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

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Not sure, but right before commercial break, looks like Stamkos might have taken a stick to the face.

Guess will see when they return.
Gotta watch a freakin Subway commercial first....ugh.... yea, yea...Eat fresh...but, is it though?? 

[Math]

Smells like the gool ol' classical 2-0 at the end...

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Ooof...worse than a stick to the face...

Stammer took an ASS to the face. Bloodied him up, but Florida is not penalized.
No rule broken! 

Hopefully Stamkos has all his teeth.

[Otter]

Just now, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

Ooof...worse than a stick to the face...

Stammer took an ASS to the face. Bloodied him up, but Florida is not penalized.
No rule broken! 

Hopefully Stamkos has all his teeth.

That always makes for good conversation. 

 

How did your mouth and face get bloodied and messed up?

Stamkos, "I took an ASS to my face." 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Lightning with the PP.
Chance to bury the President's Trophy winners here!

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Man...Palat had a chance to be the hero, but took too long to take the shot.

Bobrovsky huge save on what should have been a Palat and Lightning goal!

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Champs got it done!

EN goal seals the deal... sweep of the President's Trophy winners....wow!

As for Vasilevskiy....he IS MR. SHUTOUT!
He has developed a rep now for shutting teams out in series clinching games.

Did it to the Islanders, the Canadiens, the Stars, the Hurricanes...now the Panthers!

On to the East Finals!
Bring on the Rangers, bring on the Hurricanes...they don't care which!

Edited May 24, 2022 by TropicalFruitGirl26

[Otter]

Plenty of rest awaits the Lightning while they await the winner of the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers. 

 

Definitely benefits the Lightning for the next round. 

Edited May 24, 2022 by Otter

[Math]

18 minutes ago, Math said:

Smells like the gool ol' classical 2-0 at the end...

 

See, told'ya !

 

A sweep without Brayden Point. For me I was obvious from day 1 that Point was anchoring this team and was responsible for all the woes and mysery that have hit this moribund franchise for years.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

1 minute ago, Otter said:

Plenty of rest awaits the Lightning while they await the winner of the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers. 

 

Definitely benefits the Lightning for the next round. 

 

Normally, I wouldn't want too much rest, but in the case of the Bolts now, they do have some players that are hurting and could use it.
Especially Brayden Point.

But also others who took beatings in this series like Cirelli, Cernak, and Nick Paul.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Just now, Math said:

 

See, told'ya !

 

A sweep without Brayden Point. For me I was obvious from day 1 that Point was anchoring this team and was responsible for all the woes and mysery that have hit this moribund franchise for years.

 

Yea.
Point and his gawd awful team chemistry busting karma!  

[Otter]

Just now, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

 

Normally, I wouldn't want too much rest, but in the case of the Bolts now, they do have some players that are hurting and could use it.
Especially Brayden Point.

But also others who took beatings in this series like Cirelli, Cernak, and Nick Paul.

I was especially thinking of Brayden Point. 

[NHL HHOF]

Colorado sweeps Nashville 4-0 in the first round.

Tampa Bay sweeps Florida 4-0 in the second round.

[3 Palmateers]

I saw "Giroux" trending on Twitter, and I thought...Oh, yeah. Forgot about him. That move didn't work out as planned. 

 

Thinking about the NHL commercial with his face: He just wants one.  

 

Laughed at the Giroux thing. Us Leafs fans just want one series win. 

 

Claude should've picked Colorado. 

 

Edited May 24, 2022 by 3 Palmateers

[CorkyM]

Glad to see the Lightning moving on

[Buffalo Rick]

The city of phony fans advances again with the help of the zebras.  After the Leafs were completely robbed by the zebras in that game 6 travesty, boy did the phony fans in Tampa come out in droves.   All transplanted northerners that do not know what it like to play pond hockey on a cold winters morning with a couple of cheap ass Bauer's when you wished you had super tacks. These fans are not like those in Canada or Buffalo or Boston or Minnesota.  They are a bunch of phonies.  And so are the ones in Sunrise.  When the run is over for Tampa, and it will be over at some point, lets see if these phony fans stay and support their team like the Leafs and Sabres fans do?  Hell no. Phonies through and through.  And now we likely will see a phony fan base in the East finals.  Tampa and Carolina where hockey is the last thing on the mind of any kid born and growing up there.  Im sure Bettman is happy with it all.  But let it be known that this fan is not happy that the NHL comes in number 4 of the 4 top American sports.  Well there is always the MLS.  The NHL was by far my favorite at one point.  I have a cousin in Canada that once told me "there are too many teams now".  Of course he is a die hard Montreal fan and expansion has not helped their cause.  But he is right to a degree.  Some of these teams like Anaheim and Tampa are not hockey towns. But early success has brought the casual fan out.  When they are winning. The fans show up in Toronto regardless.  And in most Canadian cities an in Buffalo and Boston and in towns where the original 6 play.  Enjoy the run Tampa. Maybe it continues, maybe not?  It certainly would have already ended if the zebras had been fair.

It leaves a bad taste like Dallas winning a Cup instead of a more deserving North Stars fan base.  Or Colorado stealing a cup that belonged in Quebec City.  God help Jack Eichel if he does not win soon. In Buffalo it would not have mattered.  His fans would have still supported him.  Lets see how patient they are in another fake fan base, Vegas.

Edited May 24, 2022 by Hockey Junkie

[Brewin Flames]

Lightning sweep Panthers, who were shut down by Vasilevskiy

By James O'Brien May 23, 2022, 10:11 PM EDT

 

Mike Carlson/Getty Images

•  

 

The (repeat) defending champion Lightning didn’t just advance against the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Panthers. With a 2-0 win in Game 4, the Lightning completed a sweep of the Panthers.

 

Remarkably, according to Sportsnet, it’s the first time a Jon Cooper team pulled off a sweep (at least at the NHL level).

Speaking of firsts, this marks the first time the Panthers were shut out since the Lightning ended their 2020-21 season.

Too little, too late — but Florida shows some fight

For what it’s worth, the Panthers looked more like the Panthers than any other time during these playoffs (including a surprisingly tight series vs. the Capitals). It was just too little, too late.

That was especially true during the first period. While the Lightning did well to limit the Panthers’ high-danger chances, it’s tough to fault the sheer volume of Florida’s early efforts.

 

 

#FlaPanthers have 34 shot attempts to Tampa’s 12 — Lightning have blocked 12 shots in first period.

— George Richards (@GeorgeRichards) May 23, 2022

 

In elimination situations, Andrei Vasilevskiy‘s been incredible. Really, Vasilevskiy’s been stellar all series long. Heading into Game 4, Vasilevskiy only allowed a Panthers goal per game, generating a splendid .971 save percentage. Those numbers will climb after Vasilevskiy pitched a 49-save shutout.

After completing the sweep, Steven Stamkos opined that Vasilevskiy was “the first, second, and third” star of this one. Hard to argue.

Two Lightning goals disallowed after reviews in Game 4

During the second period, it seemed like the Lightning took a 1-0 lead against the Panthers on two occasions. Both goals were eventually negated by the video review process.

For what it’s worth, both calls appeared correct.

Still, you can understand Lightning (and, really, hockey) fans if they grew restless during the 8-9 minute goal review that negated an Alex Killorn tally.

The Panthers challenge for a missed stoppage. Brunette went 2-0 in the regular season + 0-1 in the postseason (and the resulting penalty led to a PPG against by TBL).

Brunette's 1st 'missed stoppage' challenge. Second challenge of this type in the playoffs (Cooper, 1-0). pic.twitter.com/dpt8rmE1DB

— Shayna (@hayyyshayyy) May 24, 2022

 

Not long after, it looked like Nikita Kucherov burned the Panthers once again to give the Lightning a 1-0 lead. Instead, a review determined that Anthony Cirelli sent a hand pass Kucherov’s way to set up a would-be goal.

Another Tampa goal is blown down due to a 'missed stoppage' as Anthony Cirelli's face-off win on Kucherov's ensuing snipe was a hand pass#GoBolts pic.twitter.com/tRwhWqjfCS

— Hockey Daily 365 (@HockeyDaily365) May 24, 2022

 

Entering the third period, Florida created a lot of chances. They likely thought that they “deserved” more than their zero goals through 40 minutes. Considering those reviews, the Lightning would’ve been reasonable in feeling the same way.

Lightning complete sweep by outlasting Panthers in third period of Game 4

A lesser team might’ve flinched after seeing two goals disallowed in short order. We all know that the Bolts aren’t a lesser team.

Eventually, the Lightning broke through. It was an odd one credited to Patrick Maroon.

Pat Maroon breaks the deadlock and the Lightning are on top  pic.twitter.com/zWMiGzGIfD

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 24, 2022

 

The Panthers got a little sloppy late, taking two penalties in the third period alone. While the Panthers’ PK stepped up, it bled precious time off the clock.

Ondrej Palat sent a puck over the glass late in the third, setting up a chance for Florida’s man advantage to save its season. Instead, that unit failed once again, and Palat iced the Lightning sweep with a 2-0 empty-netter.

 

Plenty picked the Lightning to win this series against the Panthers, yet few expected it to end in a sweep. While the Lightning themselves can attest to the wisdom of not overreacting to a sweep, the Panthers must feel some real regrets after Game 4. Scoring just three goals in a playoff series will do that to you.

 

And, for all the Panthers achieved, they’ll face challenges to coming back stronger. Claude Giroux won’t be easy to bring back. 

 

Joe Thornton might have played his last NHL game.

 

And Jonathan Huberdeau‘s $5.9M bargain deal (bad playoffs or not) runs out after the 2022-23 season.

 

They’ll face a lot of questions after they couldn’t answer the key one: “How do we score against Andrei Vasilevskiy?”

[Icechipper]

According to Tampa Radio jocks some Panthers were spotted at a local strip club early into game day morning.....

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

42 minutes ago, Icechipper said:

According to Tampa Radio jocks some Panthers were spotted at a local strip club early into game day morning.....

 

Didn't read the actual stories, but saw a few spots online here and there about "a playoff hockey team" staying out after hours.
LOL...the Panthers, eh?

The allure of Dale Mabry Highway or Ybor City apparently was too much to resist?
If so, you'd think these boys would be used to "distractions" playing for a team based in Miami.
Oh wait....they are in SUNRISE, FL... an 'off the beaten path' burb of Miami, not the city proper...nevermind. 

I don't know if the Panthers were so-called distracted, sleepy, hung over...whatever....or not..... but even going back to Game 1, they simply had no full game answers for the defending champions.

On the bright side, Panther players can now spend ALL the time they want at The Mons, now that the series is over 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

3 hours ago, Hockey Junkie said:

The city of phony fans advances again with the help of the zebras.  After the Leafs were completely robbed by the zebras in that game 6 travesty, boy did the phony fans in Tampa come out in droves.   All transplanted northerners that do not know what it like to play pond hockey on a cold winters morning with a couple of cheap ass Bauer's when you wished you had super tacks. These fans are not like those in Canada or Buffalo or Boston or Minnesota.  They are a bunch of phonies.  And so are the ones in Sunrise.  When the run is over for Tampa, and it will be over at some point, lets see if these phony fans stay and support their team like the Leafs and Sabres fans do?  Hell no. Phonies through and through.  And now we likely will see a phony fan base in the East finals.  Tampa and Carolina where hockey is the last thing on the mind of any kid born and growing up there.  Im sure Bettman is happy with it all.  But let it be known that this fan is not happy that the NHL comes in number 4 of the 4 top American sports.  Well there is always the MLS.  The NHL was by far my favorite at one point.  I have a cousin in Canada that once told me "there are too many teams now".  Of course he is a die hard Montreal fan and expansion has not helped their cause.  But he is right to a degree.  Some of these teams like Anaheim and Tampa are not hockey towns. But early success has brought the casual fan out.  When they are winning. The fans show up in Toronto regardless.  And in most Canadian cities an in Buffalo and Boston and in towns where the original 6 play.  Enjoy the run Tampa. Maybe it continues, maybe not?  It certainly would have already ended if the zebras had been fair.

It leaves a bad taste like Dallas winning a Cup instead of a more deserving North Stars fan base.  Or Colorado stealing a cup that belonged in Quebec City.  God help Jack Eichel if he does not win soon. In Buffalo it would not have mattered.  His fans would have still supported him.  Lets see how patient they are in another fake fan base, Vegas.

 

Screaming about "being #4" in Amurrka....yet bashing expansion cities of the 90's, early 2000's and today?
Classic, HJ. Just classic.

And yes....Leaves® were robbed.
Of media driven hopes, pipe dreams, and dignity as they were served up another full course meal of First Round Exit ala Cart.

One day, when the Buffalo Sabres do anything worth watching (like maybe getting into the post season), and THEY meet Toronto, I am pretty sure they are gonna "rob" the Leaves® as well, eh?
Or will the Sabres not have robbed anyone because, well, "they are just too good for them and Toronto just didn't get it done"?

Perspective my friend. Toronto still had G7. Crapped the bed. Bottom line.

History is being attempted by these Lightning. Trying to join the immortal ranks of the old Islander and Oilers teams of the 80's.
Try to enjoy being part of it.....either as a fan (not likely) or an anti-Bolt wishing them failure (that is fine too!), but do so with some class n dignity, and no crying over spilled milk or alleged 'non hockey fans'. 

[Math]

Pierre-Edouard Bellemare in the post-game interview in french about Vasilevsky: "It was the best goalie performance I've ever seen in my entire career."

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

2 hours ago, Math said:

Pierre-Edouard Bellemare in the post-game interview in french about Vasilevsky: "It was the best goalie performance I've ever seen in my entire career."

 

Speaking strictly only about the NHL teams he's actually been on, that is some nice praise coming from him.

Bellemare was on the Flyers when Steve Mason was still pretty good, on Vegas with MAF, and on Colorado when Philip Grubauer was looking like he could make everyone forget Semyon Varlamov.

Granted, Andrei Vasilevskiy's body of NHL work is far greater than a guy like Mason's or Grubauer's, but point is, those guys were good (I looked up their numbers) when Bellemare was there.

MAF is MAF. 
Vasilevskiy will be shooting to match or eclipse that HOF career, and many would say he is well on his way to doing so, barring any major injuries that may derail him.
Vasy still needs one more Cup to at least match the number MAF has! 

[Icechipper]

Excuse me, but aren't like half the fans at games retired and vacationing Canadians? A Tampa fan I worked with says that's the case, eh? So Tampa and much of Florida are like a warm-weather Canadian province? Hell, you guys should just annex the thing

[NHL HHOF]

5:45 minutes in, Joe Thornton's play causes Tampa to score a second goal.

 

 

[Buffalo Rick]

22 hours ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

 

Screaming about "being #4" in Amurrka....yet bashing expansion cities of the 90's, early 2000's and today?
Classic, HJ. Just classic.

And yes....Leaves® were robbed.
Of media driven hopes, pipe dreams, and dignity as they were served up another full course meal of First Round Exit ala Cart.

One day, when the Buffalo Sabres do anything worth watching (like maybe getting into the post season), and THEY meet Toronto, I am pretty sure they are gonna "rob" the Leaves® as well, eh?
Or will the Sabres not have robbed anyone because, well, "they are just too good for them and Toronto just didn't get it done"?

Perspective my friend. Toronto still had G7. Crapped the bed. Bottom line.

History is being attempted by these Lightning. Trying to join the immortal ranks of the old Islander and Oilers teams of the 80's.
Try to enjoy being part of it.....either as a fan (not likely) or an anti-Bolt wishing them failure (that is fine too!), but do so with some class n dignity, and no crying over spilled milk or alleged 'non hockey fans'. 

You cant compare them to teams that had Gretsky and lets not forget Lemieux and the Montreal teams of old. Like Belveau's Canadians.  Orr and Espos's Bruins would have made short work of them.  The goalie is hot.  That and a blown call by the refs in game 6 is only reason they are still standing.  Maybe they luck out and get the pesky Rangers in the East final?  Maybe.  Colorado is looking like the team that might be waiting.  Unless Calgary can rally. It does look bleak for the Blues.   As for the Sabres I think that they fight for a playoff spot next year.  The only way I would predict them making it if they were to acquire a proven goalie. The one thing they must try and land in the off season. Tampa has somehow had the financial backing to get a quality team.  They are not as good as the Leafs, just have a better  goalie.  That is what cost my Sabres the Cup in their 5th year in existence.  They outplayed, outskated, outshot the Flyers but just did not have Bernie Parent.  The best goalie to ever play the game.  Colorado is going to be a handful.  I hate them so I wont care who wins.