they were #5 overall, or thereabouts).
Discuss the easy playoff road all you want, the broader point is - does anyone on this website truly believe the Lightning were only the 6th best actual team in the East this season? As in, does anyone truly think that, besides the Caps and Pens, that the Rangers, Islanders, or Panthers are actually better teams than the Lightning are? Because anyone who really thinks that is utterly kidding themselves. It's what frustrated us all season when many of us (again, myself included) were missing the forest from the trees. This Lightning team is no worse than the third best team in the conference; the weaker conference, admittedly, but still, no worse than that. And I tend to think that, if the regular season were of greater importance, that the Lightning would have played at a level more commensurate with that.
During the season, when there are multiple games a week and we're stuck in constant reflexive mode, it's easy to forget that, during the playoffs last year, the Lightning went 6-4 on the road against three of the best teams in the league. They were 7-3 on the road in the East playoffs, and when they needed to win a big road game, to break the home ice, or to win a series, they were generally able to do so. They can win road games, and they have deep playoff run experience now as well which has already shown itself in this postseason; Tampa was 3-3 in close-out games last postseason, and 1-2 at home. They're already 2-0 this postseason.
There is still no denying that the Lightning have had the benefit of a pretty easy road, but there's nothing they could do about that. They got a break in the system this year. Maybe next year will be different; who the hell knows. What I also know they've done is they've played the two teams drawn on their schedule, and gone 8-2 against them. New York was a struggle with the OT games, but they pulled both out which helps. Jon Cooper, bless his heart because I've ripped him enough, has shown himself much better this postseason with his matchup acumen than he had shown in either of the previous two postseasons. Maybe the benefit of facing a rookie NHL head coach and Jack Capuano? Maybe, but, again, he can only go up against what the schedule tells him to. Mike Sullivan or Barry Trotz will be a different challenge, but the early returns have been encouraging.
I had absolutely no direction or structure to this post. I think the tl;dr to this is we always hear about how the regular season is meaningless, the Presidents' Cup is meaningless, etc etc etc. And while I find that mindset unfortunate from an evaluating and analytical perspective, the net effect is that, yes, those all are pretty meaningless. Which means, if they are meaningless, then why on earth are those same meaningless games and standings accumulated through such games then used as arguments to demerit the Lightning, in this case, or any team in general? It just wouldn't be an internet forum for discussion without blatantly inconsistent arguments!
(that was way too long to be a tl;dr. Whatever. I don't care.)
Hockeyfan02
Registered User
I don't give a **** what people say as long as this team keeps winning. Not the first team to get breaks due to a playoff format, won't be the last. Plenty of teams got a better draw due to an upset or the divisional seeding but still lost to that lesser team. The Lightning took advantage of the break some other teams may not have. The good luck with the draw offset the bad breaks we got with two fluke injuries to two of our top players.
