TropicalFruitGirl26

Islanders with the answer on the PP. Tie score at 1. Damned good puck movement and working down low by NY.

Lightning are off n running.... Brayden Point with the quick goal, 1-0 Tampa Bay 90 seconds into the contest. TB went for a line change, looked like the Isles let up thinking all Bolts players were going off, but they didn't account for Point. They will now.

Don't worry. He will. The timetable is anyone's guess, but he will. Judging by his track record in Tampa Bay, Yzerman may, once in a while, look like he is taking a step or two backwards, but that usually means he sees a way to take three or four steps forward. I see the Atlantic Division, given the teams and what state they may be in about two or three seasons from now, as VERY exciting! Oh, and welcome back @TheHockeytown , nice of you to check in.

Jamie Oleksiak leading a rush.... Looks like a damned battleship rushing ahead of the destroyers and cruisers...

2ND Period. Puck dropped. Game ON!!

Good period for Dallas. They dictated most of the play, jumped out to the lead, had plenty of offensive zone pressure and for the most part kept Vegas out of their own zone. Knights looked like they woke up a bit towards the end of the frame, so we'll see if that has any effect in the 2nd.

Welcome to the site, Modano9. Yea, Vegas finding out quickly that Dallas can and will generate offense.... the Canucks might have lulled the Knights to sleep a bit with their lack of shots generated last game out...

Two defensemen on Dallas to watch (besides the obvious Klingberg and Heiskanen) are Jamie Oleksiak and Esa Lindell. Those two will fly under the radar of most people, and in fact, they don't seem particularly noticeable on the ice, but both seem to do all the little things coaches want....quick clears, disrupting incoming rushes and find open offensive forwards. And if EITHER gets left all alone, they'll take a SOG too. Two very underappreciated, do-a-bit-of-everything type guys. Oh, and both are hella checkers too. BOOM!

Stars being smart... They know MAF hasn't started in a while, they seem to be taking shots at him at EVERY opportunity.

There we are.... Stars on top first quickly. Tellin ya...this team CAN score if the coaches let the offensive players play!z John Klingberg drawing first blood. 1-0 Dallas

Whoa...MAF in net for Vegas! That changes the equation a bit. A MAF with something to prove COULD be a nightmare for Dallas to beat! We will see..

And away they go! Puck dropped, Vegas, Dallas....it's ON!

Going with Stars in 6. I am very impressed with not only the overall team game that Dallas has played all year long (and used to shut down the Avs at times), but now it seems, the coaching staff is actually ALLOWING the big name offensive guys to play as such. When you have the likes of Radulov, Heiskenen, Klingberg, Seguin, Benn, Gurianov, Hintz, and yes, even the twilight career of Corey Perry, and you have as much trouble scoring as Dallas did during the year, you have to think it is a coaching style thing, and NOT that the players suddenly forgot how to generate offense. Well, that doesn't seem to be the case in these playoffs. And while I like the make up of the Knights, a complete 4-line squad, more than adequate defensemen, good team toughness, and good goaltending, they really don't have that one guy or two that you can say "he can take over a game"....while Dallas certainly does. See the list of Stars players I mentioned. Overall playing as a unit is what Vegas does best while their very good, though not necessarily elite players do their thing, and cause problems for the opposition. But I think Dallas has the personnel to either play a tough, defensive shell game, but also open things up and play wide open and have some real snipers to further that cause. I will also give a slight edge in goaltending to the Stars. Even with Ben Bishop down (for how long, who knows), Anton Khudobin is more than capable in a series, especially with what he has playing in front of him. Lehner, since his resurgance in New York, has been outstanding too, but there are STILL times when he seems to lose a bit of focus....and if he does that with any of Dallas' offense bearing down, look out. Stars showed they can score and skate with the Avs....no doubt they can do that against the Knights. Vegas showed some weaknesses in dealing with the Canucks, a young not-quite-there team, by trying TOO simple an offensive attack that even the young Vancouver team was able, for the most part, to diffuse...... Vegas can't do that against a better defensive team and expect to win. Dallas with the mild upset.

Yes...Trotz only LOOKS like a goblin.....but apparently he is an upstanding guy away from the arena, and ALL business at the arena. Think of it....Washington couldn't hold onto him either. I think it's a case where if Trotz has a plan, and the organization doesn't want to follow that plan, he is gone. He takes crap from NO ONE.

Yes...I am taking the Islanders MOST seriously!

Hehe...real cute....BUT, be careful it doesn't go THIS way...

All discussion and game day postings can go here. Lightning trying to continue their path to that elusive Stanley Cup..... Barry Trotz and his NY Islanders though, standing in the way to the Finals. For Trotz, he is attempting to make another Finals appearance with his coached team and putting a blue and orange shaded Cup right next to his Capital red one. Bolts' core is still in their prime, but they've missed opportunities in the past to win. Even though I am obviously biased towards Tampa Bay, I will wish good luck to both teams and looking forward to a very good series with lots of fast play, contrasting styles, some rough n tumble play in the trenches, and outstanding goaltending.

For most of the year, Boston had been a one line team... Bergeron-Marchand-Pastrnak. Get past those guys and it doesn't become overly complicated to shut the team's offense down. Now...when they DID get secondary scoring (on a consistent basis) from guys like Krejci, DeBrusk, and Kase, all of a sudden, the Bruins look a lot more dangerous on offense because the ripple effect there is, the bottom sixers, led by Charlie Coyle would then find themselves with more room and opportunity on the ice when teams were focused on the top six in match ups. Bottom line is, the Bruins are going to need guys like DeBrusk, Kase, Bjork, and Ritchie to ALL step up, and stay stepped up, play smart and provide a sustained compliment to the Boston top line. If that doesn't happen, then Boston will find it hard to keep up with some of their divisional opponents like the Lightning and Maple Leafs....maybe even the Florida Panthers or Buffalo Sabres who look like they may be up n coming. Some smart decisions will need to be made, particularly on the back end and in goal. If I were a Bruins fan, I wouldn't mind Chara coming back for another season, so long as the money is reasonable and he doesn't take up an unreasonable amount of cap space that could be used on younger, faster players. Tory Krug will depend on what his agent is asking for. No doubt he deserves a raise, but how much are they talking? And as Yave mentioned, Pietrangelo is out there now so if Krug is asking for too much and AP's price isn't too dissimilar (or better), then the Bruins may want to try and get him. Goalie-wise, the Bruins BETTER have something in the pipeline. Halak is ok to come back, provided he resumes his role as a backup, or at most, a timeshare goalie. If Boston fans think he can be a starter, game in, game out, over the course of a season, then they are in for a rude awakening. He never was that in his youth...certainly not now in his mid 30's. But then what of Rask? Big, big question marks there..... Overall, I'd say the B's are on a slippery slope......they have the opportunity to maintain contender status, if some of their younger guys step up, Rask come back with a bit of fire, and their vets don't take a nosedive............ but they can just as easily fall off the face of contention if their vets really start showing their age, they make bad decisions on contracts, the blue line and net becomes a hot mess, or are forced to continue to rely on bottom six grinders because the young offensive players still aren't getting it done consistently. Time is not on their side, because again, the rest of the division is working feverishly to improve and many of the Bruin rivals have lots of young talent maturing at good paces, while one team in particular, yes, the Lightning, are still poised to be perenniel contenders. So unless Boston goes into any sort of retooling or rebuilding phase, they need to maintain the good they do have, and improve in areas where they were inconsistent, and do it NOW.

Canucks get their win, shut out style, vs Las Vegas, force Game 7. Now we got Avs, Flyers, and Canucks vying for a spot in their respective Conference Finals when they should have been done.

Vegas on the PP right now, and they are all over the Canucks. They are definitely controlling the play, keeping the puck in the Vancouver zone and making Canuck players skate all over the place. Demko still is keeping his shut out intact, tracking the puck well and making stops and freezing it when necessary.

And the Canucks make it 3-0 now midway through the 3rd. Vegas not going away though, as they are adding MORE pressure to the Vancouver net trying to come up with a goal. Demko is just too good right now...and on top of that, he is getting the lucky bounces too! 38-21 shot advantage for the Knights at around the 10 min mark in the 3rd, but the more important 3-0 score advantage for the Canucks.

Definitely a rough n tumble series. In fact, if I remember right, the teams traded wins and losses....the Bolts juts happened to take away the last one. Classic contrasting of styles in that one.

Mark Stone manages to break away from the Vancouver defense, shorthanded, beats his defender, and gets off a SOG, but Demko was there to deny. And Demko with another stop as the Knights now are putting pressure after their penalty kill. Win or lose in this series, I think Demko may make the decision of whether the Canucks should give Markstrom a big contract or not to stay, an easy one.

And there it is! Apparently, the Vancouver Canucks agree with my previous post. They went and got their young netminder a two goal lead. Hughes to JT Miller, bam... 2-0 Canucks just over a minute into the 3rd. Now.....let's see Vegas' pushback....

Vancouver trying to do what the Flyers did earlier and that is push the series to a Game 7 after being down 3-1 in the series. Difference is, the Vegas Golden Knights look like an absolute powerhouse and the young Canucks seemingly had no chance and just should have been happy with just being there. Not so, if were to ask them. They lead in Game 6 by the slimmest margin, 1-0, but its a lead nonetheless. And young Thatcher Demko coming in place of vet Jacob Markstrom (UFA Markstrom at year's end) and really shutting down this 4-line Vegas attack is beyond impressive. The Canucks as a team could stand to help out their netminder a bit more and cut down on some of the crazy chances against him, but they are doing just enough to compliment Demko's outstanding netminding to this point. 1-0 though is nowhere near safe against Vegas. Not by a short shot. Vancouver could do themselves a huge favor by coming out firing in the 3rd and try to cushion that lead early in the 3rd for their netminder. As good as Demko has been as is, I bet he'd appreciate a two or three goal lead instead of just being up by one. Breathing room is ALWAYS good! Let's see if the Canucks can continue to stifle the Knights in the 3rd....or will the Knights explode and bounce Vancouver finally? Puck drop coming up........