Round #1 Eastern Conference: Tampa Bay Lightning (A1) vs Columbus Blue Jackets (WC2)

[mojo1917]

Ugh and I mean ugh. 

I think @yave1964 and Roenick (I hate saying he's right) hit the nail on the head. Tampa opened the series with some easy scores and couldn't seem to make the adjustment when the CBJ just kept coming. CBJ kept hitting them, kept tying up their sticks, kept winning battles...it was a sweep but CBJ won by attrition, CBJ was ready to fight and TBL needed to get ready to fight and couldn't make the adjustment. 

 

Seth Jones is probably the best young defensman in the league, that guy is on the ice all the time, he can skate it, he can pass it, he can shoot it and don't bring no weak **** to his area because buddy-man will smack you in the mouth.  He's really elevated his play and while some might still take MacKinnon over him, I wouldn't anymore. He was everywhere and Torts did a good job getting him out vs whomever TBL had who was playing well.  

 

bummer I won't be winning a gazillion dollars since my bracket is ****ed, but good for CBJ for finally winning a series. 

 

 

 

[brelic]

Yeah, I can't even understand what I watched. Seriously, Tampa Bay looked timid and disorganized the entire series outside of the 1st period of Game 1. An outsider would never guess they were a regular season juggernaut.

 

I don't know if it's as simple as saying the Blue Jackets have been playing playoff hockey for months and ended the season on a hot streak, while the Lightning haven't really faced adversity or any kind of challenge all year. 

 

Top PP, top PK, most goals scored, record-tying wins, seemingly without flaws. 

 

But none of it mattered.

 

 

[OccamsRazor]

3 hours ago, pilldoc said:

No Presidents’ Trophy winner has ever been swept out of the first round of the playoffs, let alone one that tied the NHL’s record for victories. It’s like getting a perfect SAT score and then misspelling your name on a college application.

 

John Cooper is saying that it was special teams. I'm no coach but what little I saw, this was a total and complete domination of one team by another. Not just on special teams but every little aspect of the game you can name. the Blue Jackets passing was pinpoint and decisive. It seemed like all of Tampa's passes that didn't end up in icing ended up on a Blue Jackets players stick.

 

Simply put, the Bolts had no room. The Blue Jackets had all kinds of room and odd man rushes. They clogged the middle yet were the first ones to the loose pucks on the boards. I know rebounds are not a hockey stat but almost all rebound went right to their sticks at both ends of the ice. This was a complete and total beat down. From a Bolts fan's perspective it is hard finding any positives to come from it this series ......

 

As I mentioned before...the Bolts have some serious soul searching to do ......

 

Yeah that certainly is not a record you want.

 

Basically negates everything they did this regular season.

[OccamsRazor]

The speech....

 

 

...got to love his fire.