EAST Playoffs '23-'24 Round 1: (WC1) Tampa Bay Lightning at (A1) Florida Panthers (FLA Wins 4-1)

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

                                                      

 

State of Florida rivals meet once again.
Now a true rivalry, the Lightning have had the better of things in the playoffs, but is it time for the Panthers to turn things around?

If they can, they'd be doing it at the expense of one of the more successful postseason franchises of the last few years and should wipe away ANY sentiments of them being 'Cinderellas' after last year's Cup Finals run where they fell to the Vegas Knights.

Panthers did take the season series 2-1, so if that has any merit, they have that they can lean on.

Tampa Bay Lightning tale of the tape:
Season Record: 45-29-8, 98 pts_______ Home/Road Splits: 25-11-5 / 20-18-3

Offense/Defense: 291 GF, 268 GA good for a +23 differential
Special Teams: PP 28.6% (1st), PK 83.3% (5th)

 

Florida Panthers tale of the tape:
Season Record: 52-24-6, 110 pts____ Home/Road Splits: 26-13-2 / 26-11-4
Offense/Defense: 268 GF, 200 GA good for a +68 differential

Special Teams: PP 23.5% (8th), PK 82.5% (6th)

Wanna talk Bolts n Cats?
This is the thread to do it in!

Edited yesterday at 01:51 AM by TropicalFruitGirl26

[mojo1917]

hoo-boy I think this will be a fun series. 

There is still plenty of animosity between these teams, so this will be appointment viewing for me.

I have no idea what will happen. If Vasievski plays well it could go the distance with an upset. If he plays like he has for most of this year. Cats in 6

I picked cats in 7

[thegx.ca]

Coin flip for me here but giving Bolts the edge because of Cooper so Tampa in 7...

[Math]

Goalies: 

Defense: 

Offense: 

Special teams (PP/PK): 

Coaching: 

Mental: 

Experience: 

Robustness: 

Depth: 

 

Ok, It's almost a coin flip for every category. Just because Florida will have the advantage of the last line-up change with 1 minute remaining of a tied game #7 with a face-off on the offensive zone, I'm going with the kittens.

 

Florida in 7.

[FD19372]

This is a very even series. I think Barkov and Tkachuk step it up and have a big Game 7, and Florida pulls the series out at home.

[Brewin Flames]

I just want to watch them beat the stuffing out of each other....

 

Tampa in 7

[FD19372]

Stars in 6 

Oilers in 7

Canucks in 6

Jets in 6

 

Panthers in 7

Rangers in 7

Bruins in 7

Hurricanes in 7.

 

I wasn't sure what the right place for my picks was. So I'm putting them here. Obviously, based on my picks, it should be one hell of a first round.

 

I'm picking Florida over Dallas in 6, to win the Stanley Cup.

 

[yave1964]

Been waiting for this series for decades, elite Panthers easily handle aging bolts

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

I wasn't going to vote on this one due to my heavy, heavy bias with this particular match up, but, will throw something on here with regards to a pick (and try not to sound TOO homerish in the process  ) 

TB obviously isn't the same level team as when they won those Cups in recent seasons. Salary cap and the shedding of players the team didn't want to shed will do that.
However, their core is still viable, albeit, older, and overall, the team can still score with the best of them and still have Andrei Vasilevskiy in net (such as he is in his recovery year) and still have plenty of guys that know what it takes to win under pressure.
Oh, but the defensive schemes this team now employs....yikes....

Panthers I give much credit and respect for what they are building, continue to build, and in fact, may have already built: and that is a legit Cup contender. And the combo of Bobrovsky and Stolarz in net is simply awesome.

That all said, and here is where my homer nature comes into play, as long as the Lightning aren't a ridiculous "lucky to be there team" (they are NOT), I can feel safe picking them to win.
As good as the Panthers are, and they MAY be better than the Lightning at this point, Florida has yet to prove they can actually beat the Lightning under playoff scenarios.

And if the Bolts find some way to defend better, then this series is all but cinched! 
Could be a surprisingly short series.

But, I won't sell Florida short like that, also, the Bolts haven't proven they can defend at a championship level on a consistent basis.
So homer pick is, and taking nothing away from the considerable capabilities of the Florida Panthers, Bolts in 7, as they make things harder on themselves than they probably needed to be en route to series win.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

I already don't like the way the Bolts have started.

Florida is, correctly, pressuring them on puck retrievals, and the Lightning are biting on the "I better hurry or else" type mentality.
And it leads to a Panther opening goal.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Just over 6 minutes left in the 1st, and ZERO shots on goal for the Lightning.
Inexcusable.
They are buying right into what the Panthers are selling, and they ARE better than that!

They need to look at video and see they do have more time than they think they do to make plays, and push back on Florida, at least make them play in their own end for awhile.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

There ya go, Bolts!
See that?

Pressure them back, get to pucks just as quickly as Florida has been...pepper Bobrovsky... goal.

1-1 game

[FD19372]

Florida is my pick to win the Cup, and was at the start of the season. They can beat you any way that you want to play, and they have the goaltending, offense and mobile defense to do so. I'm surprised more so-called experts aren't picking them, to win it all. They can give any team in the league fits, and can answer the tenacity and skill, of teams like the Rangers, Lightning and Bruins.

Edited April 21 by FD19372

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

9 minutes ago, FD19372 said:

Florida is my pick to win the Cup, and was at the start of the season. They can beat you any way that you want to play, and they have the goaltending, offense and mobile defense to do so. I'm surprised more so-called experts aren't picking them, to win it all. They can give any team in the league fits, and can answer the tenacity and skill, of teams like the Rangers, Lightning and Bruins.

 

Putting my homerism aside for a minute (just a small minute!  ), I'd say your pick is pretty viable for the reasons you mentioned.
And  the so-called experts are probably the same people who thought Florida's run to the Finals was a 'fluke' or a Cinderella run LAST season.
It was not.
Panthers underperformed last year during the season, and put it together finally in the playoffs.
They deserved to be in there against the Knights, and this season, they are simply continuing what they started during those playoffs.

Ok...the minute is over, and Homer TFG is back.  
Bolts hold their own destinies in their hands (or sticks).
They look jittery out there, almost as if they are over anticipating the Panthers hitting them, pushing their offense, the whole nine yards.

Once the Lightning realize they can hang with them in those same areas, as they showed late in the first, this series is anything but decided Florida's way.
 

Edited April 21 by TropicalFruitGirl26

[FD19372]

3 minutes ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

Once the Lightning realize they can hang with them in those same areas, as they showed late in the first, this series is anything but decided Florida's way.
 

I agree. It should one hell of a great, back and forth series. Two teams with a ton of skill, savvy and firepower. I have the Panthers winning it in 7.

Edited April 21 by FD19372

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Nice hit by Mat Dumba on Florida's Stenlund in open ice. Shoulder to shoulder and puts the Panther player on his arse!

Mat Dumba may do some stupid things on the ice here and there, and he may turn the puck over a bit more than coaches and fans would like, but when he is focused, he does help move the offense and does things like that plastering of Stenlund just now.

I wanna see Dumba, Cernak, Cirelli, Paul use their size and/or tenacity to do more of that. Irritate the Panthers a bit.
Not hard to get them all stirred up.

Big boom hits....ya love to see it!

[FD19372]

3-1 Panthers, as Tkachuk probably seals Game 1, with an empty netter. This series is going 7.  I'm pretty sure of it.

[FD19372]

Verhaeghe, you're playing for not playing for Tampa anymore. lol 

[Brewin Flames]

15 minutes ago, FD19372 said:

3-1 Panthers, as Tkachuk probably seals Game 1, with an empty netter. This series is going 7.  I'm pretty sure of it.

 

 

Yup

[FD19372]

Holy crap...what a save by Bobrovsky on Dumba. Back turned as Dumba tried to flip it into what he thought was an empty net, and Bob got across and got his glove on it..somehow to keep it out. That's the best save I've seen this season.

[Jimtown guy]

10 minutes ago, FD19372 said:

Holy crap...what a save by Bobrovsky on Dumba. Back turned as Dumba tried to flip it into what he thought was an empty net, and Bob got across and got his glove on it..somehow to keep it out. That's the best save I've seen this season.

Here it is 

 

https://bleacherreport.com/videos/564836-sergei-bobrovsky-makes-a-save

[FD19372]

Great chances for both teams, and both goalies have come up huge. Vas made a great save on Tkachuk, almost as tremendous as Bobrovsky's,

Edited April 24 by FD19372

[Jimtown guy]

20 minutes ago, FD19372 said:

Great chances for both teams, and both goalies have come up huge. Vas made a great save on Tkachuk, almost as tremendous as Bobrovsky's,

Both goalies playing out of their minds 

[Jimtown guy]

Finally an overtime game 

[Brewin Flames]

8 hours ago, Jimtown guy said:

Both goalies playing out of their minds