Which Team Has Given The Lightning Their Biggest Challenge So Far?

[GoAwayPanarin]

CBJ. That series was really close for a 5 game set.

NYI took them the furthest, but that was also with out Point for 2 games. A healthy Point and it's likely they get swept.

 

[abo9]

Did not see the Isles series but the Columbus one was a war of trenches. Big thanks to Korpisalo from Cbj perspective but I think they gave Tampa cold sweats

 

[LightningStrikes]

Columbus for sure. All games were close, intense and physical. Plus the psychological factor after last season’s debacle. We just had to win that series. No way around it. And they came in prepared, what a battle.

Isles fought hard too after game 2 but one has to wonder if the series wouldn’t have been over earlier with a healthy Point who absolutely had their number. I thought they never really could establish themselves in our zone, we kept all their top guns in check and both losses came after TB blunders / mistakes (turnover, whiffed shot) and not because the Isles played us exceptionally well. Games 5 and 6 came close to Columbus though.

And Boston was a joke.

 

[JoVel]

And Boston was a joke.

That was hands down the easiest playoff series Tampa has played since... the last time they faced the Bruins in 2018.

 

[DFC]

Columbus for sure. All games were close, intense and physical. Plus the psychological factor after last season’s debacle. We just had to win that series. No way around it. And they came in prepared, what a battle.

Isles fought hard too after game 2 but one has to wonder if the series wouldn’t have been over earlier with a healthy Point who absolutely had their number. I thought they never really could establish themselves in our zone, we kept all their top guns in check and both losses came after TB blunders / mistakes (turnover, whiffed shot) and not because the Isles played us exceptionally well. Games 5 and 6 came close to Columbus though.

And Boston was a joke.

The Point injury may be what made NYI tougher, but it was still tougher.

As close as the score was in those CBJ games, TB was the better team by good measure. That was true against NYI too, but NYI threatened us a lot more, and could even pin us in our own zone for extended periods. In a tie game, which many of them were, that can give a fan heart palpitations... which it did.

Agreed on Boston. It was basically the 2018 series, except it felt like it was never in question this time -- even after losing game 1. TB figured things out by the second half of that game, and rolled through more/less on cruise control.

 

[saffronleaf]

 

[CupsOverCash]

Yeah, but a lot of that was probably the psychological effect that last year’s sweep had.

It most definitely was. I think there was some of that in the islanders series as well since I think there was some nerves in closing it out. Not to take anything away from the islanders as they did a great job to extend the series. I just think they have been in this position 4 times and twice they were up 3-2 and blew it. They blew it to superior teams imo but they still blew it. Just a little bit of offense and could have been a different outcome.

Against the islanders we saw the offense dry up a bit. I think some of that we credit the islanders and their stingy play, some on injuries for tb, but i also think there was a mental thing they needed to get by. I'm curious how now that they got over that obstacle how they will play now that they got to the finals?

Im hoping that now that they got past that part they just couldn't get over before if it relaxes them a bit and we see them gain some momentum from that and try to take this opportunity and make the most of it. Dallas hasn't been back here for a long time so I'm sure they have a little bit of that going on as well.

 

[ThreeLeftSkates]

Columbus was an absolute battle. NYI got a few lucky goals and some injury help.

Boston just rolled over and died for some reason.

Avatar change coming?

 

[Hockeyholic]

Thus far, probably Isles.

I expect Dallas to be their stiffest test though.

 

[Coachcorner]

CBJ. That series was really close for a 5 game set.

NYI took them the furthest, but that was also with out Point for 2 games. A healthy Point and it's likely they get swept.

Definitely sire. The islanders almost put the lighting in to game 7. If Nelson would have scored on that breakaway during game 6 (in another OT game between the isles and tampa), the game and series would have went on into a game 7. It was that close sire.

 

[Go Bolts]

It wasn't Boston

 

[Hockeyholic]

We have the answer. They are getting manhandled by Dallas.

 

[KillerMillerTime]

CBJ. That series was really close for a 5 game set.

NYI took them the furthest, but that was also with out Point for 2 games. A healthy Point and it's likely they get swept.

Bruins with Rask would have beaten Columbus, NYI
and taken TB to at least six. Columbus was
Korpisalo, Jones & Werenski and nothing else.
The Islanders might have won a game if Point wasn't
injured.

I watched TB-Columbus and never remotely thought
Columbus could win more than a game.

 

[tntkid]

Islanders.

Their defensive style was very tough to play against.

 

[Mick Riddleton]

Dallas as they will beat them

 

[AvroArrow]

Columbus, the only reason the NYI series went 6 was Varlamov. Isles outplayed them in 1 game, they were outclassed the rest of the series. CBJ series was probably their biggest challenge. Considering last year and how tough those guys play + Korpisalo, who doesn't get enough respect in the hockey world.

 

[Uncle Scrooge]

Isles outplayed them in 1 game, they were outclassed the rest of the series.

Tough to say that about 8-2 loss.. unless you meant the Bruins.

 

[notDatsyuk]

Take away the first game where Isles were fresh off a tough seven game series, while Tampa waltzed by Boston in an easy five, and the total goals were only 11-9 (12-10 including empty netters).

Similar to the first game of the finals: Tampa just played almost three games in three nights, then had one day off before playing Dallas who had four days rest. But after that first game, Tampa looks much better.

Isles may be the hardest series of all.

 

[U55]

Take away the first game where Isles were fresh off a tough seven game series, while Tampa waltzed by Boston in an easy five, and the total goals were only 11-9 (12-10 including empty netters).

Similar to the first game of the finals: Tampa just played almost three games in three nights, then had one day off before playing Dallas who had four days rest. But after that first game, Tampa looks much better.

Isles may be the hardest series of all.

nah blue jackets felt more dangerous when it came to scoring chances. Islanders just parked the bus and barely seemed threatening most of the time.

 

[DFC]

nah blue jackets felt more dangerous when it came to scoring chances. Islanders just parked the bus and barely seemed threatening most of the time.

I don't think that's really true. The Islanders pinned us down a few times. Neither series saw the opponent carry much of the play, but there were points in the NYI series where it seemed like it could slip away -- particularly with Point down. Once TB took a lead on CBJ, they never really looked back.

I think it's close between those two, and I think CBJ was the tougher opponent until late in the NYI series. At that point, NYI definitely made it a series.

 

[U55]

I don't think that's really true. The Islanders pinned us down a few times. Neither series saw the opponent carry much of the play, but there were points in the NYI series where it seemed like it could slip away -- particularly with Point down. Once TB took a lead on CBJ, they never really looked back.

I think it's close between those two, and I think CBJ was the tougher opponent until late in the NYI series. At that point, NYI definitely made it a series.

for me the more impressive thing about the blue jackets was they did it with point fully healthy in all of the games.

 

[DFC]

for me the more impressive thing about the blue jackets was they did it with point fully healthy in all of the games.

Sure, but I mean, the question isn't "Which is the better team?" or "Who would do better if both teams are fully healthy?"

Point being injured undoubtedly made the NYI series tougher than it would have been otherwise, and that's why it was our toughest series.

 

[U55]

Sure, but I mean, the question isn't "Which is the better team?" or "Who would do better if both teams are fully healthy?"

Point being injured undoubtedly made the NYI series tougher than it would have been otherwise, and that's why it was our toughest series.

I was a lot more worried during the blue jackets games personally.

 

[notDatsyuk]

Sure, but I mean, the question isn't "Which is the better team?" or "Who would do better if both teams are fully healthy?"

Point being injured undoubtedly made the NYI series tougher than it would have been otherwise, and that's why it was our toughest series.

I was a lot more worried during the blue jackets games personally.

I think we can all agree it wasn't Boston!

I'm suprised they got 16 votes - some real die-hard Bruins fans out there.

 

[Paperbagofglory]

Considering Dallas is going to take it in 7 i say its them. Look for Tampa to get walloped 6-0. I guarantee it.