Jump to content

2019-2020 NHL Thread

Gary

By Gary
in Sports In General

Recommended Posts

Sport

Sport

Posted
Posted

One thing I noted last night was how not having fans there did nothing to diminish the Lightning players' enthusiasm at all. People questioned whether this would feel like a legitimate championship and that was put to bed pretty early into the qualifying round, but reaffirmed last night. This was a real and satisfying outcome to the season, even if it was so different from a normal postseason. 

 

This Lightning core has been close so many times and what they went through last year was traumatic and humiliating (and the coolest thing that's ever happened from my perspective!). Sometimes it's nice to see teams like that actually break through and finally make it happen. Like the Capitals a couple years ago. And I feel good for Stamkos who gets a bit overlooked and has been through a lot of s***. Kucherov can fall in a hole, though. Eff that guy. 

 

Notable: If you beat the Columbus Blue Jackets in the playoffs there's a good chance you're winning the cup. 3rd time in the last 4 seasons they've lost to the eventual cup champion. The Bruins lost in game 7 of the finals last year so almost went 4 straight. 

 

 

7 hours ago, Morgan33 said:

I didn't care in 2004 and I care even less now.  The worst part about tonight is it means the dull-as-dishwater, Toronto/Detroit, O6-dressup uniforms are forever. 

 

I dislike the Lightning uniforms as much as anyone, but this is the same franchise that won a cup in 2004 and changed their uniforms in 2007. This doesn't mean their uniforms are now permanent. 

PvO6ZWJ.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Replies 955
  • Created
  • Last Reply
Fitzy0220

Fitzy0220

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Sport said:

One thing I noted last night was how not having fans there did nothing to diminish the Lightning players' enthusiasm at all. People questioned whether this would feel like a legitimate championship and that was put to bed pretty early into the qualifying round, but reaffirmed last night. This was a real and satisfying outcome to the season, even if it was so different from a normal postseason. 

 

This Lightning core has been close so many times and what they went through last year was traumatic and humiliating (and the coolest thing that's ever happened from my perspective!). Sometimes it's nice to see teams like that actually break through and finally make it happen. Like the Capitals a couple years ago. And I feel good for Stamkos who gets a bit overlooked and has been through a lot of s***. Kucherov can fall in a hole, though. Eff that guy. 

 

Notable: If you beat the Columbus Blue Jackets in the playoffs there's a good chance you're winning the cup. 3rd time in the last 4 seasons they've lost to the eventual cup champion. The Bruins lost in game 7 of the finals last year so almost went 4 straight. 

 

 

 

I dislike the Lightning uniforms as much as anyone, but this is the same franchise that won a cup in 2004 and changed their uniforms in 2007. This doesn't mean their uniforms are now permanent. 

I never understood why people felt that way! I mean once the actual Games started, the players intensity levels were gonna ramp up, not like they were gonna begrudgingly play these games at a half assed level because there were no fans in the stands. I'm willing to bet players / coaches liked the idea of being able to hear the communication with their teammates on the ice, I may be wrong but didn't Edzo touch on that earlier in the Playoffs? 

Watching at home on TV, I really enjoyed being able to pick up the Sounds on the ice better. The chirping, the chatter, the sounds of the skates on the ice. It was definitely a Neat viewing experience

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ridleylash

Ridleylash

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Sport said:

I dislike the Lightning uniforms as much as anyone, but this is the same franchise that won a cup in 2004 and changed their uniforms in 2007. This doesn't mean their uniforms are now permanent. 

Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if they pull those old uniforms out of the closet next season as their fourth jersey, like St. Louis did this year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Sport

Sport

Posted
Posted
20 hours ago, the admiral said:

 

Counterpoint: "the only marketing we need is winning" was Lamoriello's attitude with the Devils, and that proved insufficient even with Stanley Cups such that people thought they should be relocated because the Meadowlands was always half-empty. The Blackhawks proved that you have to win a lot and hustle relentlessly in a competitive market -- it took the Hawks at their highest to pass the Bulls at their lowest. But Buffalo isn't a competitive market, so things must really be bad for them to have to do this.

 

Well yeah you gotta do some marketing. I'm not saying it's the only marketing, just that it's the most effective. There's like 5 hockey markets that are immune to the effects of wins and losses, but the rest all need some sustained success to get regular good crowds. A great ad campaign will sell a few tickets, but a return to winning will sell a lot more. 

PvO6ZWJ.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Sport

Sport

Posted
Posted
42 minutes ago, Fitzy0220 said:

I never understood why people felt that way! I mean once the actual Games started, the players intensity levels were gonna ramp up, not like they were gonna begrudgingly play these games at a half assed level because there were no fans in the stands. I'm willing to bet players / coaches liked the idea of being able to hear the communication with their teammates on the ice, I may be wrong but didn't Edzo touch on that earlier in the Playoffs? 

Watching at home on TV, I really enjoyed being able to pick up the Sounds on the ice better. The chirping, the chatter, the sounds of the skates on the ice. It was definitely a Neat viewing experience

 

Bolded: I think people like to think rowdy fans are a larger factor at sporting events than they really are. It can be a factor in some football stadiums, but we just saw that we kind of don't matter towards the outcome in most cases. Some players in that anonymous report on life in the bubble said they missed the energy and atmosphere of the crowds, but I don't think they played less intensely in these playoffs than if it'd been held normally. Also these guys reach this level because they're insanely competitive. If the cup's on the line they're going as hard as they can whether that's in front of 20,000 people or in a ball hockey game. 

 

The real home ice advantage is the last change. 

PvO6ZWJ.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Kramerica Industries

Kramerica Industries

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Sport said:

 

The real home ice advantage is the last change. 

 

I've bitched in plenty of these threads over the years about the Lightning wasting home-ice advantage year after year.

 

Home record 2014-'19: 18-18 (4-9 in ECF and SCF play)

Road record: 18-14

 

They've had road win percentages good enough to win Cups over the years (.615 in 2015, .625 in 2016, .714 in 2018) but wasted them with losing home game after home game, especially in the later rounds.

 

This year:

 

"Home" record: 6-6 (2-4 in ECF and SCF play)

"Road" record: 9-1

 

Absolutely uncanny how that trend held up.

spacer.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ridleylash

Ridleylash

Posted
Posted
4 minutes ago, GDAWG said:

NHL becomes the first of the Big 5 Sports Leagues (NHL, MLB, NBA, NFL and MLS) to finish and crown a champion, despite the fact that there were people who said that the NHL should not resume playing when the bubble was announced.

And the only one to not have outbreaks of Covid for their entire return to play.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Fitzy0220

Fitzy0220

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, Sport said:

 

Bolded: I think people like to think rowdy fans are a larger factor at sporting events than they really are. It can be a factor in some football stadiums, but we just saw that we kind of don't matter towards the outcome in most cases. Some players in that anonymous report on life in the bubble said they missed the energy and atmosphere of the crowds, but I don't think they played less intensely in these playoffs than if it'd been held normally. Also these guys reach this level because they're insanely competitive. If the cup's on the line they're going as hard as they can whether that's in front of 20,000 people or in a ball hockey game. 

 

The real home ice advantage is the last change. 

Absolute truth!!  I'm not a Pro Athlete but my brothers (I have 3 younger brothers) and I get really intense when we play Spike Ball or Whiffle Ball home run derby, so if 4 brothers can be intense over some picnic game (in front of nobody) LOL, I'm sure these Pro Athletes get intense when playing their League games. As a former usher at CONSOL Energy Center, Elevator 8 duty was awesome (locker room - press box...well ok FedEx level near the staircase to the press box...but it was only used by players, staff, media, etc). most players (I got to talk to) have said they really don't notice the crowd until a stoppage in play because they are focused on their shift / game but I agree we as fans really don't matter in the bigger picture

Link to comment
Share on other sites
GDAWG

GDAWG

Posted
Posted

Both the NHL and NBA are doing a great job in their bubbles.  Both leagues have zero outbreaks and the NBA is 2.5 weeks away from crowning a new champion and finishing their season, when many people said both leagues should just cancel their seasons and focus on the next season.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
habsfan1

habsfan1

Posted
Posted
19 minutes ago, sparky chewbarky said:

I was kinda hoping that they'd pipe in some booing when Gary presented the Cup....

You know, just to keep the tradition going.😉

 

I love how they piped in the "STAAAAARRS" crowd chant, when the singer reaches the word "stars" during the National Anthem of Dallas games.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
GDAWG

GDAWG

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, sparky chewbarky said:

I was kinda hoping that they'd pipe in some booing when Gary presented the Cup....

You know, just to keep the tradition going.😉

 

Congrats to the Lightning and their fans.

 

Gary was probably disappointed there was no piped in booing.  He seems to relish that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing


×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.

  I accept