*** 2021-22 Playoffs Opening Round: Tampa Bay Lightning (A3) at Toronto Maple Leafs (A2) - (TBL WIN 4-3) ***

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

The Champs are STILL here! Wooooooo

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Just now, FireDillabaugh said:

If that doesn't earn Nick Paul a contract and raise, I'm not sure what does.

 

There was some talk between some of us Lightning fans....we'd ALL love to have him back, but the cap ceiling likely won't allow it, unless Paul takes a big discount, which understandably, he wouldn't want to do.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

2 minutes ago, GratefulFlyers said:

Thank you Hockey Gods (sorry Leaf fans) let the Battle of Florida begin!!

 

Rematch from last year, except, I believe Florida may actually be favored going into the set.

[SaucyJack]

I know this is bitter for Leafs fans but you fell victim to a cruel 1st round draw. And it was damned close.  Hold your heads high despite your Pain.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Where is @mojo1917 ??

I want one of his "crestfallen" posts here 

[3 Palmateers]

Nobody cares, but I'm going to type it anyway. I wasn't supposed to see this game, and I'm kind of disappointed I had to watch the 5th straight year of ultimate game futility from this club. 

 

Today, was our firstborn's birthday. He's older but still a child, mentally speaking(autism). His birthday is a big deal to him even at an age where he shouldn't be quite so interested in it anymore. So, my wife and other kids decided there would be no hockey for me on his birthday. We spent the day out and came home to find our little Maltese acting funny. We got a rescue husky last September, and they've gotten along very well but not today for some reason. After we got home and my son opened all his presents they were all upstairs when the husky attacked my daughter. He bit her neck, aggressively, and she pulled away or this may have been much much worse. Both boys cried because their sister was close to suffering a major injury right before their eyes, and they don't roll tears very often. 

 

We'd planned on going out for dinner, but nobody felt comfortable leaving the dogs home alone together so they wanted me to stay which I was more than happy to do. They just grabbed some Papa Murphy's as my oldest loves their stuffed crust. Tears flowed some more thinking of how close it was. My daughter looks like she was scratched by a bear on her neck. The dog's teeth did some damage. Going to have to give this dog up, and we absolutely love him. So, doubly devastating. Daughter almost hurt badly, dog has to go, and Leafs fall short, again. 

 

My dogs (my Leafs and my rescue husky) let me down tonight. 

 

I don't think this was a great series. Typical Leafs loss in 7.  Seen this vs. Boston, twice. 

 

The only game the Leafs don't score 3 goals in, is, of course, the finale. Just can't do it when the other team really really wants it. Keith Jones is right. Major changes are coming. Dubas and Keefe should be gone. Nylander should be gone. Campbell should be gone along with Mrazek. 

 

Overhaul this mess. It is good, but good is the enemy of great, and that's what Leafs fans expect. 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 15, 2022 by 3 Palmateers

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

10 minutes ago, 3 Palmateers said:

Today, was our firstborn's birthday.

 

Putting aside all the sports trash talk nonsense for a bit, a genuine Happy Birthday to your child.
Doggie incident aside for the family of course.

From one parent of an autistic child to another.
We truly understand being accepting and our child's, and yours, different outlook on life.

[Math]

8 minutes ago, 3 Palmateers said:

Keith Jones is right. Major changes are coming. Dubas and Keefe should be gone.

 

I think so too. I know they faced the Lightining in the first round, that it was a good series, that it was so close, that they went in game #7, etc... But given the roster, I don't think the objective was just to make the playoffs and lose with honors. It's a fail and as you can't change the team's core and signed players, it's up to the coach and GM to face the consequences. It's maybe unfair, but that's the business of hockey.

[3 Palmateers]

7 minutes ago, FireDillabaugh said:

Sincerely sorry to hear this.  Truly hope your daughter is ok and isn't traumatized by this incident.

 

As a dog owner and lover, I know how hard it is to have to come to a situation where a dog you have has to be given up.  They are truly like family members.  Really sad to hear this will need to be the result.  But, unfortunately, understandable.

 

Real life is certainly more important than hockey and sports.  Best wishes to you and the family.  Sincerely hope all works out and your children are ok after this!!

Thank you for this. The worst is yet to come. It's already been a rough one. My wife has always wanted a husky. My daughter started looking at them online and found one with the worst picture I've ever seen. Super blurry. It had a caption next to it..."Act soon"...which we interpreted to mean it was going to be put to sleep. Daughter started sobbing uncontrollably and pleaded with me that we couldn't let him die. I got on it right away on a Saturday night and started sending messages. Was able to get ahold of someone about him Sunday morn and we drove 60 miles to rescue him. He's been an absolute joy. Has changed the atmosphere in this house pumping new great energy in here. The love for him is off the charts. We really don't want him to go and I'm almost afraid I won't get it done like my Leafs, but sensible parents can't keep him. If something bad happens, we're negligent and the last thing I want is this. Daughter loves him so much that she said if there was a fire she didn't know who she would try to save, first, her parents, or her dog. Ouch.

 

Anyway. Sorry, for the personal woe and dog rant in the aftermath of a Game 7. 

 

Someday I'll see the Leafs play 90 games in a season...probably only if they extend the regular season to 84. 

 

EDIT: @TropicalFruitGirl26Thank you for sharing your child's situation. They are very special people. And, I know what it takes a parent so I have high regard for you even though we'll never meet. Tyler sees the world very differently. A bright, caring, others-focused child. Ironically, he has issues with his little sister but this brought all of them a little closer, so some good came out of it. They all realize what they mean to each other. Tyler did not want to see his little sister hurt. He cursed at the husky, and I've never heard a curse word ever come out of his mouth in his entire life. 

Edited May 15, 2022 by 3 Palmateers

[Math]

Or maybe the solution is to have a best-of-five in the first round...

 

Joking aside, I can feel your pain as a fan, being myself a fan of some other teams of real losers and chokers (Cubs, for instance) and still being traumatized by the North Stars 8-0 loss for the last game of the '91 final. Given all the Leafs context and history, I have all but true respect for Leafs fans. 

[3 Palmateers]

6 minutes ago, Math said:

Or maybe the solution is to have a best-of-five in the first round...

 

Joking aside, I can feel your pain as a fan, being myself a fan of some other teams of real losers and chokers (Cubs, for instance) and still being traumatized by the North Stars 8-0 loss for the last game of the '91 final. Given all the Leafs context and history, I have all but true respect for Leafs fans. 

I know this will be hard to believe, but I was in the building the night the Pens blanked Casey and the Stars 8-0. I sat right next to Nikki Trottier and Nancy Murphy. Nikki was as drunk as I've ever seen anyone. Mario's family was a few rows behind us in the section over from us. She looks just like him!!!! I went up to her between periods and she had this little toy cup. I tried talking to her but I didn't know she  didn't speak English...just kept saying to my words...Mario. He's great. Mario. He's great. Yeah, he was. 

 

Used to be a season tix holder (20 game plan) Section 223 Row 1 Seat 9.  I cried the day they razed Met Center. Still mad at Norm.  So many memories. Used to go downstairs after games with Stargazers fan club which I wasn't part of but some women always had me go down there with them. Some amazing memories. 

 

That night was easier to stomach. That one was over quick. Still lament Broten missing an open net late in 3rd when they were up 2 games to 1. 

Edited May 15, 2022 by 3 Palmateers

[3 Palmateers]

15 minutes ago, FireDillabaugh said:

You have nothing to be sorry for.  Maybe professional training can help the husky.  It all depends on how your daughter and children are reacting to this incident.  It does happen from time to time with dogs.  It's possible the husky was just confused and nervous at the time of the attack.  And, that can be worked out with proper training.  Not only training of the dog, but the humans as well.

 

I'm in NO WAY saying your family was at fault here.  And, completely understand your decision of having to get rid of the husky.  However, again, depending on how the children are taking this incident, there may be other options if you're willing to pursue them.  Again, as a dog owner my entire life, and dog lover, I know how hard it is to give up a loved pet.  Hopefully, you don't have to do that.  But, of course, again, would understand if you feel that's the course of action you need to take for your family.

No offense taken. I'm not wired that way. I can take about anything and I know you had no ill will in your comments so thank you for them. 

 

We were warned when we picked him up that he might have issues with us having another dog. Very territorial and camps out in my autistic son's room upstairs. Acts like he owns the place. My other son and daughter can't even go in that room and if they walk by he growls aggressively. He's usually very sweet but not in that scenario and the birthday brought them to his room and that's where this happened. 

 

I'll probably go back and forth a million times before ultimately moving on this either way. I'm glad it's Saturday night. Had it been during the day on a weekday, I'd probably have just taken him out of here by now. 

 

Again, thank you for your kind words. Wife mentioned we should get him some training when we first got him as he became aggressive when in Tyler's room. That bond between those two is something. He will be devastated if Milo goes. 

Edited May 15, 2022 by 3 Palmateers

[Math]

11 minutes ago, 3 Palmateers said:

I know this will be hard to believe, but I was in the building the night the Pens blanked Casey and the Stars 8-0. I sat right next to Nikki Trottier and Nancy Murphy. Nikki was as drunk as I've ever seen anyone. Mario's family was a few rows behind us in the section over from us. She looks just like him!!!! I went up to her between periods and she had this little toy cup. I tried talking to her but I didn't know she  didn't speak English...just kept saying to my words...Mario. He's great. Mario. He's great. Yeah, he was. 

 

Used to be a season tix holder (20 game plan) Section 223 Row 1 Seat 9.  I cried the day they razed Met Center. Still mad at Norm.  So many memories. Used to go downstairs after games with Stargazers fan club which I wasn't part of but some women always had me go down there with them. Some amazing memories. 

 

That night was easier to stomach. That one was over quick. Still lament Broten missing an open net late in 3rd when they were up 2 games to 1. 

 

Haha, thanks a lot for this testimony, I'm impressed. I was still a kid that night, living in Switzerland and all we got there was a sort of internet ancestor where I could follow the score on a MS DOS-like interface. And when I woke up the next morning and looked at the screen and saw the score, I was like "Holy smoke, not possible !!!". I remember this moment as it was yesterday.

 

And Yeah, should have tried something like "Hé Madame Lemieux, ton chum est bon en câlice. En tout cas j'espère qu'il ne va pas nous mettre la misère". The late Gaétan Duchesne was laso on that team and I randomly met his niece who is living close to my current house when she noticed my vintage Stars bomber jacket. The world is so small. And that Broten stinker was the turning point of this series. Too bad they couldn't push the Cinderella run till the end, and on a personal note, I'm still mad at Fiala who missed a wide open net in OT during the World Champs final vs. Sweden.

 

(Sorry for the topic deviation)

[Toronto Jules]

I am definitely dissapointed the Leafs lost once again in a game 7 and a 1st round series, but I am not going to sit here and say that the Lightning outplayed the Leafs in that game because they did not. The Leafs defense and Jack Campbell were really good, but the Leafs offense and the top Leafs players did not show up which I find ridiculous for a game as important as this. The defense and Jack Campbell deserved much better from this game. 

 

Vasilevskiy, I have to give it to him he was fantastic and Paul was out of this world, but the rest of the Lightning were no better than anyone on the Leafs. 

 

Another huge difference was the Lightning when on offense were clogging up the lanes and the Leafs were not. 

 

The game however was very even and it really could have gone either way, but the puck went in the net one more time for the Lightning and that happens many times in NHL games. 

 

Onto the off season and a lot of talk about the Leafs not getting out of the first round, but the season was much more than just that. Matthews with 60 goals, Campbell maturing into a #1 goalie. The Leafs will be at the top of the league again next season and a top Stanley Cup contender once again which is a lot better then many teams can say. 

[Jimtown guy]

40 minutes ago, 3 Palmateers said:

I know this will be hard to believe, but I was in the building the night the Pens blanked Casey and the Stars 8-0. I sat right next to Nikki Trottier and Nancy Murphy. Nikki was as drunk as I've ever seen anyone. Mario's family was a few rows behind us in the section over from us. She looks just like him!!!! I went up to her between periods and she had this little toy cup. I tried talking to her but I didn't know she  didn't speak English...just kept saying to my words...Mario. He's great. Mario. He's great. Yeah, he was. 

 

Used to be a season tix holder (20 game plan) Section 223 Row 1 Seat 9.  I cried the day they razed Met Center. Still mad at Norm.  So many memories. Used to go downstairs after games with Stargazers fan club which I wasn't part of but some women always had me go down there with them. Some amazing memories. 

 

That night was easier to stomach. That one was over quick. Still lament Broten missing an open net late in 3rd when they were up 2 games to 1. 

Crazy. I was there too. Got tickets the night before for 41 bucks 

[pilldoc]

9 hours ago, 3 Palmateers said:

Nobody cares, but I'm going to type it anyway. I wasn't supposed to see this game, and I'm kind of disappointed I had to watch the 5th straight year of ultimate game futility from this club. 

 

Today, was our firstborn's birthday. He's older but still a child, mentally speaking(autism). His birthday is a big deal to him even at an age where he shouldn't be quite so interested in it anymore. So, my wife and other kids decided there would be no hockey for me on his birthday. We spent the day out and came home to find our little Maltese acting funny. We got a rescue husky last September, and they've gotten along very well but not today for some reason. After we got home and my son opened all his presents they were all upstairs when the husky attacked my daughter. He bit her neck, aggressively, and she pulled away or this may have been much much worse. Both boys cried because their sister was close to suffering a major injury right before their eyes, and they don't roll tears very often. 

 

We'd planned on going out for dinner, but nobody felt comfortable leaving the dogs home alone together so they wanted me to stay which I was more than happy to do. They just grabbed some Papa Murphy's as my oldest loves their stuffed crust. Tears flowed some more thinking of how close it was. My daughter looks like she was scratched by a bear on her neck. The dog's teeth did some damage. Going to have to give this dog up, and we absolutely love him. So, doubly devastating. Daughter almost hurt badly, dog has to go, and Leafs fall short, again. 

 

My dogs (my Leafs and my rescue husky) let me down tonight. 

 

I don't think this was a great series. Typical Leafs loss in 7.  Seen this vs. Boston, twice. 

 

The only game the Leafs don't score 3 goals in, is, of course, the finale. Just can't do it when the other team really really wants it. Keith Jones is right. Major changes are coming. Dubas and Keefe should be gone. Nylander should be gone. Campbell should be gone along with Mrazek. 

 

Overhaul this mess. It is good, but good is the enemy of great, and that's what Leafs fans expect. 

 

 

 

 

 
so sorry to hear this news….. never easy giving up a family pet. Thoughts and prayers for your daughter. Thankfully she was not more seriously injured.  

[flyercanuck]

9 hours ago, 3 Palmateers said:

Nobody cares, but I'm going to type it anyway. I wasn't supposed to see this game, and I'm kind of disappointed I had to watch the 5th straight year of ultimate game futility from this club. 

 

Today, was our firstborn's birthday. He's older but still a child, mentally speaking(autism). His birthday is a big deal to him even at an age where he shouldn't be quite so interested in it anymore. So, my wife and other kids decided there would be no hockey for me on his birthday. We spent the day out and came home to find our little Maltese acting funny. We got a rescue husky last September, and they've gotten along very well but not today for some reason. After we got home and my son opened all his presents they were all upstairs when the husky attacked my daughter. He bit her neck, aggressively, and she pulled away or this may have been much much worse. Both boys cried because their sister was close to suffering a major injury right before their eyes, and they don't roll tears very often. 

 

We'd planned on going out for dinner, but nobody felt comfortable leaving the dogs home alone together so they wanted me to stay which I was more than happy to do. They just grabbed some Papa Murphy's as my oldest loves their stuffed crust. Tears flowed some more thinking of how close it was. My daughter looks like she was scratched by a bear on her neck. The dog's teeth did some damage. Going to have to give this dog up, and we absolutely love him. So, doubly devastating. Daughter almost hurt badly, dog has to go, and Leafs fall short, again. 

 

My dogs (my Leafs and my rescue husky) let me down tonight. 

 

I don't think this was a great series. Typical Leafs loss in 7.  Seen this vs. Boston, twice. 

 

The only game the Leafs don't score 3 goals in, is, of course, the finale. Just can't do it when the other team really really wants it. Keith Jones is right. Major changes are coming. Dubas and Keefe should be gone. Nylander should be gone. Campbell should be gone along with Mrazek. 

 

Overhaul this mess. It is good, but good is the enemy of great, and that's what Leafs fans expect. 

 

 

 

 

 

Damn, that's a bad night. Leafs loss comes in 3rd here though. be thankful it wasn't worse for your daughter...and you still have another pet. Huskies can be like that (of course, so can anything with teeth). 

[Toronto Jules]

@3 Palmateers I am so sorry. #1 the safety for your daughter comes first and taking care of her and your family is your first priority. I don't have any children yet, but I know when I do they will always come first in my life.

 

I also don't have any pets as much as I think they are great, but I am allergic to them. I do know that an owner of a pet can quickly grow attached which it seems you and family has done with this husky. However, it seems like this dog has some sort of issues and the safety of your family has to come first.

 

As for the Leafs losing that doesn't even rank in the same category as what your family went through. Sure it is a team and a game you love to follow, but in the end it is a game and you just move on from it. I am also disappointed they lost once again, but honestly Game 7 they were not outplayed. The Leafs defense showed up as did Jack Campbell. The Leafs offense and their top players however did not. The Leafs were primarily beaten by two players on the Tampa Bay Lightning who had superior games. They were Nick Paul and Andrei Vasileveskiy. The rest of their team was no better then the Leafs team. 

[3 Palmateers]

59 minutes ago, Toronto Jules said:

@3 Palmateers I am so sorry. #1 the safety for your daughter comes first and taking care of her and your family is your first priority. I don't have any children yet, but I know when I do they will always come first in my life.

 

I also don't have any pets as much as I think they are great, but I am allergic to them. I do know that an owner of a pet can quickly grow attached which it seems you and family has done with this husky. However, it seems like this dog has some sort of issues and the safety of your family has to come first.

 

As for the Leafs losing that doesn't even rank in the same category as what your family went through. Sure it is a team and a game you love to follow, but in the end it is a game and you just move on from it. I am also disappointed they lost once again, but honestly Game 7 they were not outplayed. The Leafs defense showed up as did Jack Campbell. The Leafs offense and their top players however did not. The Leafs were primarily beaten by two players on the Tampa Bay Lightning who had superior games. They were Nick Paul and Andrei Vasileveskiy. The rest of their team was no better then the Leafs team. 

I hope it was communicated clearly that the Leafs losing was part of a bad night but nowhere in the realm of the same thing as what happened with our beloved rescue husky and my daughter. That was terrifying, but less so because I didn't personally witness it. The spokesman for the group has a tendency to overstate things, so there is some question to how bad it actually was, but there was some serious evidence on her neck that something not good happened up there, but no breakage of skin. 

 

Thank you to everyone for the thoughts and well-wishes. I've gotten myriad of opinions here and from family and friends. As of now, we have a gate up to prevent our husky from accessing the upstairs. He's very bummed, but my oldest's room is where he acts differently so we've cut him off from there. We will see how he interacts when he has no access to that room. Perhaps, he will not show any more aggression. If not, we may keep him and just keep him away from upstairs. Not sure if that's workable because he LOVES it up there and seems sad he can't go up there. As noted, this is a tough issue but your kids and their safety are far more weighted than love for a dog. For others, I understand that line is blurry but I've always seen great separation between pets and children. The kids don't see it that way.  Dogs are family members and should be treated as such in their eyes, but they are children. 

 

Back to the game, Keefe stated in his presser that the first goal proved to be very important. We all knew how big that would be. Again, Toronto could not get it. It always comes down to that ONE goal...that ONE play...and Toronto just can't ever make it even with a 60-goal scorer on their roster and one of the best set up men in NHL history. Something is missing. Way too many nice players who just can't be heroes. 

 

Now, you could apply that to Tampa. Where was Stamkos? Kucherov? Hedman? Etc. These guys didn't light the lamp either. Some deadline addition carried them to victory. Does this mean Kuch and Stamkos or someone like Perry ain't prime-timers? No. Those guys have proven themselves. No one on the Leafs has ever proven this. 

 

 

[Toronto Jules]

@3 Palmateers Yes, I knew you put the Leafs game last where it should have been.

 

As for the Leafs game. The Lightning star players also did not show up other than Vasilevskiy. The Leafs were beaten by Nick Paul and Vasilevskiy. 

 

If they play like that without the stars showing up against the Panthers it is not going to be a good turnout for them at all. One the Panthers have some sort of magic in making comebacks  and they also have a very strong defense that can put a hold on the Lightning offense. I will be surprised if this series goes past 5 games. 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Andrei Vasilevskiy's pattern of shutting out opponents in closeout games was broken, but more importantly for the Lightning, the pattern of alternating wins and losses (with Toronto leading) was ALSO broken...giving the Bolts the series win with two consecutive W's.

TB just knows what it needs to do to get the job done, and they don't care whether it's a 5-1 blowout of an opponent, or a 1-0, 2-1 affair like last night, in the end, as long as they are on the correct side of the handshake line, the mission was accomplished.

While true the Lightning stars didn't show up on the scoreboard, it was no small thing to have guys like Stamkos and Kucherov backcheck, do things away from the puck and be merely a THREAT to score, which took up Toronto resources on defense, which allows other players to step in and do what they need to do.

The TB defense was pretty stout too...not only last night, but in G6 as well where they clamped down when they needed to, took the body and wore down Toronto players with physical play....at the very least, put the idea into the brains of Leaves® players that they ARE going to get hit in corners and whenever they touched pucks.
Like a sparring match, those kinds of things, done through the course of a series, wears on an opponent near the end.
One Mr. William Nylander was particularly susceptible to that tactic as he can be CLEARLY seen giving up on puck pursuits if he thought a TB player was gonna rock him........pretty sure the TOR coaches saw that too, and can't be too happy with that part of his game. The unwillingness to get dirty or take a hit to make a play.

Vasilevskiy did NOT have his best series overall, but did come up with key saves when needed, especially when it mattered most...the last two games.
And yes, he did have some puck luck work for him as well.

Overall, the last two TB wins came about in such a way, where one could see the lessons, the hard, sometimes painful lessons, the team learned the last few seasons, paid off. 
IMO, lessons this Toronto core is still trying to figure out.

In baseball, football, basketball.... you always have "money" players.
Guys that aren't necessarily the absolute best (though some are) at their position, but guys that just come up large when the situations are large.
Andrei Vasilevskiy is one such player, while Nick Paul, very small sample size, showed a bit of that as well.

I will give full marks to Toronto....their players were dangerous, were good all series, and they played an overall good brand of tough, defensive hockey not really seen in recent years, and that attitude will serve them well moving forward.
But they were up against a team that's seen all of that before, has done all of that already, and were ready and willing to do it again.

In the end, the better team in the series moved on and I was fully prepared to say the same even if it were the other way around and it was TB going home because it means Toronto would have beaten the best the league had the last two seasons.

[Toronto Jules]

The one thing I give credit to the Lightning defense that the Leafs defense seemed to be unable to do effectively was clear people out in front of the the net leaving their goalie free to see incoming pucks. The Lightning always seemed to have at least two if not more players in front of the net clogging up space making it really difficult for Campbell to see the incoming puck. That is the job of the defense to clear them out of there. The Lightning D did that and the Leafs did not. 

[3 Palmateers]

I don't believe that the team that wins a series is always the better team. 

 

The Leafs should've won Game 6. We'll never know what happens if the 5-on-3 that shouldn't have been doesn't happen but that's a game the Leafs led until that ridiculous officiating changed. 

 

Arguing that Toronto was the better team is impossible given the context of the last 3 years, but, if you take that away, as it is all that should matter, Toronto was the better team THIS YEAR, and in THIS SERIES. There is a reason Toronto finished ahead of Tampa in the standings. Losing a 7-game series due to a 1-goal loss at home after losing in OT in a game that should've been yours doesn't scream Tampa was the better team to me. 

 

What I do agree is Tampa is the team that knows how to win. Toronto doesn't. It couldn't because it hasn't. Hockey can be very random. Toronto dominated OT vs. the Lightning after it shouldn't even have had to be in it, and lost when Tampa got one single opportunity and cashed it. I'm a big process over results guy, but results are all that ultimately matters. In process, I sincerely believe Toronto was the better team this season, but the results say Tampa was and everyone has to accept that regardless of bias. 

 

Tampa/Florida should be a fantastic series. I love Cooper and Cirelli but am sick of seeing Tampa win. I hope Florida unseats the champs but I don't think they will. 

Edited May 15, 2022 by 3 Palmateers

[Toronto Jules]

Most definitely better teams have lost in the series and it has happened to the Tampa Bay Lightning when they lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets. In that same year the Calgary Flames lost to the Colorado Avalanche as well. Washington and Nashville also lost that year in the first round. 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

@3 Palmateers

 

The "better" teams have, indeed, lost series before, but, in this particular case, I believe the better team DID move on.
Obviously, we will have to agree to disagree on that point, and that is fine.

It wasn't like TB was some one-off team or some team that just happened to make it into the playoffs to upset Toronto.
They are the two time champions...and two time champions, FOR A REASON!  
And I really don't think you will find very many people, barring some Toronto fans, who would call the Bolts winning this series "an upset".

Process?
Yep. Tampa Bay had and continues to have their process.
They've lost lots of good players over the course of the last two seasons, entering this season they were hit hardest, all due to the cap.
So their "process" was working new guys in to replace tried and true performers.
That leads to games they will lose during the regular season as they work on that process.
Then, the Lightning get the RESULTS of that process in the playoffs.

So, not to take away anything from Toronto's standing during the regular season, but one could argue had TB not had to work new guys in (Katchouk, Raddysh....then Paul and Hagel once those guys were traded, for instance), maybe THEY win more games during the season, and THEY finish ahead of Toronto.

But, even that is neither here nor there because everybody understands the regular season and playoffs are two different things.
Regular season wins can also be built off the backs of lower level teams like the Coyotes, Canadiens, Sabres, Jets, Flyers, Devils, etc....and then you have travel and weariness that impacts how a team performs on a given night, and maybe a team doesn't go 100% against a team they perhaps are looking past (say, the Red Wings) because they are looking ahead to a team they KNOW they have to be ready against (say, the Avalanche). 

Whereas in the playoffs the focus, game planning, and matching are solely on that one opponent you draw for that round.
Yea...different beast indeed. And at the end of the day, THAT is where champions are developed and forged.
And that is where SC Champions earn their status as 'knowing how to win'.

As for the officiating, one could argue all day long, all night long, and all off season long about how TB should not have gotten this or that, but the officiating was terrible throughout the series.
There were more than a few times where Toronto players could have been called on things that should have resulted in TB PP's and weren't....and there were times when Bolts players were called on VERY borderline things that gave the Leaves® a PP they probably shouldn't have.

It's frustrating, and NO ONE is more frustrated about those things than the players on both sides on the ice. Fan frustration has NOTHING on the players' angst.
But the BETTER teams adapt, take advantage, cash in...whatever you want to call it....and when the time comes for it, take what was given them.
Bolts did, Leaves® didn't.

And if TOR lost G6 on what is perceived as an unfair way, well, then they needed to execute, perform, and put away all doubts in G7, because that is what "better" teams do. 
Especially when you are facing down a two time champion, and not merely some upstart team that played you tough.

Again, Toronto didn't do that, and that is why we have the result we did.

Things will only get more difficult for the Champions (they already did by drawing Florida next!), and they definitely will need to clean up some areas they were sloppy in against Toronto, because the Panthers are indeed a more complete team right now, and, more importantly, have been building up through their own process, including a hard loss to these same Lightning, in last year's playoffs.
And Florida most definitely will cash in on areas where perhaps Toronto didn't.

So the Cats will be ready, are certainly better than they were last year, and the Lightning are going to have to up their games even further if they want to continue defending their Cups, because these Panthers, while still sporting some areas that can be exploited as well (Washington provided some insight to that), are the real deal and I could easily see them as the team that possibly unseats the Bolts and then goes on a run that sees them at Lord Stanley's castle door!