NHL 1st Round: Atlantic (#2) Tampa Bay Lightning vs Atlantic (#3) Detroil Red Wings

[pilldoc]

In a rematch of last year...Tampa and Detroit renew their playoff rivalry.

 

All discussion for this series should be here.

 

Schedule:

Wed 4/13, 7pm: DET @ TBL | NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports
Fri 4/15, 7pm:DET @ TBL | CNBC, CBC, TVA Sports
Sun 4/17, 7pm: TBL @ DET | CNBC, CBC, TVA Sports
Tue 4/19, 7pm: TBL @ DET | NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports
*Thu 4/21, TBD: DET @ TBL | TBD
*Sun 4/24, TBD: TBL @ DET | TBD
*Tue 4/26, TBD: DET @ TBL | TBD

[AJgoal]

Johnson knocked out of the game today, no idea how bad it is. Could be a huge loss, and they're already down Stamkos.

[Samifan]

Red Wings experience will put them over the top in this series. Loss of Stamkos is huge for the Bolts.

[yave1964]

If everyone is healthy I would say this is a quick series Bolts in 5. Maybe even 4.

 

  But they lost Stamkos, then Stralman, Callahan may or may not play. Now Tyler Johnson who destroyed the Wings in last seasons series injured his shoulder and Coach Cooper says it is serious. Kucherov and Hedman are both banged up as well.

 

   Then throw in the fact that they played so deep in the postseason last year and may face a hangover from losing the cup.

  The Wings were an average team this year, they barely made it, limping in but they are relatively healthy and experienced.

 

Wings in 7.

[ruxpin]

Picking Wings in 7 for the very reasons @yave1964 stated.   Though I would not be stunned by a Bolt win (still in 7).

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Rematch time.

 

Had the Bolts had their full compliment of key players, I honestly, would have picked them in about 5 or 6.

As it stands, the Lightning are gonna have to pull a rabbit or two out of their hats in order to maintain control of this series.

 

Fortunately for TB, and despite missing Stamkos, Stralman, and possibly Callahan and Hedman for the bulk of this series, the Red Wings didn't exactly end the season on a high note, they had been terribly inconsistent all season, and frankly, IMO, I think they snuck into the playoffs based on points garnered by LOSING in OT or a SO.

 

Does that mean the Lightning will have it easy? Absolutely NOT!

Wings-Bolts games are ALWAYS closely contested, including last season's playoff series...Mrazek tends to come up big against the Lightning too.

 

But I am going Bolts in 7 because I think overall, even without key pieces, they have enough to match the Wings....PLUS, I still do believe that Tyler Johnson is president and CEO of Red Wings corporation......

[AJgoal]

17 minutes ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

Rematch time.

 

Had the Bolts had their full compliment of key players, I honestly, would have picked them in about 5 or 6.

As it stands, the Lightning are gonna have to pull a rabbit or two out of their hats in order to maintain control of this series.

 

Fortunately for TB, and despite missing Stamkos, Stralman, and possibly Callahan and Hedman for the bulk of this series, the Red Wings didn't exactly end the season on a high note, they had been terribly inconsistent all season, and frankly, IMO, I think they snuck into the playoffs based on points garnered by LOSING in OT or a SO.

 

Does that mean the Lightning will have it easy? Absolutely NOT!

Wings-Bolts games are ALWAYS closely contested, including last season's playoff series...Mrazek tends to come up big against the Lightning too.

 

But I am going Bolts in 7 because I think overall, even without key pieces, they have enough to match the Wings....PLUS, I still do believe that Tyler Johnson is president and CEO of Red Wings corporation......

 

Still no update on Tyler Johnson, TFG?

[SpikeDDS]

Wings in 7.

 

for a team as mediocre as the Red Wings have been, this was the PERFECT playoff scenario for them. I agree that if TBL had been healthy, the only way I could call this series for the Wings would be with the help of bourbon. LOTS of bourbon! But with the injuries the Lightning have sustained, they aren't the same team, and with Datsyuk having just announced that this will be his last year in the NHL, chalk up extra motivation for the Red Wings to win a series or 2 for Pav.

 

I agree with @TropicalFruitGirl26 that I like Mrazek better in goal, if you look at history, but Howard has played better than Mrazek lately, so he will very likely be starting in net. But I'd be keeping him on a short leash, if I were Blashill. Mrazek's got better game if he can recapture his moxie.

 

I just think that matchup-wise this injury-plagued TBL team is our ideal matchup, and I wish I had more confidence in the Red Wings to call this at 5 or 6, but they have just been too darn inconsistent to let me do it unless I wear my red-and-white-tinged glasses. I think Wings in 5 or 6 is definitely possible, particularly if we go up in the series early.

 

Maybe the most intriguing first round series of these playoffs. Should be very interesting.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

1 hour ago, AJgoal said:

 

Still no update on Tyler Johnson, TFG?

 

Not yet.

I am hoping in this case "no news is good news"

[yave1964]

1 hour ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

 

Not yet.

I am hoping in this case "no news is good news"

No news is god news, as in Johnson out for the next two weeks? Sounds good to me.

[SpikeDDS]

@yave1964

 

Time to update that signature! :-)

[Podein25]

Man, no team luckier than the Wings drawing a beat up Bolts team. Hard to disagree with those saying Wings in 6 or 7.

[B21]

Wings in 6. Just too many injuries for Tampa to overcome.

[OccamsRazor]

I still think the Bolts have enough to pull it out in 7.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Some light at the end of the tunnel for the Lightning:

 

http://lightning.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=878347

 

Seems Victor Hedman, Ryan Callahan, and Nikita Kucherov may be available for the playoff opener.

Tyler Johnson still remains a question, while Stamkos and Stralman, of course, will be out the entire first round.

[hf101]

The Lightning showed a lot of speed in game 1 something Detroit will need to address.  Detroit will need to play 60 min to win this.  After a game 1 loss Mrazek will be back in net for the Redwings and they will take games 2 and 3 and 5 and 6 for the series win.

[OccamsRazor]

1 minute ago, hf101 said:

The Lightning showed a lot of speed in game 1 something Detroit will need to address.  Detroit will need to play 60 min to win this.  After a game 1 loss Mrazek will be back in net for the Redwings and they will take games 2 and 3 and 5 and 6 for the series win.

 

 

Why wasn't Mrazek in net to begin with? I thought he was the best goalie to begin with. That decision might come back to haunt them for sure.

 

And yes i don't think they will have an answer for that speed.

[hf101]

4 minutes ago, OccamsRazor said:

 

 

Why wasn't Mrazek in net to begin with? I thought he was the best goalie to begin with. That decision might come back to haunt them for sure.

 

And yes i don't think they will have an answer for that speed.

Mrazek didn't play well down the stretch.  Howard had some strong games to earn a playoff bid and to earn the #1 start for game 1.

[yave1964]

On Tuesday, April 12, 2016 at 5:30 PM, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

Some light at the end of the tunnel for the Lightning:

 

http://lightning.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=878347

 

Seems Victor Hedman, Ryan Callahan, and Nikita Kucherov may be available for the playoff opener.

Tyler Johnson still remains a question, while Stamkos and Stralman, of course, will be out the entire first round.

Game one to your boys, but WOW what a fun, intense game it was. Loved it! The rivalry took no time a tall to shine through, every shift was life or death, it was my kind of game. We will get you Friday!!

[SpikeDDS]

On April 14, 2016 at 10:48 PM, hf101 said:

The Lightning showed a lot of speed in game 1 something Detroit will need to address.  Detroit will need to play 60 min to win this.  After a game 1 loss Mrazek will be back in net for the Redwings and they will take games 2 and 3 and 5 and 6 for the series win.

There is an article in the Freep today saying that Howard should start Game 2, because replacing him with Mrazek would show that the Wings are panicking. I disagree on both points.

 

Even though he didn't play BADLY in Game 1, he did let in a somewhat questionable goal (Kucherov's second) that he could have stopped. With his performance in the playoffs last year, I'd give Mrazek the nod for Game 2.

 

Unfortunately, the tea leaves seem to say it will be Howard again, and while I don't think this is BAD, I think I would prefer putting Mrazek back in. The potential to stop the TBL is greater with Petr in net, IF he regains his moxie.

 

And I don't think switching shows panic. It shows that you're trying to find the players who have the best chance to win, period. Gotta have either goalie on a short leash, however. But, hoping Mrazek will get hot again. He can't do that on the bench, and Howard hasn't shown he can do that for more than a game. 

[yave1964]

I agree spike, it should be Mrazek in this one, absolutely no question. It is easily the biggest game of the year, win we are still avile, lose it is over. Howard won a few games down the stretch but was awful in others and Mrazek has a history of having the Lightnings number.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Two very spirited games, and two big wins for the defending Eastern Champs.

 

The challenge for the Lightning moving forward will be continuing to be able to match the Wings, hit for hit, trick for trick, while still continuing to attack the net in the manner that they have till now.

 

I am guessing the Wings will turn to Petr Mrazek for Game 3, and that in itself will provide a new challenge for the Bolts.

But Jon Cooper's guys need to understand that for the next two games, not only will they likely see the better of the two Detroit goalies, but they no longer have the match up advantage that it seems the TB head coach was using to his tremendous advantage.

 

Bolts players will need to make adjustments as the Wings will surely flip the script and ensure THEY have the guys they want on the ice against certain Bolts lines.

 

Not sure yet on the status of JT Brown, but if he can't play, it will be a huge loss, as he, Brian Boyle, Cedric Paquette, and Ryan Callahan are the leaders in making sure the Wings don't take over this series physically.

Jonathan Drouin has been playing like a man possessed as well, doing everything from being involved in the offense, to the physical play as well.

Nothing like a little suspension, lost money, and embarrassment of being called a "whiner" to get a guy going, eh?

Whatever it takes, I guess.........

 

Wings-Bolts games used to be played sorta gentleman-like, with both teams preferring the skill play over the nastiness.

But starting with last season's series and moving into this one, I think it's official:  These two teams don't like each other and will do just about anything to ensure bodily harm on the other during the play on the ice.

 

Whatever the outcome, one thing is for sure: this series is not even CLOSE to being boring. Who says skilled teams can't play a roughneck game? Both the Bolts and Wings are proving they can be as nasty as any team in the league.

 

Game 3 tomorrow night....for the Bolts, looking for a chokehold on the Wings...for Detroit, a way to get back into this and get fired up for the home crowd.

 

 

[Hose Head]

Tampa Bay is going to take this in 5.

[SpikeDDS]

Who was this team on the ice that was in red and white? I vaguely remember seeing them play a few weeks/months ago, but it's sketchy.

 

The Red Wings played like we haven't played in quite some time last night. A 2-0 shutout of a depleted, but still very offensively talented TBL team. Mrazek did EXACTLY what he needed to do--played with moxie. But more important than that, the Wings didn't play so that he had to stand on his head to let him show everyone that he has it. To hold TBL to 16 shots on net? That surprised me. That Mrazek was able to get the shutout only facing 16 goals did NOT surprise me.

 

I don't know why we have to wait until we are down 2-0 in a series to put this kind of game together. To me it shows one of two things (or both). The fact that we know we CAN play this level of hockey but don't always do it means either:

 

1. Our leadership does not know how to properly prepare to play on a consistent basis. They have it in them, but leadership is allowing players to wait until we are desperate before they bring their A-game.

 

2. That this was only one game, and even a lousy team can get things together for one game, and if a lousy team can do it, so can an average one.

 

Not sure which one this was, but either way, it was a VERY important game to let Mrazek get back on his skates and show that he IS the competitor that we have seen him be before. Mrazek getting hot is our BEST shot at winning this series. Maybe our ONLY shot! This was a very good game to let him establish himself and announce that the REAL goaltending battle has just begun with Bishop.

 

Other observations:

 

As @yave1964 and I have been saying now for quite a while, Athanasiou (AA) should be getting premium ice time. He may be the most creative player we have right now. He has consistently shown his ability to do that even going back to the preseason, when had it not been for all the press talking about Larkin, AA would have been the kid who could possibly make this roster. Well, right now, he may be our best skater. Did you see that sick move that he made on Garrison in the 1st period? Too bad he missed the net. But that kind of creativity and ability should be on the ice as much as possible.

 

This was EASILY Kronwall's best game in a while. I guess he woke up from his slumber. Good to see. We need him leading by example and not just providing it in the dressing room.

 

This was easily Brendan Smith's best game in a while. Of course, he's been on the bench for a while. Good for him making the most of this opportunity. He set the tone for the game in the first with that hit on Paquette. Good for him, and good for us. Abby can't be the only one doing that.

 

Our PP was 0-fer again, even with a 5-on-3. Not gonna say Mantha's name again...whoops! Why would we ever need a power play goal?

 

Bishop was sharp. AA's shot that beat him was so quick and was perfectly placed, and Z's goal off two skates and two other things before it went in was a fluke goal which I will gladly take, but it was still a fluke that I can't blame Bishop for. Mrazek has got his hands full battling that guy.

 

We just made this more interesting. Hope we can sustain it. Will make for a much more interesting series if we do. We now know it is possible.

 

Why did we wait until Game 3 to start Mrazek again? Gonna give a nod to @Old School Hockey who called it that Howard would cost us two games. I'll still maintain that it wasn't Howard alone, but I WOULD have started Mrazek in Game 2, and so I blame Blashill for how badly we lost Game 2. Can't deny that OSH was right about the result, even if I don't think it was all Howard's fault. We are just a different team when Mrazek is in net. Why Blashill couldn't see that, I don't know. The press was saying if he switched Howard out for Mrazek for Game 2 that it would look like the Red Wings were desperate. Well, he waits until we are down 2-0, when we actually ARE desperate! Why? Better late than never, I guess.

 

Having said that, I DO think that Mrazek playing in game 2 may not have been as beneficial for him regaining his moxie as playing this game was. Since his teammates played so well in front of him, he gets the donut and takes that into the next game. He starts Game 2 and lets in a couple, and we may not have much of a series then. There could actually be an argument that Blashill's timing was right, even if I didn't (and still don't) agree.

[Old School Hockey]

4 hours ago, SpikeDDS said:

Who was this team on the ice that was in red and white? I vaguely remember seeing them play a few weeks/months ago, but it's sketchy.

 

The Red Wings played like we haven't played in quite some time last night. A 2-0 shutout of a depleted, but still very offensively talented TBL team. Mrazek did EXACTLY what he needed to do--played with moxie. But more important than that, the Wings didn't play so that he had to stand on his head to let him show everyone that he has it. To hold TBL to 16 shots on net? That surprised me. That Mrazek was able to get the shutout only facing 16 goals did NOT surprise me.

 

I don't know why we have to wait until we are down 2-0 in a series to put this kind of game together. To me it shows one of two things (or both). The fact that we know we CAN play this level of hockey but don't always do it means either:

 

1. Our leadership does not know how to properly prepare to play on a consistent basis. They have it in them, but leadership is allowing players to wait until we are desperate before they bring their A-game.

 

2. That this was only one game, and even a lousy team can get things together for one game, and if a lousy team can do it, so can an average one.

 

Not sure which one this was, but either way, it was a VERY important game to let Mrazek get back on his skates and show that he IS the competitor that we have seen him be before. Mrazek getting hot is our BEST shot at winning this series. Maybe our ONLY shot! This was a very good game to let him establish himself and announce that the REAL goaltending battle has just begun with Bishop.

 

Other observations:

 

As @yave1964 and I have been saying now for quite a while, Athanasiou (AA) should be getting premium ice time. He may be the most creative player we have right now. He has consistently shown his ability to do that even going back to the preseason, when had it not been for all the press talking about Larkin, AA would have been the kid who could possibly make this roster. Well, right now, he may be our best skater. Did you see that sick move that he made on Garrison in the 1st period? Too bad he missed the net. But that kind of creativity and ability should be on the ice as much as possible.

 

This was EASILY Kronwall's best game in a while. I guess he woke up from his slumber. Good to see. We need him leading by example and not just providing it in the dressing room.

 

This was easily Brendan Smith's best game in a while. Of course, he's been on the bench for a while. Good for him making the most of this opportunity. He set the tone for the game in the first with that hit on Paquette. Good for him, and good for us. Abby can't be the only one doing that.

 

Our PP was 0-fer again, even with a 5-on-3. Not gonna say Mantha's name again...whoops! Why would we ever need a power play goal?

 

Bishop was sharp. AA's shot that beat him was so quick and was perfectly placed, and Z's goal off two skates and two other things before it went in was a fluke goal which I will gladly take, but it was still a fluke that I can't blame Bishop for. Mrazek has got his hands full battling that guy.

 

We just made this more interesting. Hope we can sustain it. Will make for a much more interesting series if we do. We now know it is possible.

 

Why did we wait until Game 3 to start Mrazek again? Gonna give a nod to @Old School Hockey who called it that Howard would cost us two games. I'll still maintain that it wasn't Howard alone, but I WOULD have started Mrazek in Game 2, and so I blame Blashill for how badly we lost Game 2. Can't deny that OSH was right about the result, even if I don't think it was all Howard's fault. We are just a different team when Mrazek is in net. Why Blashill couldn't see that, I don't know. The press was saying if he switched Howard out for Mrazek for Game 2 that it would look like the Red Wings were desperate. Well, he waits until we are down 2-0, when we actually ARE desperate! Why? Better late than never, I guess.

 

Having said that, I DO think that Mrazek playing in game 2 may not have been as beneficial for him regaining his moxie as playing this game was. Since his teammates played so well in front of him, he gets the donut and takes that into the next game. He starts Game 2 and lets in a couple, and we may not have much of a series then. There could actually be an argument that Blashill's timing was right, even if I didn't (and still don't) agree.

There's no joy in being right in this regard.  Sure wish I was wrong, now the margin of error is very small.