Post-Game Talk: Stanley Cup Final, Game 2 (VGK leads FLA 2-0): Panthers head home needing a reset

[ShootIt]

I didn't see, but were these the same refs from game 1?
They seemed to have a hard on for Matt.

 

[Prominence Problem]

The saying goes:


It's not a series until the road team wins.


Just have to take 1 road game, and hold serve at home. Not that monumental of a task.

 

[Necrobutcher]

All i'm gonna say that YES I STILL f***ING BELIEVE!

 

[behemolari]

All i'm gonna say that YES I STILL f***ING BELIEVE!

They have come through much worse so yeah, all it needs Bobrovsky find his god mode again and its easy 4-2 win

 

[behemolari]

You sound awful lot like me and many others around here. Getting this close and coming out with such a dud in the most crucial game to date is really disappointing, finding it near impossible to find the positive outlook right now.

I'm going down there for game 4 so obviously the fear of seeing a cup clinching game for Vegas is a massive fear of mine contributing to all of this but honestly, I just wish I saw some better efforts from these guys. First two periods of the series were decent, Vegas was playing like the better team but no surprise there, but the Cats were hanging.

Since then it's been a shit show. Turnovers, massive defensive gaffs that brick wall goaltending isn't there to save anymore, and not capitalizing on scoring chances like they have been. All the wheels have fallen off at the same time (including injuries!) and now they're hanging on for dear life but instead of putting their heads down and trying to grind it out they're yapping and screaming from the bench about the refs and getting kicked out.

I don't really need to explain the weight of game 3. There is nothing beyond that. If they don't execute their game plan to near perfection it's over.

Hockey is momentum game, they have ability to beat vegas and all it needs is just one hard hit or great team play and they start to believe again. I will give them one last game if it all falls again its done. Bobrovsky has to keep score below 3.

 

[Boothinator]

I didn't see, but were these the same refs from game 1?
They seemed to have a hard on for Matt.

McCauley wasn't on there in Game 2

Ridiculous calls even when the game was over. How does Chucky gets called for misconducts twice. It was a clean check and even Eichel admitted it. Glad he just lost his breathe and is fine

 

[Beezers Mask]

I don’t think the refs definitely changed the outcome of this game but the job they did was just pathetic. It makes the NHL look like the Mickey Mouse league it is. 4 goals halfway through a game is an unlikely comeback but it isn’t insurmountable.

You can’t allow Barbashev to hit Gudas in the head without a penalty. You can’t give a guy a 10 minute misconduct for getting jumped after hitting the other teams best player cleanly. You can’t give someone a 10 minute misconduct for tapping another guys stick out of his hand in a post whistle scrum. Not to mention all the picks Vegas ran in the first two games. The missed boarding/cross checking call that Cousins should have drawn in the first game.

It’s just comical to call the Stanley Cup Finals games completely different from any playoff games that have been played for literal decades. It should be embarrassing for them.

With that said the Panthers look like shit and need to get back to playing their defensive and forechecking game instead of trading on man rushes with Vegas.

 

[Gizmo Tkachuk]

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't really depressed after last night.

At least make it look like we belong to be there.

 

[IceManCat]

It's now the next day. I still dont understand why a 10 minute was called. And no the game wasn't "out of hand". That hit would have stirred up momentum for the Panthers they could have gotten a goal or two to end the period. And then been down 2-3 heading into the third. It wasn't some kind of impossible feat. Still another 35-40 % of the game left to play. Horrible call by the refs., horrible officiating in game 1 and in game 2.

 

[5 Hole]

Well that was a shitshow. At this point I just want 1 SC win. Let’s start there.

 

[Ghoste]

I’d imagine Gudas has a concussion. And if he and Luosty are out, it just throws things out of whack. While they aren’t the best players, they’re the best we have so it messing everything up.

-ghoste

 

[IceManCat]

Barkov continues to pass up prime shots in the slot. Had a few open looks on the PP just dished it out.

 

[Beezers Mask]

Barkov continues to pass up prime shots in the slot. Had a few open looks on the PP just dished it out.

To be honest outside of shooting the puck, Barkov has played two of his most aggressive games in these finals. If he ever commits to shooting more it could take him to another level. Skill guys like him have a knack for scoring goals when they just put the puck on the net.

 

[ProjectPanthers]

Last night I was angry.

Today I am only sad.

 

[floridada]

To be honest outside of shooting the puck, Barkov has played two of his most aggressive games in these finals. If he ever commits to shooting more it could take him to another level. Skill guys like him have a knack for scoring goals when they just put the puck on the net.

Dude we've been saying that for like a decade now lmao. He aint changing.

 

[Beezers Mask]

Dude we've been saying that for like a decade now lmao. He aint changing.

Yeah I realize that but it’s just amazing no one can get through to him. But he definitely has played his two most aggressive games maybe ever in the Finals.

 

[FlaPanthers11]

Tampa ultimately didn’t get the job done last year but they lost game one 4-3, lost game two 7-0 (!), then returned home for game three and…won 6-2

One game’s score isn’t predictive of future games. Panthers are even slight betting favorites in game 3 due to home ice advantage

 

[Gizmo Tkachuk]

Last night I was angry.

Today I am only sad.

It's storming now here in Broward. Or it's just a collection of all my tears over the past 20 something years. Hard to tell.

 

[IceManCat]

Playing style?



Since the puck drop of game 1 the Panthers have not played their style of hockey. No dump and chase. No boxing out the opponent. No forcing perimeter shots. They need to get back to what got them here. As far as the forecheck it has been there inconsistently. I noticed it coming back when Vegas went up 3-0. Prior to it wasn't there at all. They need to get back to their playing style. At the moment they look more like last years's Panther team. Quite a bit of up and down hockey on the rush hockey being played. I suppose it's exciting for casual fans but that's not how we got here...

 

[FlaPanthers11]

Playing style?



Since the puck drop of game 1 the Panthers have not played their style of hockey. No dump and chase. No boxing out the opponent. No forcing perimeter shots. They need to get back to what got them here. As far as the forecheck it has been there inconsistently. I noticed it coming back when Vegas went up 3-0. Prior to it wasn't there at all. They need to get back to their playing style. At the moment they look more like last years's Panther team. Quite a bit of up and down hockey on the rush hockey being played. I suppose it's exciting for casual fans but that's not how we got here...

Vegas is forcing this. They’ve neutralized the forecheck with quick puck movement and created a lot of rush chances off of it. Panthers need to find a way to slow it down but the back and forth action is a credit to Vegas and not a choice of the Panthers

 

[IceManCat]

Vegas is forcing this. They’ve neutralized the forecheck with quick puck movement and created a lot of rush chances off of it. Panthers need to find a way to slow it down but the back and forth action is a credit to Vegas and not a choice of the Panthers

See that's what I have been reflecting on, is this Vegas forcing us or this a coaching decision from Maurice? I actually think this was Maurice's choice but I can't tell for sure. I lean towards the latter.

 

[CanePanther]

We ran into a juggernaut coupled with a scheme that worked to keep us in games and win. The question has always been since Maurice got here could he change the system yet provide an offense when needed to counter the adversity that we’ve been seeing in the series.

And do we really have the players that could accomplish this task.

 

[Gizmo Tkachuk]

Classy

 

[FinlandPanther]

Yeah this team definitely needs to go back to the smothering style they played the entire playoffs. Whatever they tried last night was an embarrassment. Also the refs need to stop making it about them. The calls didn’t influence the game but at least try to make it look like you don’t favor Vegas regarding the misconducts. What an absolute group of muppets.

 

[ProjectPanthers]

Yeah this team definitely needs to go back to the smothering style they played the entire playoffs. Whatever they tried last night was an embarrassment. Also the refs need to stop making it about them. The calls didn’t influence the game but at least try to make it look like you don’t favor Vegas regarding the misconducts. What an absolute group of muppets.

Vegas has been allowed to do essentially whatever they want on the ice.

I try not to complain about officiating too much as there is always hockey to be played but these past 2 games have been a farce. Adin Hill deserves 2-3 minor penalties alone for the shit he's pulled.

It's like the league is actively trying to smother Florida. Panthers need to bounce back because it is literally them vs. the world.