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*** 2021-22 Eastern Conference Finals: Tampa Bay Lightning (A3) at New York Rangers (M2) - (TBL WIN 4-2) ***


TBL vs NYR  

12 members have voted

  1. 1. Lightning continue as Prince of Wales Champions? Or do the Rangers snatch that title en route to bigger things?

    • Lightning in 4. Bolts show the Ranges how a two time champion handles business. In crushing fashion.
      0
    • Lightning in 5. Rangers show a bit of attitude and drive, but the defending Champs are still way too much.
      0
    • Lightning in 6. Rangers give it all, but the Lightning's talent, experience, and drive for success can't be overcome.
    • Lightning in 7. Blueshirts push the defending Cup champions to their limit, but fall short of greatness...just barely.
    • Rangers in 4. New Eastern standard. And they now reside in New York City
      0
    • Rangers in 5. NY has learned their playoff lessons well and have an answer for just about everything the Bolts throw at them.
      0
    • Rangers in 6. Great series that sees lots of championship caliber play from both sides, but it is now the Rangers' time.
      0
    • Rangers in 7. The Bolts thought they had their path carved to the Finals, but NY shows they have the last say on who upstages who, and finally slay the electric dragon.

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Without Point I'm not surprised this series is where it is. When the Leafs played the Rangers this season, I thought NY was better than they were. Leafs were close but thought if somehow Toronto ended up playing them they wouldn't be able to handle them.

 

Tampa eeked by Toronto and, now, minus one of their best playoff performers, they don't have enough. Rangers are hungrier than a satiated Stanley Cup served x2 Lightning squad.

 

Lightning don't seem to have much mystique at home. Toronto played well there in 2-of-the-3 games at Amalie. 

 

Not sure if Rangers will pull Game 3 but I'll bet they're headed back to MSG with a chance to close it out. 

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  • TropicalFruitGirl26 changed the title to 2021-22 Eastern Conference Finals: Tampa Bay Lightning (A3) at New York Rangers (M2) - (NYR Lead 2-0)

I couldn’t watch tonight.  Just watched the 5-minute game highlights on the NHL app.

 

Lightning sure had some decent chances to tie it with a minute to go.  In different universes the puck bounced ever so slightly differently and the Bolts did so, and managed to win in OT to even the series.

 

But we live in this universe.

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10 hours ago, SaucyJack said:

I couldn’t watch tonight.  Just watched the 5-minute game highlights on the NHL app.

 

Lightning sure had some decent chances to tie it with a minute to go.  In different universes the puck bounced ever so slightly differently and the Bolts did so, and managed to win in OT to even the series.

 

But we live in this universe.

 

I am PRETTY sure there is a universe out there where the Red Wings are on a 40 year current playoff run and have added 10 more Cups during that time...
And yet another where Toronto are Masters of the NHL Universe....with McDavid, Draisaitl, Matthews, Marner, AND Ovechkin on their roster. :bigteeth: 

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13 hours ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

And this loss snaps Andrei Vasilevskiy's record of 18 straight wins after a playoff loss.

NY feeling good. Their fans are feeling good.
They are halfway through the East Finals.

The announcers beat that stat to death late in game 1 figuring it was a done deal and the streak lived on. Series 1-1... Came close, But TB wasn't looking very smooth with passing and breaking out of their zone at all or making plays in the O zone. I was hoping for a better game from TB.
Not quite the Machine that NYR's and the AV's are showing right now.

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I'm not too surprised it's 2-0 Rangers but 9 goals in 2 games ... that is shocking. Vasilevskiy needs some help from his star players. All the TOs are just killing him. He faced two different 2-on-1s on the same shift last night and it happened more than once. Crazy. He may indeed be the "best on the planet" but he's human and w/out better puck management he and the Bolts are done in 4.

 

But I can't believe they'll keep fumbling the puck around so much, giving it away. And it's hard to think Vasilevskiy will have yet another sub-.900 night. Not on home ice. I still think this series will turn into a Best of 3.

 

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I said this in the shoutbox, maybe the Rangers are just a bad match up for the Lightning.

They have looked like a vastly superior team so far. I throw up in my mouth a little typing that. 

Shesterkin hasn't really stolen anything , I mean he's been good, but, his skaters have been better than Tampa's for 5 of the 6 periods. 

 

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Goalies can have bad games. Shesterkin had them in the 1st Round against the Penguins. Vasilevskiy is not at his best right now. 

 

Yes, the Rangers skaters have overall outplayed the Lightning players. Just look at the last evenings game where Fox definitely outshined Hedman who is supposed to be the top D-Man in the NHL. Fox had a brilliant all around game last evening. 

 

The Rangers are also receiving production up and down the lineup. It seems like everyone is joining in getting points. When a team like the Lightning can focus on shutting down a player like Panarin or Zibanejad and several others step up it becomes extremely difficult to come out on top. 

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38 minutes ago, mojo1917 said:

I said this in the shoutbox, maybe the Rangers are just a bad match up for the Lightning.

They have looked like a vastly superior team so far. I throw up in my mouth a little typing that. 

Shesterkin hasn't really stolen anything , I mean he's been good, but, his skaters have been better than Tampa's for 5 of the 6 periods. 

 

 

Almost feels like the Lightning are looking at a younger version of themselves in the mirror:

--Two top lines that camouflage a very good third line
--Norris level defenseman who does it all
--Emerging big bodied shut down defender
--Elite Russian goaltender
--Speed to burn up and down the lineup.

If that is the case, the Lightning may then have to ask themselves:
What did THEY find teams did to them that they found most difficult to deal with?
Then, they have to try and execute that on NY's squad.

Whatever the Bolts come up with, they HAVE to win G3. 

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You know, I've been a big fan of Jon Cooper for a long, long time.
Ever since he coached the Bolts' then AHL affiliate Norfolk Admirals to a Calder Cup championship (with future TB Lightning players on board), and as he made his name in the NHL coaching the big club with many players he knew so well.

The man is intelligent, even keeled, and says and does all the right things when necessary to take heat off his team....but does it in a very non confrontational manner.

That said, I feel I have to level a criticism at him here:
According to the latest reports, Brayden Point will continue to be unavailable, and in his absence, Coach Cooper has been using the 11 forwards, 7 defenseman setup.....which in the past, has worked for him and the team.

But, that hasn't been the case this time. Not so far...not against these fast, skilled, hungry NY Rangers.
Yet it appears Coach Cooper will be going with the same setup and personnel for G3 (if what I am reading is accurate), as he has been using for Games 1 and 2.

Means the first three lines will get more work in, pressure on them to have to do more... it means the 4th line, a solid foundation of the team, consisting usually of Bellemare-Maroon-Perry, will be getting intermittent time on ice, and their impact is significantly lessened.

The Lightning have Riley Nash and Alex Barre-Boulet as healthy scratches, who could come in and play anywhere in the bottom six, or maybe work sometimes as second line wingers.
I understand neither of those two can possibly replace Brayden Point and all he means to the Bolts. No one can do that at this time.

But those two players have played pretty well for the Bolts when called upon in the past, are probably VERY hungry for game action, Riley Nash in particular, has enough playoff experience where he shouldn't be overwhelmed by anything he sees out there, and more importantly, it gives the Bolts a full 12-man, 4 line setup, where guys like Pat Maroon can get regular shifts and do what Pat Maroon does out there....and putting Perry and Bellemare as his regular linemates will not only help wear down the Rangers, but give some relief to the top 9.

Obviously Coach Cooper knows the team to a man much better than I....but I can't help but think that it is a mistake to continue to run the same personnel (essentially short handed up front), against an opponent the caliber of the Rangers, and expect vastly different results.
What's worked in the past obviously is not working now....so why not throw in some good foot soldiers in there who are itching for game time, and see if they can't surprise, or at the very least, add stability to the Lightning overall in terms of personnel balance?

 

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47 minutes ago, SaucyJack said:

Palat with 45 seconds left with a bolt of lightning you could say.  TB stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive, ah ah ah ah, stayin’ aLIVE…

Spinal Tap does not approve of that post. 😁

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Once Strome went down the ice was tilted and NY played like a team out of sync. They managed some shots but no sustained pressure. And Vasilevskiy played like Vasilevskiy again. TB was the better team today their stars got it done. For Rangers' fans they can look at it like this: in what was basically a "do or die" game TB needed 59+ mins. to seal the deal; the game was up for grabs right until the very end. G4 is going to be even better!

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I picked the Avs in the family bracket challenge but am really rooting for the Rangers to win it all, just so Vegas can realize how stupid they were for firing Gallant. 

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I hate everything NY, but man I feel for them. It would've been better not to be up 2-0 in the game than to lose it in that manner. A blow out would've been less destructive mentally.

 

Now, the champs are back so to speak. Now, the young Rangers mental health is challenged. Will they wilt now that they blew a 2-0 game and series lead when they had it in their hands to be up 3-0. 

 

This one worked out quite well for Tampa. Only overcoming a larger deficit and later in the game would've been more disheartening for the boys from NYC.

 

Rangers better take Game 4. Another loss and the old grizzled boxing champion may just knock them out after taking a standing 8. 

 

At least we get one series in the Conference finals. 

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13 minutes ago, 3 Palmateers said:

It would've been better not to be up 2-0 in the game than to lose it in that manner. A blow out would've been less destructive mentally.

 

Now, the champs are back so to speak. Now, the young Rangers mental health is challenged.

I think this is quite possible.  How the Rangers play Tuesday will be very interesting. 

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4 hours ago, ClusterChuck said:

Spinal Tap does not approve of that post.

I think we best leave the verity of this unsolved.  🎸 

 

And don’t touch that guitar!  In fact don’t even look, you’ve seen enuffa that!

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  • TropicalFruitGirl26 changed the title to 2021-22 Eastern Conference Finals: Tampa Bay Lightning (A3) at New York Rangers (M2) - (NYR Lead 2-1)
5 hours ago, ClusterChuck said:

Spinal Tap does not approve

On second thought, this is right.  What the Bee-Gee-Zuzz was I thinking?  The boys were much more likely to go with something like this…

 

We’re down two-zero,

Both goals and games;

This ain’t no way to be a Bolt.

But we fought back yo;

We chipped their lead.

And gave those friggin’ Rags a jolt.

 

It’s better in a hell hole!

Y’know where you stand in a hell hole!

Mates lend a hand in a hell hole!

We’re coming back to our hell hole!!

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Didn't get to watch live as it happened due to a family outing, but did DVR the game, avoided all sports outlets (including this forum!), and hubby was kind enough to cuddle and watch the game with me in the evening hours (those damned Lightning, as he calls them :bigteeth: ).

So what did I think?
I thought the Bolts did two big things I hope to see more of for G4:

1--- I found they executed, 5 on 5, much better defensively. They did have their lapses here and there, and had some puck luck (Barclay Goodrow hit a post if I recall), but on the whole, were much harder for the Rangers to try and bypass.
Also part of that was Tampa Bay playing much more physical, both with and without the puck.

2-- I liked the more "attack" mentality the Bolts seem to have. They sped through the neutral zone, busted into the offensive zone firing away a bit more, and definitely driving the net more....all of which caused scrambling, a bit of 'panic', and general disarray for the Ranger defense.

 

Not since the early part of the Pittsburgh series have I seen the NY Rangers look as disheveled playing defense as they did in last night's game. Proof positive that, as good as NY can be, they can STILL be pressured into losing their game planning cool if attacked hard enough....especially those young defenders who are still realizing, if they haven't already, how big of a deal it is for them to have done what they have to this point to a team like the Lightning!

Glad to see Coach Cooper move back to the 12-6 skater set up, as I stated in my criticism of him in an earlier post. I KNOW the man is intelligent, and he proved me right once again by changing what was NOT working against the Rangers previously.
He inserted Riley Nash, who, by himself, is no huge deal, but just having him in there allowed four full lines to roll, and it allowed the 4th line of Maroon, Bellemare, and Nash himself, to be more impactful, particularly playing the body, than they had been earlier in the series.

The Lightning DID play with quite a bit of fire (and were properly burned twice on Ranger PP's) getting real aggressive with the contact to Shesterkin, but I do get what they were trying to do: rattle Igor a bit...get him out of his comfort zone...get him thinking about bodies crashing into him, guys taking extra pokes at his pads and gloves, and in turn, getting the Ranger defense irritated that they had the gall to do that to their goalie.

On the whole, the Champs never really let Shesterkin get completely comfortable. Loved the carrying in of the puck more, taking it to the net, and yea, even the "excuse me, that was an accident....but not really" type of contact they had going against him.
Perhaps with a bit more subtlety next go-round (looking at YOU Perry on that one play...but who otherwise had a great game), so as not to put themselves on the PK at critical times.

 

For NY, Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider continued to drive the Rangers, but when guys like Palat, Kucherov, and Stamkos show up on the scoresheet like they are paid to do, combined with better overall team execution and game planning, even a red hot Zibby can be overcome!

 

I want to see more of this type of play from Tampa Bay for G4. I am pretty sure Coach Cooper sticks with the 12 forwards and 6 defensemen once again and continues the same sort of tactics...probably with a mind to throw in a few extra wrinkles with the assumption that Girard Gallant will have his boys make adjustments to what happened in G3.

 

Should the Lightning go and take G4, THEN I will say we officially have a series once again and it will just come down to a best of 3 for the Prince of Wales trophy and the right to play for Lord Stanley's Cup.
If things revert back what they were for the first two games however, G3 will simply look like a small hiccup for NY, and they could very well be on their way to erasing the Lightning, and any ideas of a three-peat, in short order!

 

Hmm...maybe I should schedule ANOTHER family outing for Tuesday.....seemed to work out pretty well for the Bolts and their fans on Sunday, and not so much for Igor and his team.
Juju magic-thinking at work here :shifty: 


 

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If the Tampa Bay Lightning win the Stanley Cup, it will be Pat Maroon's 4th consecutive Cup, in the salary cap era!

 

Patrick Maroon Stanley Cup Championships

 

2019 - St. Louis Blues

2020 - Tampa Bay Lightning

2021 - Tampa Bay Lightning

2022 - 

 

https://www.nhl.com/player/pat-maroon-8474034

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That was a monumental penalty kill by the Rangers. 

Edited by TropicalFruitGirl26
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