Cosmic Posted June 14, 2021 Share Posted June 14, 2021 Anyone else who would like to see this final four re-seeding stick around permanently? I like the idea that any two teams in the league could potentially play each other for the Stanley Cup (if they use one of the previous playoff formats until the final four). You'd be getting a better chance to see the two best teams in the Final, and you'd sacrifice... what? Eastern and Western conference champions? Just figure out a way to decide which team ignores the Prince of Wales trophy and which team ignores the Campbell Bowl and be done with it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crabcake Posted June 14, 2021 Share Posted June 14, 2021 15 hours ago, Kramerica Industries said: The Lightning are: 21-21 at home in the playoffs since 2014 2-8 in Game 1 home openers 0-4 in their last four Game 1 home openers During that same time frame, they're 4-1 when they open on the road, and they won both road openers so far this postseason. How they are completely unable to win playoff home games and that this is a problem that they have never figured out (not once since 2014 have they had a better playoff home win percentage compared to their road win percentage) is pretty infuriating. Even their record in "road" games in the bubble last year was better than in the "home" games. Seriously. Just wear white for all games. Away and home. Whatever it takes. I think the Lightning really need to win the Cup this year (or at least some other year in the Stamkos/Kucherov/Vasilevskiy/Cooper era). Not because last year's Cup is any less valuable (anyone who says any of the 2020 pandemic trophies are less meaningful or a "Mickey Mouse trophy" is kidding themselves), but last year was the only year in recent memory where the pressure of having fans was removed. It was the closest we'll ever get to playing hockey "on paper." And the Lightning have been one of the best "on paper" teams in the last several years. I think the Lightning have a mental fragility problem, that has gone unnoticed (other than 2019) because they slipped behind other, bigger failures like the pre-2018 Caps, the Sharks, and the Leafs. But the Lightning have choked in the playoffs a lot in the Stamkos era, and their difficulty winning in front of their own fans seems to indicate to me that they have a problem dealing with the pressure of playing in front of a home crowd. If the only Cup they win with this core is in the one year where that pressure was removed, it won't help to dispel any of the notions that Stamkos' teams were mentally weak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManillaToad Posted June 14, 2021 Share Posted June 14, 2021 4 hours ago, Crabcake said: I think the Lightning really need to win the Cup this year (or at least some other year in the Stamkos/Kucherov/Vasilevskiy/Cooper era). Not because last year's Cup is any less valuable (anyone who says any of the 2020 pandemic trophies are less meaningful or a "Mickey Mouse trophy" is kidding themselves), but last year was the only year in recent memory where the pressure of having fans was removed. It was the closest we'll ever get to playing hockey "on paper." And the Lightning have been one of the best "on paper" teams in the last several years. I think the Lightning have a mental fragility problem, that has gone unnoticed (other than 2019) because they slipped behind other, bigger failures like the pre-2018 Caps, the Sharks, and the Leafs. But the Lightning have choked in the playoffs a lot in the Stamkos era, and their difficulty winning in front of their own fans seems to indicate to me that they have a problem dealing with the pressure of playing in front of a home crowd. If the only Cup they win with this core is in the one year where that pressure was removed, it won't help to dispel any of the notions that Stamkos' teams were mentally weak. What have they choked besides the CBJ series? In the past 7 seasons they're 2-2 in conference finals (with one ongoing) and 1-1 in subsequent Cup finals. Those are good numbers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sport Posted June 14, 2021 Share Posted June 14, 2021 I would argue they choked the 2018 conference finals when they lost Game 6 3-0 and then Game 7 at home 4-0. Getting outscored 7-0 in two straight games when they could've clinched is bad. And the CBJ series, widely believed by historians to be the greatest thing that's ever happened, was such a disaster that I'm kind of amazed Cooper wasn't fired. That Jackets team was a lot better than their record and seed would indicate, but that series was sort of like a double choke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kramerica Industries Posted June 15, 2021 Share Posted June 15, 2021 7 hours ago, ManillaToad said: What have they choked besides the CBJ series? In the past 7 seasons they're 2-2 in conference finals (with one ongoing) and 1-1 in subsequent Cup finals. Those are good numbers They had a 3-2 lead in the Conference Finals in 2016 and 2018, and ended up losing both of those series. Now, whether you would argue the Penguins and/or Capitals were better teams is a valid debate, but when you have two chances to win one game and you fail both times (and do it two different times), you don't get the benefit of the doubt. And while their home record overall is poor, it's exceptionally poor once you get that deep in the playoffs. Updated through yesterday, the Lightning are 4-10 at home in the 3rd and 4th rounds of the playoffs since 2015. I swear to God that's not a typo. And in potential win-and-advance games, they're 0-3. I posted this somewhere else, but I looked up every team's record in home Game 1's since 2000. Three teams are winless (Wild and Panthers 0-3, Islanders 0-1), one team has never played one (Columbus)...the Lightning have the worst win percentage after all those teams, and they've played anywhere from 5 to 15x as many of those games as those other three teams have. Among teams to have played at least 10 (there are 14), the Flyers are the only other team with a losing record, and 6-7 is much better than 5-10. The Ducks are .500, and the other 11 are over .500. The Lightning have generally done well in Game 2 afterwards, but they've lost three of the nine Game 2's following Game 1 losses, and they didn't come back to win any of those series. In two of them, they got swept. If they do win tomorrow? Look, you have to expect to need to win a road game or two in a playoff series anyway, especially if you're opening on the road, and 23-13 in their last 36 road games in the playoffs suggests they're doing something right (and they've played in plenty of tough atmospheres in that time). But it's exceptionally irritating that this is how it always begins. I was talking with some Lightning fans after beating Carolina that I was disappointed that they were going to open at home in the 3rd round, and I wasn't even joking. This is just the way it goes. And the only two times they've won at home to open a series? Against, unequivocally, the two worst teams they've faced in the playoffs since 2014 - '16 Detroit and '18 New Jersey. (BTW, I know this place tends to enforce the "five year rule" - considering how unpopular Bill Simmons is, that's a bit peculiar but maybe that's a different discussion to have - and I'd like to think I've been a pretty good boy about all of that. Outside of a general post or two, I don't even think I've talked about the Lightning, let alone criticized them, at all this season. Hopefully there won't be any need to again either.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerseyJimmy Posted June 15, 2021 Share Posted June 15, 2021 12 hours ago, Crabcake said: I think the Lightning really need to win the Cup this year (or at least some other year in the Stamkos/Kucherov/Vasilevskiy/Cooper era). Not because last year's Cup is any less valuable (anyone who says any of the 2020 pandemic trophies are less meaningful or a "Mickey Mouse trophy" is kidding themselves), but last year was the only year in recent memory where the pressure of having fans was removed. It was the closest we'll ever get to playing hockey "on paper." And the Lightning have been one of the best "on paper" teams in the last several years. well, considering their home crowd went silent for much of game 1, plus the fact that they'll have to deal with Nassau Coliseum's crowd during road games, this doesn't really bode well for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
habsfan1 Posted June 15, 2021 Share Posted June 15, 2021 The Super Bowl pre-game spectacle was cool. It was a nice run for this Habs roster. Vegas is the better team. They came prepared, unlike the Leafs and Jets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
See Red Posted June 16, 2021 Share Posted June 16, 2021 This is an all-time garbage call -- penalty on the guy being cross-checked into the goalie. Naturally, the Islanders scored on the PP. Why do I watch this league? https://streamable.com/4wazah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sky1324 Posted June 16, 2021 Share Posted June 16, 2021 47 minutes ago, See Red said: This is an all-time garbage call -- penalty on the guy being cross-checked into the goalie. Naturally, the Islanders scored on the PP. Why do I watch this league? https://streamable.com/4wazah An absolute joke of a call. Completely absurd, there's no reason that gets called on the Bolts after any sort of video review. That Lightning player even said to check the replay, yet the league continues to allow this kind of terrible reffing. the user formerly known as cdclt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
See Red Posted June 16, 2021 Share Posted June 16, 2021 7 minutes ago, QCS said: An absolute joke of a call. Completely absurd, there's no reason that gets called on the Bolts after any sort of video review. That Lightning player even said to check the replay, yet the league continues to allow this kind of terrible reffing. Second time this postseason it's been called that way on Tampa. Tonight's was way worse, though. That said, Tampa Bay just scored with six men on the ice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
habsfan1 Posted June 16, 2021 Share Posted June 16, 2021 Brillant commercial of Patrick Roy & Mario Tremblay playing table hockey (english subs). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerseyJimmy Posted June 16, 2021 Share Posted June 16, 2021 hey I have this really cool idea, it's called "stop taking stupid penalties against the team with the best PP in the league" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unocal Posted June 17, 2021 Share Posted June 17, 2021 one step closer to the unlikeliest of SCF's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
See Red Posted June 17, 2021 Share Posted June 17, 2021 Vegas wasn't called for a single penalty tonight. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong but their only penalties in game 5 and 6 vs. Colorado were delay of games. They've had two penalties for something other than putting the puck over the glass in their last 4 games. It's not possible. Completely ridiculous. edit: And one user on Reddit said they had six penalties in seven games vs. Minnesota. double edit: The idea that a team that employs Ryan Reaves just doesn't commit penalties is just patently absurd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crabcake Posted June 17, 2021 Share Posted June 17, 2021 The reffing in general has been particularly offensive these playoffs. And it’s not even only in favor of the traditional ref favorites like Boston, Pittsburgh, and Vegas (although they clearly are benefiting as well). Everyone has had ridiculously, stupidly bad calls go for and against them this playoffs. It’s ridiculous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninersdd Posted June 17, 2021 Share Posted June 17, 2021 11 hours ago, See Red said: Vegas wasn't called for a single penalty tonight. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong but their only penalties in game 5 and 6 vs. Colorado were delay of games. They've had two penalties for something other than putting the puck over the glass in their last 4 games. It's not possible. Completely ridiculous. edit: And one user on Reddit said they had six penalties in seven games vs. Minnesota. double edit: The idea that a team that employs Ryan Reaves just doesn't commit penalties is just patently absurd. Yeah no non delay of game penalties in Vegas in the last 8 periods vs Colorado. BEAR DOWN ARIZONA!2013/14 Tanks Picks Champion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerseyJimmy Posted June 18, 2021 Share Posted June 18, 2021 >the lightning went and took a 2-1 series lead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
habsfan1 Posted June 19, 2021 Share Posted June 19, 2021 Was Gary Bettman disguised as an NHL official in tonight's Habs game? Refs tried to hand his Golden Knights a victory on a platter. I'm glad the Habs prevailed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crabcake Posted June 19, 2021 Share Posted June 19, 2021 Oh my god, Pierre McGuire saying MAF’s puck-handling has “made a difference,” only for the game-tying puck to end up in the net not 15 seconds later directly because of said puck-handling has got to be one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen happen in an NHL game. Might be one of the worst announcer’s jinxes in history. Also, it keeps getting said, but it is true so it should be repeated - the refs are either truly that bad, or they’re being told to not call stuff on Vegas. What other explanation is there for crap like this? Montreal is literally skating 6-on-5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanMcD29 Posted June 19, 2021 Share Posted June 19, 2021 Dan O'Rouke's had himself a week. He was one of the refs for Isles-Lightning Game 2 and now tonight This Canadiens run is becoming hilarious, though Twitter: @RyanMcD29 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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