These Are The Days
Oh no! We suck again!!
Oh for God's sake I was in E. I didn't wanna be a bother for a meet when I I saw you were going but same section and everything? Sheesh
OT: The Official HF Bolts Back-To-Back Stanley Cup Thread
- Thread starter TheDaysOf 04
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Oh for God's sake I was in E. I didn't wanna be a bother for a meet when I I saw you were going but same section and everything? Sheesh
Coopers Gum
Extend Andrej Sustr
The Gongshow
Fire JBB
Just wanted to remind everyone we're the Back-To-Back CHAMPIONS BABY!!!!
These Are The Days
Oh no! We suck again!!
It still doesn't feel real. When we won against Dallas I literally breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't joy. It wasn't enthusiasm. It was "Thank God we finally did it. I wondered if we ever would." Against Montreal, I stood there incredulous to what I was watching. Like "2004 had so much drama and FELT like winning a title. What the hell is this?" I almost wonder if people shitting on it every chance they got for whatever reason managed to negate it or if never feeling anything beyond frustration at times was it.
Either I'm getting old or some shit or my meds are working too well.
DrMartinVanNostrand
Kramerica Industries
I feel like studies have shown that sports fans in general tend to feel more pain in defeat than joy in winning.
I would also say that, even with back-to-back Cups - and I know how this is about to sound - there's still that Oskar Schindler-like feeling that they could've done more than they had. I mean, 2-1 up in one Cup Final, 3-2 up in two different ECF's, a President's Trophy winning team...this core could've won another Cup or two prior to the last two seasons (which, of course, maybe the "hunger" wouldn't have quite been there for '20 and '21, but that's purely speculative) and really cemented themselves forever in the lore of NHL history. The book isn't yet published on these guys, so it still could happen. But it could've happened already, too.
These Are The Days
Oh no! We suck again!!
I think winning it all sooner might've helped the experience. In 2014 before the season started I had us pegged to lose in the ECF in 6 to the NYR. I was on top of the world and losing the Cup actually felt like a still positvie step. You couldn't get me down. But the rest of the way was a steady decline like a slope on a chart until it got to the point of "I don't care anymore. I'm not gonna miss my heart being broken by a team that should've been a dynasty" by the time CBJ swept us. In the end, I'm gonna have a hard time with anything beyond "they proved better late than never and thank God they did because I wasn't looking forward to seeing them in the same breath as the 90's Bills and Indians as the biggest should've-beens in sport's history"
It's funny. I almost immediately picked us to win it all last year and picked the repeat just as fast because in some vanishing epiphany I knew it was true both times and it was more like "lol you've got to be kidding me" than anything else. All I had to do was wait. I think that's why when it finally happened it was something out of a scene from King Of The Hill and the boys are just sipping beer in the front lawn like "Yup"
CupsOverCash
Registered User
- Jun 16, 2009
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No it wasn't as exciting as the first two but I think part of the reason for that (for me at least) is because our guys played with such poise and never got rattled. I think that translated to a less "dramatic" team out there if that explains it enough. It came across in their style of play and their demeanor.
Our d and vasi just seemed to handle opposing sides worst with never too much trouble. Then as a fan you could just feel that confidence they had in them and that calmed me to the point where it shouldn't be allowed in the playoffs in my opinion.
But if I'm being completely honest when we clinched this one I was mostly excited they were gonna do another boat parade lol! Last years Lightning one and the Bucs one were epic! This one was good too. It's just too bad we didn't get to see speeches. I guess Maroon was gonna have a pretty good one and kuch as well. But we all knew that.
BoltzManConstant
Registered User
If you know how it's gonna sound, comparing losing some games to failing to save lives from the Nazis, don't say it.
DrMartinVanNostrand
Kramerica Industries
Yeah, I agree with almost all of that first paragraph, although I thought they were better than the Rangers and, with the way things shaped up, I expected them to win that ECF. And it glosses over the details a bit to lump in 2015 and 2016, two years where, if we're being really honest, they lost to teams that were better than them. It's painful how close they were to winning on both occasions - one-goal defeats in Games 4 and 5 vs. Chicago when both games were tied entering the 3rd period; they really weren't far away at all from a different outcome - but it was the following three seasons, with that embarrassing missing the postseason year in 2017, the tease against the Caps in 2018 where they erased 0-2 down on the road, only to them cough it up after going up 3-2, and then 2019 where the less said the better. By 2019-'20, it very much did just sort of feel like "hit the f*cking fast forward button and tell me when we get to April". And JBB trading essentially three first round picks in the Coleman and Goodrow deals, both of which felt like desperate overpays trying to make it happen.
But it shouldn't just be said with resignation "well, at least they finally did it". Just think about Sharks fans between about 2004-'19, all the great teams they had, years they were expected to make deep playoff runs...and all they got from that was one SCF defeat, a smattering of WCF appearances (most ending in defeat), and a whole bunch of other seasons not even getting past the second round. Oh, and a blown 3-0 lead as well. We got something at the end of the day (and got some more later). The Sharks never stopped kicking their fans in the groin, and with the way that franchise is standing right now, it'll be years before they get to kick them in the groin in the playoffs again.
That part was referring to how spoiled it would sound to talk about the Cups they could've won when they already did end up with two Cups anyway. The Oskar Schindler bit was trying to make a movie reference more than anything else. Sorry if that wasn't clear but I wasn't really trying to invoke the Nazis there. Look at my username. Seinfeld spoofed this on one occasion. Seinfeld references - or things referenced on Seinfeld - are never far from my mind.
Nothing really tops 2004 for me just because it was the first ever cup. I was jumping around the living room for that one. These ones? Not so much but I was still beaming and pumping my fist. Another factor is 2004 was a lot more sudden and surprising, which made it more exciting! 2020 and 2021 were a long, long time coming so it was more like whew, finally. But I think it's also just that I've gotten old and seen it all already, lol.
That said, I think I'm more proud of 2020 and 2021 because it's such a thoroughly strong and amazing team. You can't call it a fluke in anyway and that's just awesome. All the records and numbers that show they're one of the all time greats is very satisfying to see this core achieve.
That said, I think I'm more proud of 2020 and 2021 because it's such a thoroughly strong and amazing team. You can't call it a fluke in anyway and that's just awesome. All the records and numbers that show they're one of the all time greats is very satisfying to see this core achieve.
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Being at work for the 2021 Cup and getting spoiled like half an hour before leaving annoyed me a lot. That puts 2020 ahead for me. Also it being the first Cup for this core. Then again you had the fans in '21. Had I been able to watch it live I think I might put it ahead. There's also the beautiful story about it being a farewell run for a lot of players here. Tons of emotion.
Didn't exactly follow NHL in 2004.
Didn't exactly follow NHL in 2004.
CupsOverCash
Registered User
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The Gongshow
Fire JBB
Stormbreaker
Registered User
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The Gongshow
Fire JBB
Still kinda crazy to think we won back-to-back asterisk Stanley freakin' cups!
BoltsFanSinceDay1
Registered User
- Apr 27, 2019
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How about this?
"I truly think we can run it back again," the Lightning forward told The Athletic on Friday. "It depends on our health, how guys are feeling, our attitude. But we've been texting together as a group and thinking, 'We've brought our top two lines back, our big four on [defense], the best goalie in the world (Andrei Vasilevskiy). We added [forward Pierre-Eduoard Bellemare], we've got [forward Ross] Colton, [forward Mathieu] Joseph. You add (forward) Taylor Raddysh and those guys can fill in. Why not?'
"(Center) Brayden Point, 'Kuch' (forward Nikita Kucherov) and [forward Ondrej Palat] are coming back. There's no doubt in my mind we can run it back. Guys want to do it again. That's why we play."
Lightning can win third straight Stanley Cup title, Maroon says: report
CupsOverCash
Registered User
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They can do it again. If our top guys and vasi play the way they can it's possible. Also the rest of the league didn't improve that much. Maybe fl did. But they also have a history of following up good years with bad. Have to see there. Boston didn't get better. Toronto didn't get better. Islanders may get better but we will see. And even though they were our toughest opponents still feel like we handled them fine for the most part. Id argue that we beat ourselves in the two games we lost to them and actually not counting game 1 because we sucked in game 1s. Its there again if we play the way we know they can. Exciting times for sure.
DrMartinVanNostrand
Kramerica Industries
Don't forget that Colorado, as things currently stand, are banking a lot on improved performances from a lot of their young core - understandably so, mind you - because they've lost more talent than they've brought in this off-season. That being said, other than Las Vegas (who I'm also not sure are any better on paper now than they were this past season), it remains difficult for me to see who in the West could beat them even as things are.
Lightning's biggest obstacle is going to be thanks to this division. Odds are, there won't be any weak first round opponents like they got in 2016 or '18. It's going to take beating difficult teams four rounds in a row. Good news being, well, we just saw them do that this past season. It can be done. But having that first round "bye" potential sure would be nice.
Lightning's biggest obstacle is going to be thanks to this division. Odds are, there won't be any weak first round opponents like they got in 2016 or '18. It's going to take beating difficult teams four rounds in a row. Good news being, well, we just saw them do that this past season. It can be done. But having that first round "bye" potential sure would be nice.
The Gongshow
Fire JBB
First and 2nd round will be a Boston, Toronto or Florida.
If they make it back to a conference final it'll most likely be the islanders again.
They have the tools and coach. Let's see what they can do, again.
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AlphaCatalyst
Elite Fan
Just got my newest hat and jersey.
Added to my wall in my basement.
Added to my wall in my basement.
These Are The Days
Oh no! We suck again!!
lol but we know Toronto ain't making it to the 2nd round. And if I'm wrong shame on the meme for dying
These Are The Days
Oh no! We suck again!!
Just got my newest hat and jersey.
Added to my wall in my basement.
That man cave is the bee's knees my guy. Well, if that bee was Lightning Bug anyway
These Are The Days
Oh no! We suck again!!
It just occurred to me that if we threepeat we'll have had the most Cup wins in the last 20 or so years with 4. Go back to early 90's and it'll be the Pens with 5
