*** 2021-22, 2nd Round SC Playoffs: Tampa Bay Lightning (A3) at Florida Panthers (A1) - (TBL WIN 4-0) ***

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

 

Season Series.... Who won it?
Series was split during regular season, 2-2-0

 

Tampa Bay continues on its quest to be three-peat Champions after dispatching a very tough Toronto Maple Leaf team in Round 1.
President's Trophy winners, the Florida Panthers look to prove in the playoffs the same thing they proved in the regular season....they ARE the top team, as they pushed aside the challenge from the Washington Capitals.
And they also would like to get some sweet revenge on the Bolts after TB did away with them in Round 1 last year!

Both the Lightning and Panthers were exposed a bit by their first round opponents, so will be interesting to see which team cleans up their act best, who makes adjustments, and who hits their stride in what should be a very competitive, and likely a very nasty series, between these two teams who have finally developed a real rivalry (not that media manufactured crap from before), and who sport very physical and agitating players that can easily raise the temperature on the ice!

Bolts, Cats....talk of all the goals, all the defensive heroics, all the saves....and all the low blows.... go right here!
Vote on the polls before they close and make your prediction for the series known!

Edited May 24, 2022 by TropicalFruitGirl26

[Math]

Goalies: 

Defense: 

Offense: 

Special teams (PP/PK): 

Coaching: 

Mental: 

Experience: 

Robustness: 

Depth: 

 

Tough to say, but experience will be the X-factor. Tampa in 6.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Just now, Math said:

Goalies: 

Defense: 

Offense: 

Special teams (PP/PK): 

Coaching: 

Mental: 

Experience: 

Robustness: 

Depth: 

 

Tough to say, but experience will be the X-factor. Tampa in 6.

 

There you go again!
With that robust Cat coffee flavor! 

[Rat Trick]

The Lightning are two time Stanley Cup Champions for a reason and there should not be a single Florida Panthers fan taking this team lightly. They have accomplished what they have because they are a fantastic club. They have a solid all around club with zero weaknesses. 

 

The Panthers are the Presidents Trophy Winners for a reason as well and that is because they are a very good club as well and in all areas of the team as well. The offense is explosive and you can never count this team out. 

 

This series is going to be one that is going to have all of Florida on edge for all 7 games, because I feel it will go all 7 games. I do think the Panthers offense will be too much for the Lightning in the end and they will take it in game 7, but not after a very tough series. 

[Rat Trick]

I think we can all say or at least most of us say with maybe some New York Rangers fanbase that Vasilevskiy is the best goaltender in the NHL. He has already in his young career won awards and has taken the Tampa Bay Lightning to two straight Stanley Cup Championships. In the first round of this year's playoffs he was a key contributor to the Tampa Bay Lightning getting through to the 2nd Round against the Toronto Maple Leafs and shut down the likes of 60 goal scorer Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and the rest of the Maple Leafs offense. 

 

Now he is up against one of the top prolific offenses in the NHL this season the Florida Panthers which tallied a league leading 340 goals during the seasons. He will have to shut down the likes of Sasha Barkov, Sam Reinhart, Jonathan Huberdeau Aaron Ekblad, Mackenzie Weegar and the rest of them. It will be a tough task for sure, but with the help of Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh if anyone will be up for the task it is him. 

 

This series is going to be an epic one for sure and not onlt because it is going to be played within the State of Florida, but I think this series is going to give us some fantastic plays both on the offensive side and defensive side. 

 

I love series like this which almost seems like this should be a Stanley Cup Final series and it is a 2nd Round Series. 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Ok, TFG take time:

Two things about this series with regards to a winner.... I can vote with my brain and my heart at the same time here!

My brain tells me Florida is tough, very tough, has grown much from last season (including the cold water to the face of the Panthers administered by these very same Lightning), and truly could be the team that finally ends Tampa Bay's two year+ run.
I wouldn't go so far as to say the Panthers overmatch the Lightning in every aspect, but it would be foolish to sell Florida short on just what they are capable of as a group.

I thought Toronto was a tough draw for the Lightning, and in stating that, I would say Florida is even tougher than the Leaves® were. Bolts got away with some sloppy play against Toronto....sloppy play they may NOT get away with against the Panthers.

But my heart is, and has been, with the Bolts for many years, and I still view this team as a legit Cup Contender on the very cusp of history making greatness if they can pull off what is nearly impossible on the three-peat bid.
Even if the team isn't as dominant as the ones from the past two seasons, they have, IMO, still plenty to push themselves to a third Cup THIS year!

The core is still in its prime, the young players and additions they have seem to be fitting in nicely, and they are anchored by a young veteran in Andrei Vasilevskiy in goal.

Lightning will have to be the better of the teams in defensive coverage and in keeping their cool under pressure, as I don't believe they want to get into the willy nilly, fly by the seat of your pants crazy offensive show Florida would LOVE for this series to turn into.
As good as Florida is, they CAN be pressured on their defensive pairs, as teams have shown throughout the season, and the Caps showed that as well in R1.

Sergei Bobrovsky STILL has monkeys on his back, though he might have chucked off a couple in that Washington series...and he'd like to get rid of some more. The Bolts' job is to keep those simians right where they are!
Yes, yes...all of that, easier said than done, but doable.

Florida will most definitely have the edge in pure offense and indomitable spirit...I mean, there is simply no lead these Cats think they cannot overcome!

With all that in mind, I will have to forego what my brain is telling me about these truly dangerous Panthers, and vote with my heart.
I cannot, in good conscience, vote against my own guys, when they have just as much of a shot to win it all again as the Panthers do for their first real go at a Cup.
Had the Lightning been some Cinderella team that came out of nowhere, that happened to get hot and ride a scorching goalie or player to this point, I would say, the Panthers will likely do away with them...no matter how much I love my guys.

But the Bolts are still the champions. Still here.
Still have the personnel, the tools, the experience, and the desire to continue being the best and I can't vote against that possibility. 

Voting same result as last year, Bolts in 6 (yes, that is 85% heart, 15% brain, homer vote) even though the actual feel of the series will be much different, much more competitive, probably nastier than last year's, and certainly, the Panthers are deserving of the 'favored' status they are likely to get even over the defending champion Lightning.

Let's have at it!

[Rat Trick]

As a fan you are reserved to vote with your heart for sure. That is what makes us true and loyal fans. 

 

This series is going to be one fantastic series and even though my team is looked upon as being favored they still have a lot of work to be done to get past the two time defending champs. 

 

It is most definitely going to be what I believe is the most exciting of the 2nd round series games and I look forward to it.

Edited May 17, 2022 by Rat Trick

[Buffalo Rick]

I am surprised that Florida is favored in this series. So you  an get a fat price on Tampa.  I do like Florida to win game 1 because Tampa still has to be shaking off that battle with the Leafs. It might take them a game to get emotionally involved here?  Florida will be ready.  Goaltending and defense obviously favors Tampa and offense favors Florida. Id like to see Florida win.  But I am far less confident in them than I was with Toronto.  I still say the Leafs should have won.  Im pretty sure Austin Matthews agrees with me on that crap call in game 6 that cost Toronto everything. I wonder what moves they make in the off season?  The will no doubt be a beat of a team next year.  Gee, on my screen with hockey guy is highlights from an old game between my Sabres and the Quebec Nordiques.   Rick Dudley was the coach.  The famous game 5 in Quebec one year, in a 5 game series that Quebec won, a late friend of mine was at.  I could not believe he got a ticket. Well sorry, back to the present day world.  I have no opinion really on who wins between Florida and Tampa.  It looks like the bandwagon has picke up some fans in Sunrise?  Shocking. 

 

Seeing Rick Dudley coaching really makes me feel old.  Val James fighting after being called up from Rochester.  Ill never forget when Scotty Bowman sent Val James, Larry Playfair, John Wensink and one more goon out on the ice at the Garden.  None of them cared where the puck was.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Lightning are starting this series without a big piece already: Brayden Point who was injured in the final game against the Leaves®, is not available.
Haven't heard any time table for his return.

But that WON'T be an excuse for the Lightning at all.
They have plenty of other guys who have to step in and get things done.
TB is no stranger to the "next man up" mentality when it comes to their star players.
This is more of the same.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Champs get their second PP of the game...this time a high sticking infraction called against Anthony Duclair.

Bolts didn't score on their first one, I highly suggest they do so now because, well, these damned refs are gonna "even things out" later on one way or another.

[Rat Trick]

Second penalty killed by the Panthers early in this 1st period. This is not the game plan for sure. 5 on 5 play I think the Panthers offense has the advantage and of course the power plays, but they cannot keep on having penalties that they have to kill off. 

[Rat Trick]

Huby to Duke!!!!!!

 

1-0 Panthers!!!!!

[Rat Trick]

1 minute ago, FireDillabaugh said:

Not sure how they can have any power play advantage.  It looks like the same anemic power play they had in the first round.  No changes at all.

It looks like they have zero assemblance of a plan on the power play. It looks like all they are attempting to do is shoot the puck on the net and hope for a redirect to sneak passed the goalie. They need some sort of actual set up instead of just throwing the puck around and hoping. 

[Rat Trick]

Just now, FireDillabaugh said:

But, y

But, you're right.  Florida better not keep their path to the penalty box.  Because, the Tampa power play can win them games.  Like that goal by Perry.

As you can see it just came up and bit them in the ***. Now that was an incredible move by Kucherov to make that play happen, but it was started by the penalty by the Panthers. 

 

1-1

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Bolts n Cats trade periods and after 40 minutes, the score reflects exactly that, 1-1.

Entertaining stuff between these teams so far, and things haven't really gotten nasty...........yet... 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Wow...Bellemare with the goal.

No Brayden Point? No problem apparently as the Champs will just have their 4th liners score...Perry, now Bellemare.
Looks like that is the plan.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Perry with some of his Corey-esque shenanigans.

This time purposely draping himself over Bobrovsky as the FLA netminder freezes the puck.
And he hangs around a bit extra long hoping to raise the ire of a Panther player or two.

Cats were smart enough to avoid playing his game.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

And there is a blatant BS penalty.
Terrible call, but oh well, officials gonna officiate, Champs gotta kill it off.
Let's go boys!

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

And, pending a review, the Panthers capitalize on that gift PP.

Tellin ya...these Panthers are learning WELL what it takes to be a champion....take advantage of what is given you!

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Well, well...and a NO GOAL due to the puck being ruled as have hit the netting prior to the score.
Good for TB, bad for FLA...BUT, these Cats have a penchant for taking a negative like this and turning it around.

Champs best be wary. 
Danger lurks in the form of feline predators...

[Rat Trick]

As much as I hate it, that was the correct call. 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Lightning kill off the rest of the bogus penalty, but Florida seems to have picked up some steam from that PP and look like they have a bit of extra jump now 5 on 5

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

How do the Champs answer a bogus call against them?
Why, they manufacture one of their own of course!

Want to see textbook wily veteran chicanery? Alex Killorn creating that penalty by giving up his face going into Forsling who gets called for two.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Apparent goal by TB may get called back.
Bolts attacker made contact with Bob prior to the goal....they are deliberating...

[SaucyJack]

Might as well challenge - I don’t see these Kitty Kats scoring twice.