BKIslandersFan
F*** off
Am I crazy or does anyone else think Tampa should find ways to occasionally sit guys like Kucherov and Stamkos as load management and get them ready for playoffs?
Tampa has bigger gap over 2nd place than 2nd place has over 17th place
- Thread starter koyvoo
- Start date
BrockLobster
Registered User
DrMartinVanNostrand
Kramerica Industries
What do you expect though? In recent years, the Lightning were:
*up 2-1 in the Final vs. Chicago. And lost.
*up 3-2 in the ECF vs. Pittsburgh. And lost.
*up 3-2 in the ECF vs. Washington. And lost.
That's all since 2015. The Lightning have been on the doorstep repeatedly, only to not get the job done.
There's something to be said for enjoying the good times while they're happening, and I'd like to think I'm doing that myself, personally, but part of my whole mindset this season, for better and for worse (during the rare times where they've struggled for a few games), has been that the playoffs are going to be what defines this season more than ever before for the Lightning. This is the best team the Lightning have ever had. This might be the best Lightning team we see for a very long time to come. This season really does feel like a now or never opportunity; if this core can't get the job done now, odds are it's never going to happen.
I really enjoyed last season, for the most part, as well, but after the way they blew the ECF? I've never watched a highlight again from last season. The way things ended ruined all of that. I can't watch those highlights without a big sense of "what if". And, as much as I don't want to, I'm completely prepared to do that again this year if things end up going down the drain as well. Fair or not, the Lightning are firmly in "Cup or bust" territory, so while many people in this thread are (probably) being too black-and-white about it, fact is there's nothing the Lightning are going to accomplish in the regular season that anyone outside of TB fans is going to care about. The Lightning have proven to be a regular season juggernaut, more-or-less, for the last five seasons now. Big deal. What have they accomplished with that? Because I can tell you that Pittsburgh has been more-or-less the same as the Lightning in terms of regular season accolades in recent years (maybe not even; I don't think they've won their division since 2014), and yet they've got two Cups to show for that. Lightning are a long ways away from having that to show with this cast of characters.
Not so fun fact: Since 2011, the Lightning have made the playoffs five teams, and were eventually eliminated all five times. Except for 2014 against Montréal, the team that eliminated the Lightning eventually went on to win the Stanley Cup. Gets kinda tiring, doesn't it?
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I will just say that, whoever that was above who broke down the myth of the Presidents' Cup curse, thank you for that. I wrote the same basic thing on another website recently. Even if we look back at the last 15 teams to win that trophy, and notice that only two of them have gone on to win the Cup, that's still nearly twice as successful compared to the unweighted odds. Fact is, 15 of 16 playoffs teams will fail to win the Cup every playoff year. You'll often find that the best regular season team in MLB doesn't win the World Series, either (unless it's the Red Sox with the best record, for some irritating reason).
The Lightning would be expected to win that matchup, and for good reason, but facing the Penguins in the first round would be about the worst outcome imaginable. Of all the other teams realistically in that #8 seed discussion - Columbus, Montréal, Carolina, Buffalo, even Philadelphia - any and all of them would present a more manageable task than Pittsburgh would. You never know when Sid and Malkin will decide to be two of the five best players in the world.
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It's also kind of funny how Leafs fans are acting like the regular season doesn't matter, and they would take us in the playoffs because we choke in the playoffs, without even stopping to consider their own playoff history. But they've never been the most self-aware bunch.
Son Goku
henlo u stinky egg
If they dont win the cup it'll be a bigggg let down. This is likely one of the most dominant teams ever.
Bladerunner
Registered User
Inquiring minds want to know.
Is TO going to purposely drop to WC2 - avoiding Bs - or are you actually going to beat the Bs in the first round?
First time since the Pens (1995) that a team has 3, 70 point scorers by game 60. Kuch, Point, Stammer. This season is nuts, particulary with Kuch on a 130 pace.
Amazingly, Tampa has also scored, get this, 104 more goals than Anaheim as of today. 232 versus 128. I have seen a lot of absurd stats about Tampa's season so far. I think this one strikes me as the craziest.
How does this comment have ANY likes let alone 20?
OP didnt pick choose 17th place; that’s just what you get with the difference in points between first and second
If Leafs play their best I think they have a good shot. Tampa has a lot of guys that can skate, pass and snipe with precision.
When 2nd round calibre teams take perimiter one timers away, you have to be able to go to the net and will your way to some greasy goals. Their core at times has struggled to do that. But this year they seem more versatile than ever. But their top guys will need to show that they want it as bad as anybody.
koyvoo
Registered User
- Nov 8, 2014
- 17,264
- 17,038
Update-
Tampa currently has a 17 point gap on the 2nd place team while the gap between 2nd overall and 18th overall is also 17 points!
Tampa currently has a 17 point gap on the 2nd place team while the gap between 2nd overall and 18th overall is also 17 points!
Uncle Scrooge
Hockey Bettor
Making it look easy. It's hilarious to see pretty good teams lay it all on the line and find themselves down 3-0.
Goombha
Raging Ryan
- Aug 27, 2013
- 1,294
- 221
Very true. But he challenge is in picking one team. I had a funny suspicion about the Devils the year they won the cup. I bet on them to win the cup that year before the season started and had a pocketful of cash when the cup was raised. I could've put a dollar on every team and walked away with a dollar fifty.
Yet another thread about the Lightning that has been hijacked by obnoxious Leafs fans who want to bitch about taxes and talk about how great their team supposedly is. Typical Leafs fan behavior. And they wonder why nobody can stand them.
Sky04
Registered User
- Jan 8, 2009
- 29,059
- 18,131
I wonder which streak will last longer this playoffs, Tampa not winning or Toronto losing in the first round again.
Danrs112
Registered User
- Oct 19, 2017
- 946
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Tampa has a pretty rough stretch to end the season. Final 4 weeks/13 games they play
WSH 3 times
Boston twice
Toronto twice
Also STL, MTL and CAR who will be fighting for playoff spot/position
Only 3 games are against non playoff bound teams(OTT DET and ARI)
To top it off last 4 games are away games including a back to back.
WSH 3 times
Boston twice
Toronto twice
Also STL, MTL and CAR who will be fighting for playoff spot/position
Only 3 games are against non playoff bound teams(OTT DET and ARI)
To top it off last 4 games are away games including a back to back.
