2021-22 Stanley Cup Finals: Tampa Bay Lightning (Wales Champion) at Colorado Avalanche (Campbell Champion) - (COL WINS 4-2)

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

ENOUGH with the talking heads on TV!

Ready to get this thing started TONIGHT!!
The big boys of the NHL are all gonna be on display, and hopefully, two full rosters, stars and lunch pail guys alike...all ready to go!

With any luck, Jon Cooper has had his guys practice in depressurized rinks  to help account for the thin air and have Game plans A, B, C, D and Q all ready for a formidable Avs' team.

As for the Avs themselves, hoping for them to have Kadri, Cogliano, Krupp, Forsberg, Lemieux, and whomever else they need on their roster and be at their best!
If they are at their best, they COULD be the next Champions..... if they are not at their best, then the Bolts will win their 3rd in a row and I want NO crying or excuses (again!) from Avs fans that it was because they were missing this guy, or that guy...

You play with what you have, next man up, all that good stuff. 
Bolts have had to do it like that, as have other past champions, so can the Avs if they are really good enough.

Ready to roll with this already...let's go boys!
T-minus 6 hours...

Edited June 15, 2022 by TropicalFruitGirl26

[Captain Lando]

There are going to be NO EXCUSES. This is the team we wanted in the finals. Why not want the champs to attempt to take them down off the top.  I have already heard that the Avs have rolled into this final because they have not had great competition in the previous rounds and I call B.S. on all of that. 

 

In the first round before it started many were saying that Nashville would give them a test because of their defense. That didn't happen and then what we heard, it was because they didn't have Saros. 

 

Then when St. Louis came around they were the team going to challenge us because they had experience and we took them down. Then we heard it was because Binnington was hurt.

 

Then the Oilers rolled in and all the McDavid talk and Draisaitl. Then they got swept and it was all the Draisaitl was hurt.

 

I don't want to hear any of this from this series. The Tampa Bay series is definitely going to go down as the toughest series for both of the teams by far and I want both of the teams at 100%. Will they be at 100%, I don't know but I want Point to come back for Tampa Bay because if the Avs raise that cup , I want it to come against the best team the Lightning can put on the ice. 

 

This is going to be loads of fun and at this moment I am feeling the excitement already building. 

 

 

 

 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

55 minutes ago, FireDillabaugh said:

Apparently, he's back.  He's a playoff performer.  And players like this can be huge boosts for their teams.

 

https://www.tsn.ca/tampa-bay-lightning-brayden-point-colorado-avalanche-game-1-stanley-cup-final-1.1813398

 

Glad to see this, although I really do hope the Bolts aren't rushing him back, or more likely, Point rushing himself, convincing the medical and training staff he is fit to play, but could be borderline.

I understand almost all players are beat up to a degree, but it would be foolish for anyone to "hope" Point is ok, throw him in there, and then, not only are the Bolts without his services for the deciding games later on, but might be without him to start next season.

I will trust the TB process here and their judgement to do right by the player and not let Point be his own "physician".
From a pure fan point of view, I certainly am looking forward to seeing him play!

Should slot everyone else accordingly, however, I do hope they keep Stamkos as a Center (whether 1C or 2C, doesn't matter), as despite what many may think, Stamkos is more effective and engaged in games when he is in the center position as opposed to wing.

Edited June 15, 2022 by TropicalFruitGirl26

[Jimtown guy]

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

2 minutes ago, FireDillabaugh said:

Probably won't happen.  I think Cooper really likes Point at that center position.  But, I agree.  Especially with how well he's played in most of these playoff games.  With the way he's worked and produced, I would think Cooper would want to keep that in the center position of their system.  Add to that, Point being out for a month and now playing in Colorado at that altitude, I would think Cooper would want to limit Point's ice time a bit, at least for the 2 games in Colorado, from what he was playing before his injury.

 

Both Stamkos and Point can play the center positions (one is 1C, other 2C)....it would mean moving Cirelli down to 3C, which is fine because he and his line have been playing the roles of 'shut down', which is traditionally a 3rd line duty anyways.

Nick Paul can slide over to wing, keep the 4th line the same with Bellemare-Maroon-and probably Perry, since Nash won't suit up if Point does.

Obviously Coach Cooper is gonna do what he is gonna do, and yea, he might move Stammer back to wing, but I have seen lineups throughout the year where both Stamkos and Point are in the C positions in the top six.

As for limiting Point's minutes, that sounds like both a good idea and bad at the same time.... good because, yes, long layoff, thin air, fast opponent, etc... but bad because the guy IS a driver on the team and one of the few on the Bolts that can keep up with the likes of a MacKinnon or Makar with raw speed.

But again, Cooper knows his guys, and he has the track record to back him up....plus, what Coach Cooper starts with, usually isn't what he ends up with, so shows he isn't afraid to change things and admit, via actions, that what he was doing wasn't working.

Many of these Lightning players have been together so long, that they are almost interchangeable on lines and defense pairings making it easier for the head coach to mix guys up without reworking the chemistry too much.
Reason #67 why the Lightning are tough to game plan against.

[FD19372]

2 hours ago, FireDillabaugh said:

Probably won't happen.  I think Cooper really likes Point at that center position.  But, I agree.  Especially with how well Stamkos has played in most of these playoff games.  With the way he's worked and produced, I would think Cooper would want to keep that in the center position of their system.  Add to that, Point being out for a month and now playing in Colorado at that altitude, I would think Cooper would want to limit Point's ice time a bit, at least for the 2 games in Colorado, from what he was playing before his injury.

 

 

I think you'll see Point, predominantly on the power play. I think the five on five, in the high altitude will slightly limit his minutes in that capacity. Do I think his minutes will be DRASTICALLY reduced? No.

[FD19372]

Ten minutes until puck drop. As I said before, dead even series, in so many ways. Both power plays and offenses are spectacular, I think Makar continues his hot play, and wins the Conn Smythe... but it wouldn't surprise me a little bit, if Vasilevskiy wins it and becomes the first player on a losing team since J.S. Giguere of the Mighty Ducks in 2003, to win it for a losing team...that wouldn't surprise me, either. I like the Avs D a bit more, but I like the Lightning's penalty kill unit a bit more, also. The Lightning have the best goalie in the world, so they have an edge there. This should be the best SC final series since 2001, IMHO.

Edited June 15, 2022 by FD19372

[Captain Lando]

Damn I'm excited. 

[Buffalo Rick]

Colorado in 6.  Can’t stand either team

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

17 minutes ago, Hockey Junkie said:

Colorado in 6.  Can’t stand either team

 

Would that be because BOTH are even MORE 'loaded' than the St. Louis Blues?  

[FD19372]

1 minute ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

 

Would that be because BOTH are even MORE 'loaded' than the St. Louis Blues?  

Nope. They just won harder.

[Buffalo Rick]

3 minutes ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

 

Would that be because BOTH are even MORE 'loaded' than the St. Louis Blues?  

No they aren’t and remember, the Blues took Colorado to the brink if not for that goal with 4 seconds left.  Binnington injur  tv did not help.  Blues are a damn good team.  And what is Cooper thinking?  Pat Maroon is a liability out there

[FD19372]

Manson, to the box.. for holding Paul's stick.

[FD19372]

Vas had it and lost it under his arm. 1-0 Avs, on a shot by Rantanen.

[Buffalo Rick]

Goooooooollla!   Ole. Ole ole

[FD19372]

Correction: They gave the goal to Landeskog.

[Captain Lando]

Mikko Rantanen!!!

Edited June 16, 2022 by Captain Lando

[FD19372]

Nichuskin makes it 2-0. Not a good goal let up by #88.

[Buffalo Rick]

Dance to the music Cooper!!!

[Captain Lando]

Valeri Nichushkin makes it 2-0.

 

The speed of the Avs is causing trouble for the Lightning. 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Fast start by the Avs after what looked like a reasonable effort by the Lightning defenders.

One leaky goal, and a very costly turnover sees Colorado in front though.
Bolts slow starting on the scoreboard again....gotta ramp up to speed....don't let this game get away, Avs were making some defensive errors, Champs just gotta catch them at it!

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

And there we go...

Defensive gaffe by the Avs, Nick Paul says, "Thank you very much", and score.
Champs on the board, 2-1 Colorado now.

[FD19372]

Paul scores on a good play to get it to the net, but Kuemper's gonna want that one back, in spite of the fact that Erik Johnson's stick didn't help matters much.

[Captain Lando]

Nice botched up goal by Nick Paul, but it counts. 2-1 Avs. 

[NoGoal]

Terrible positioning by Kuemper.