Tampa has bigger gap over 2nd place than 2nd place has over 17th place

[VinikToWinIt]

Tampa fans nervously laughing to legit accusations in this thread. Who cares how far you've gotten in the playoffs? You still haven't won a cup. By these standards, the Ducks should be a dynasty from 14-17.

It’s laughable because the Lightning have overperformed respective to their record in the playoffs nearly every year. But because they haven’t won they “choked”. Gotta love agendas.

 

[Bladerunner]

I mean isn't it pretty obvious? Even the best teams have like 15-20% chance or winning the Cup when the playoffs start.

You have the right idea. If all playoff teams were equal, at the start they'd each have a 1/16 = 6.25% chance of winning the SC (like flipping a coin each series). Of course this isn't true, some teams are better than others.

Let's take a team that has a 60-40% (or even 66.7-33.3%) chance to win any series. Such a team would only have a ~13% (20%) chance to win the SC. That's why the Prez Trophy "curse" is so overstated and why I took some Bolt fan to task for saying the Caps were "biggest chokers". As I've stated in hockey boards for about 20 years - upsets in hockey playoffs are not exactly scarce.

Judging a season only by who wins the SC is idiotic and made by chest thumping key board "warriors" I suppose there's 1 winner and 30 "losers". How many judge themselves by that standard? Joe Fan: there are 30+ accountants in this firm and I'm a solid, middle of the pack performer. What a loser I am

TB is having an excellent reg season. They may go far or all the way in the playoffs. However the NHL playoffs are strewn with upsets and broken dreams. Only fans of contenders really know this

 

[pucksakes666]

I hope Carolina makes the playoffs and knocks off tampa

 

[Everblades13]

I totally get the "if Tampa doesn't win then the whole season was a waste" stuff, I really do. I was super bummed when they got bounced last year. We have high expectations this year and anything short of the Cup would be disappointing.

But I feel like what gets forgotten in these threads is just how fun it is to root for a really good team. Like, getting to watch this phenomenal team dunk on people on a near nightly basis is undeniably enjoyable. The disappointment of falling short of your ultimate goal, which at this point would be incredibly disappointing considering how achievable that goal seems, does not negate the utility accrued from being a fan of such a good and entertaining team for the previous several months.

Although it is possible my view is warped because all my favorite teams in other sports suck, lol. I just know that if the Lightning get bounced in the 2nd round I still will have enjoyed this season a hell of a lot more than I enjoyed the Bucs or Heat, haha.

 

[DistantThunderRep]

I hope Carolina makes the playoffs and knocks off tampa

By the grace of TMFVR. Those GDT would be the best.

 

[ANDI P IS CUTE]

To think they were in the running for Karlsson.



A variety of teams that change week-to-week that are nowhere near as good as Tampa.

you know its REGULAR season, correct. And some good teams will get better at the deadline, like my leafs. i think the leafs can take tampa. they beat them all the time in the regular season, even without matthews and nylander.

 

[ANDI P IS CUTE]

gonna be sweet to see them get beat by the leafs.

 

[DFC]

You have the right idea. If all playoff teams were equal, at the start they'd each have a 1/16 = 6.25% chance of winning the SC (like flipping a coin each series). Of course this isn't true, some teams are better than others.

Let's take a team that has a 60-40% (or even 66.7-33.3%) chance to win any series. Such a team would only have a ~13% (20%) chance to win the SC. That's why the Prez Trophy "curse" is so overstated and why I took some Bolt fan to task for saying the Caps were "biggest chokers". As I've stated in hockey boards for about 20 years - upsets in hockey playoffs are not exactly scarce.

Judging a season only by who wins the SC is idiotic and made by chest thumping key board "warriors" I suppose there's 1 winner and 30 "losers". How many judge themselves by that standard? Joe Fan: there are 30+ accountants in this firm and I'm a solid, middle of the pack performer. What a loser I am

TB is having an excellent reg season. They may go far or all the way in the playoffs. However the NHL playoffs are strewn with upsets and broken dreams. Only fans of contenders really know this

This is a beautiful post.

 

[DFC]

I totally get the "if Tampa doesn't win then the whole season was a waste" stuff, I really do. I was super bummed when they got bounced last year. We have high expectations this year and anything short of the Cup would be disappointing.

But I feel like what gets forgotten in these threads is just how fun it is to root for a really good team. Like, getting to watch this phenomenal team dunk on people on a near nightly basis is undeniably enjoyable. The disappointment of falling short of your ultimate goal, which at this point would be incredibly disappointing considering how achievable that goal seems, does not negate the utility accrued from being a fan of such a good and entertaining team for the previous several months.

Although it is possible my view is warped because all my favorite teams in other sports suck, lol. I just know that if the Lightning get bounced in the 2nd round I still will have enjoyed this season a hell of a lot more than I enjoyed the Bucs or Heat, haha.

Yeah. I mean, it sucked last year losing to Washington. Did it suck as much as 2016-17 when we didn't even make the playoffs? Not even ****ing close.

So posters can get their jollies out of calling us "chokers" while their team hasn't played in 6 weeks. It's more fun on this side of things.

 

[Rschmitz]

But have they won a cup yet?

 

[BoltzManConstant]

A great team having a great season no doubt about it... but nobody will remember nor care about the season once the Cup is presented. All that matters is winning it all.

The fans will.

Tampa's pro sports teams have played 89 regular seasons (I've personally followed about 80 of them), and not once have they been the best regular-season team -- much less the dominant regular season team the Bolts have been this year.

Eighty-two games can be a real slog, but the idea that I can flip on any contest and expect to be rewarded with a win has made this one a total blast.

If the Lightning keep up this pace (or something close to it), I'm going to walk away with nothing but good memories from this season.

And that's even if they flame out in the playoffs (would suck, but it happens -- there's a lot of randomness in a 7 game series).

 

[DistantThunderRep]

you know its REGULAR season, correct. And some good teams will get better at the deadline, like my leafs. i think the leafs can take tampa. they beat them all the time in the regular season, even without matthews and nylander.

Tampa winning the lifetime series 29-25.

 

[OVO16]

If they dont win the Cup this year...it will be considered a massive choke.

Expectations are high in TB this year. The pressure is on

 

[CupsOverCash]

If they dont win the Cup this year...it will be considered a massive choke.

Expectations are high in TB this year. The pressure is on

Oh noes!

 

[OVO16]

Oh noes!

I mean I'm saying it with the notion that I think TB is really really good and that they have more than enough to win it all.

If they can't win it this year, maybe they never will.

 

[These Are The Days]

The fans will.

Tampa's pro sports teams have played 89 regular seasons (I've personally followed about 80 of them), and not once have they been the best regular-season team -- much less the dominant regular season team the Bolts have been this year.

Eighty-two games can be a real slog, but the idea that I can flip on any contest and expect to be rewarded with a win has made this one a total blast.

If the Lightning keep up this pace (or something close to it), I'm going to walk away with nothing but good memories from this season.

And that's even if they flame out in the playoffs (would suck, but it happens -- there's a lot of randomness in a 7 game series).

Ehhh maybe we can give that 2002 Bucs team some credit. They at least tied for the best record in the NFL that year

 

[Uncle Scrooge]

You're missing the point and that's the only way the numbers work, otherwise the 2nd place team would be fewer points away from Tampa than to the 20th or whatever placed team.

Tampa has bigger gap over 2nd place than 2nd place has over some teams that currently wouldn't even qualify for the playoffs (CAR & BUF).

Better?

Why does it matter the number

It was a joke, someone got legit pissed off by an uneven number in one of other OP’s threads. Don’t blame you not knowing the reference

 

[CupsOverCash]

I mean I'm saying it with the notion that I think TB is really really good and that they have more than enough to win it all.

If they can't win it this year, maybe they never will.

They’re good enough. Nothing is guaranteed. Hope we can do it but you never know for sure until the games are played.

 

[Flat Ronnie]

This whole thread has turned into a massive redirection. Taking a truly positive thing and morphing it into a way to rain on Tampa fans parade right in the middle of their potentially historic season.

Wow...lol

 

[antiqueslivers]

Tampa is a thing to behold this season. My only hope is that the jets can make it through the west so I can see a tampa/jets final. The last game they played was spectacular and I can only imagine how good that series could be. I'd settle for a leafs/Tampa series as well.. that would be a f***ing barn burner!

 

[God King Fudge]

you know its REGULAR season, correct. And some good teams will get better at the deadline, like my leafs. i think the leafs can take tampa. they beat them all the time in the regular season, even without matthews and nylander.

The Devils had our number in the regular season and Boston had been a nightmare for us for years. May wanna recheck the playoffs from last season to see how that played out.

I also find it funny you start out by dismissing the regular season and then say the Leafs could take Tampa cause they do it in the regular season. Lul.

 

[BoltzManConstant]

Ehhh maybe we can give that 2002 Bucs team some credit. They at least tied for the best record in the NFL that year

That's fair.

Of course, the Iggles won the regular season tiebreaker and had the homefield. But that certainly worked out... Ronde running it back 95 yards to stone silence in Vets Stadium is my all-time favorite sports moment.

 

[LightningStrikes]

Yeah. I mean, it sucked last year losing to Washington. Did it suck as much as 2016-17 when we didn't even make the playoffs? Not even ****ing close.

So posters can get their jollies out of calling us "chokers" while their team hasn't played in 6 weeks. It's more fun on this side of things.

Well said

 

[Panthaz89]

How unfair would it be if Tampa finished 1st by 10-20 points only to have to face the Pens in the first round?

Pens would not like to play TB at all with their team right now...unless Murray turns into a god in the playoffs they'd be giving up way too many goals.

 

[Vasilevskiy]

If they play the pens in the first round they're done.

Yeah, sure