2021 Stanley Cup Finals : Montreal Canadiens vs Tampa Bay Lightning (TBL Win 4-1)

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Per Elliot Friedman, Tyler Johnson is being moved up to the 2nd line with Stamkos and Cirelli with Alex Killorn out.

Mathieu Joseph will be drawing in to take Johnson's spot in the bottom six, likely with Ross Colton and Big Rig Maroon.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

End of 1, no score in Game 2.
 

Montreal doing a much better job of containing the Lightning.
Even when the Bolts look like they have a prime chance, some defenseman disrupts, or Carey Price simply says NO.

That said, the Habs also had some good offensive chances including some extended PP time at the end of the period (which will be carrying over to the second), and they have yet to solve Vasilevskiy.

Too many wasted opportunities could be the Canadiens' undoing!

[Jimtown guy]

That goal could be all Tampa needs 

[Jimtown guy]

10 minutes ago, Jimtown guy said:

That goal could be all Tampa needs 

Then maybe not. All tied at 1 

[Jimtown guy]

 

That was one amazing goal. That’s a kick in the nuts for the Canadiens who outplayed them badly in that period 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

11 minutes ago, Jimtown guy said:

 

That was one amazing goal. That’s a kick in the nuts for the Canadiens who outplayed them badly in that period 

 

Can't imagine what can really be said between periods for Montreal.
They did carry the play for about 19:59.7 of the second.

Yet they have a deficit to show for it.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Yanni Gourde and Erik Gustafsson having some words in front of the Montreal net earlier in the 3rd period.
A bit heated.
Probably went something like this...

Gourde (to Price): "You worried yet, Price?"
Gustafsson: "Stop talking to my goalie. Get out of here Gourde!"

Gourde : "GO FLYERS!" (skates away)
Gustafsson: "Why that little bas..."

Edited July 1, 2021 by TropicalFruitGirl26

[Jimtown guy]

Looks like the Canadiens have met their match. Winning 4 of 5 is one tall task 

[GratefulFlyers]

Ugh talk about a bad beat…that 3rd goal just cannot happen. And the go-ahead goal, another one same thing. But it was the Vasilesky show tonight he stole that game. Montreal played so well but 2 goals in 2 games…
 

I heard the team up 2-0 in a best-of-7 only wins the series 90% of the time so hey anything can still happen. Seriously I hope they don’t get swept - I want to see more hockey.

[Alexandron]

And Tampa's 2nd win (3:1). Vasilevskiy was able to stop 44 out of 43 shots into his net. Wow. Amazing result.

Suzuki impressed me with his the most highest numbers of shots (11) towards Tampa's net and his single goal. It seems next 2 games will be the toughest one for the Lightning team.

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 2

 

 

[WordsOfWisdom]

On 6/30/2021 at 10:58 PM, Jimtown guy said:

Looks like the Canadiens have met their match. Winning 4 of 5 is one tall task 

 

My prediction of TBL winning is 5 is looking pretty good.  :)

 

 

[Math]

I wish a Tampa sweep. Or, worst case, in 6. So the Habs can still claim the Stanley Cup has been delivered in Montréal.

[Jimtown guy]

Turn out the lights the fat lady is singing 

[Buffalo Rick]

All Montreal and their upset run did was destroy any interest in the USA to watch the finals.  Nobody cares at all and nobody cares about the NBA either given the teams left.  Its a shame Leonard was injured or the Clippers would have won it all.  In the NHL there was never any doubt Tampa would make this a clinic.  3-0 and put out the lights on the stinking Habs.  Vegas should be ashamed of themselves losing to those bums. 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Montreal didn't do much of what got them to these Finals to begin with:

--They didn't capitalize on prime chances
--They didn't play particularly physical
--Carey Price, while he made some great saves, simply did NOT appear unbeatable at all in the crease.

Granted, the team the Canadiens are playing is unlike the previous Leafs, Jets, and Knights, and right now, at a 3-0 series lead, the Lightning are making the Habs look every bit the part of the 18th ranked team they are entering the post season.

Kotkaniemi's, Caufield's, and Suzuki's time and space have just about completely dried up.... Ben Chiarot and Shea Weber are spending more time fending off waves of attacks instead of taking offensive shots and knocking Bolts bodies into next week.....other highly touted workmanlike players like Joel Armia, Paul Byron, and even Tyler Toffoli, were mostly non factors.

There is still one game left for the defending Champs to capture before they can be called repeat champions, and an unlikely storybook tale can still be written by the Canadiens, but based on what we've seen to this point, that doesn't seem likely.

 

I picked Lightning in six, but at 3-0 and as a staunch, longtime Tampa Bay fan, I hope I am VERY wrong on that prediction.
I'd like this done ASAP, let the summer truly begin already, I will go into full MLB mode, then look forward to the upcoming NHL 2021-22 season in October.

[WordsOfWisdom]

5 hours ago, Hockey Junkie said:

All Montreal and their upset run did was destroy any interest in the USA to watch the finals.  

 

For the sake of the game of hockey, who cares?  This sport isn't about the US. This is an international sport powered by Canadian, European, Russian, and American players, with American players being 3rd or 4th on that priority list / pecking order.

 

The Canadian teams shouldn't be a novelty in the NHL, they should be the NORM.  The NHL should have no more than 10 teams in the US and the rest of the teams should be in Canada and Europe. That's where the fans are, and that's where the teams should be.

 

If it offends a US fan to watch a CDN team in a CDN sport then they need to go watch a different sport.  

 

/rant

[WordsOfWisdom]

1 hour ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

Montreal didn't do much of what got them to these Finals to begin with:

--They didn't capitalize on prime chances
--They didn't play particularly physical
--Carey Price, while he made some great saves, simply did NOT appear unbeatable at all in the crease.

Granted, the team the Canadiens are playing is unlike the previous Leafs, Jets, and Knights, and right now, at a 3-0 series lead, the Lightning are making the Habs look every bit the part of the 18th ranked team they are entering the post season.

 

They're just outmatched. Passion, hard work, and luck can get you far, but the Lightning have the talent, experience, AND the work ethic to match. They're a cohesive group, and they're just better than Montreal all around. 

 

You can see that Montreal is giving it everything but are just out-gunned and out-done.  

 

So on that note, with this series all but over now, I'm going to do my official "Team Rankings" (Boxing-style) and list who was best, and where everyone else fell by comparison.

 

Spoiler alert:  Montreal's performance in this Cup final makes the New York Islanders #2.  So if Tampa is the "champ" (belt holder) then the Isles are the #1 contender. Montreal (if they were a boxer) wouldn't ever get another shot at the title based off of this performance. This would be analogous to a 1st round KO.

 

 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Some people, I would assume in JEST, are saying Jake Allen should be given the start for Game 4 as the Canadiens have 'nothing to lose' by doing so.

I certainly hope that is in jest.
While I can see a bit of the point of not having anything to lose in the series, what kind of message does that send to your franchise goalie if you replace him with a guy who has been riding the pine so long, he's got butt splinters?

Unless Montreal wants to see Carey Price "pull a Roy" (and NOT in the good way), they'd best leave him in there..... if Price were to go down, I am sure he would like to go down swinging and not on the bench watching.

Besides letting in a couple soft goals (hey, it happens...even to Vasilevskiy), I wouldn't put it all on him as to why his team is in an 0-3 hole.
A few of the skaters Montreal relied on have gone almost completely MIA, and of course, well, the Lightning are the defending champions for a reason, and that reason hasn't changed very much since last season.

[OccamsRazor]

44 minutes ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

I certainly hope that is in jest.

 

Has to be.

 

Yeah that is what I would want a guy in the crease in an elimination Cup clenching game who hasn't played since May 10th.

 

So when you say some people they had to be Bolt fans or Montreal haters...

 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

13 minutes ago, OccamsRazor said:

 

Has to be.

 

Yeah that is what I would want a guy in the crease in an elimination Cup clenching game who hasn't played since May 10th.

 

So when you say some people they had to be Bolt fans or Montreal haters...

 

 

It was on some other boards. Various fans from different teams.
I think it really was people talking out the sides of their arses.

Really don't see ANY scenario here (unless Price is hurt) where Jake Allen gets the start in an elimination game.

[Tomdog]

3 hours ago, WordsOfWisdom said:

 

For the sake of the game of hockey, who cares?  This sport isn't about the US. This is an international sport powered by Canadian, European, Russian, and American players, with American players being 3rd or 4th on that priority list / pecking order.

 

The Canadian teams shouldn't be a novelty in the NHL, they should be the NORM.  The NHL should have no more than 10 teams in the US and the rest of the teams should be in Canada and Europe. That's where the fans are, and that's where the teams should be.

 

If it offends a US fan to watch a CDN team in a CDN sport then they need to go watch a different sport.  

 

/rant

You may want to check your stats. Americans are 2nd on the list of players having as many as everyone else besides Canada. 
Hockey is Canada’s game, but the NHL is watched by more Americans. 

[SaucyJack]

Most common question asked by TBL players of the hotel concierge:

“So what’s the best way to kill 48+ hours in Montreal?”

[blocker]

“So what’s the best way to kill 48+ hours in Montreal?”

 

What a question.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

2 hours ago, SaucyJack said:

Most common question asked by TBL players of the hotel concierge:

“So what’s the best way to kill 48+ hours in Montreal?”

 

Personally, I hope they stay stuck in their hotel rooms, focus on nothing but beating the Canadiens to a pulp, get a bit stir crazy, come out to the ice on Monday, and execute their sinister plan by taking it out on Les Habitans.

Plenty of time to celebrate...whether in Montreal or wherever....when ALL is said n done!