*OFFICIAL 2022 Tampa Bay Lightning Thread*

[Hammy]

Damn…this is crazy!

[Kress]

The Lightning looked absolutely gassed from about mid 3rd period on. I don't know if it's Colorado's speed, the physicality of that game, the thin air up there, or a combination of a bunch of things, but damn. I've never seen these guys look so obviously spent. Hell, even the stupid delay of game penalty by Maroon was him trying to flip the puck out of there so he could get his ass off the ice, but he was too spent to even do that properly.

That being said, this series is Vasy's to win or lose. I like those chances.

[Digital_Damage]

Getting skunked on the PP is a problem. The biggest issues with that game was Colorado nearly doubling the shots on goal.

Cooper is looking at the long view. Very even distribution with TOI, Colorado ran their first line ragged. Makar was out there half the match.

[Rocker]

Time to make a best of 5.

[Rocker]

[IronDog]

Dod the 70's and 2010's Bucs players steal the Lightning unis? Crimony, thes guys don't look like a team favored to walk away with the trophy.

[IronDog]

It's like the bolts are playing down one or two.

Crap. Now 5-0. And the Avs basically walked down and gracefully placed the puck in the net.

[Snake]

It’s over

[Kress]

That was the most thorough hockey beating I think I have ever seen. The entire game felt like defending a power play - with their forecheck, I was just happy any time I saw the puck leave our zone.

[Digital_Damage]

Unfortunately, this is going just about how I thought it would.

Cooper is trying to get their Defensemen to play honest by committing ours. It has failed spectacularly.

Colorado went in way more balanced with their lines this game and the score shows. The inexplicable extra day off between games worked against us.

Another skunk on the powerplay... smh

[Kress]

Unfortunately, this is going just about how I thought it would.

Cooper is trying to get their Defensemen to play honest by committing ours. It has failed spectacularly.

Colorado went in way more balanced with their lines this game and the score shows. The inexplicable extra day off between games worked against us.

Another skunk on the powerplay... smh

Our three keys to this series were to test their goalie, test their coach, and test their resolve in the face of adversity. We haven't so much as sniffed a single one of the three.

[Phantom]

They finally woke up

[Digital_Damage]

Damn that Kucherov injury does not look good...

[Rocker]

Aint no party like a back to back champion defending home ice party dont stoooooppppppppppppppppp......

[Kress]

Our three keys to this series were to test their goalie, test their coach, and test their resolve in the face of adversity. We haven't so much as sniffed a single one of the three.

And just like that, 3 out of 3.

[Phantom]

Good news on Kucherov, but bad news on Point

https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/341 ... t-doubtful

[Rocker]

Good news on Kucherov, but bad news on Point

https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/341 ... t-doubtful

We looked like ass in a hairnet with Pointer in this series. Let him heal, he's still not right.

[IronDog]

So, we lost in OT, again, but this time at home. Now we have to go back to the O2 deprived mile-high city, where we got embarrassed on national tv. Are we done?

[Kress]

Don't get me wrong, the Avalanche are the better team and should win the Cup regardless, but.... Come on now. Delete the goal, put the Lightning on a power play, and we could be having a different conversation.

Nazem Kadri dramatically capped his accelerated return from thumb surgery on the disputed play, floating a beauty past Andrei Vasilevskiy 12 minutes, 2 seconds into OT, at the end of an 11-second shift that Cooper insinuated the Avalanche should have been whistled for, with too many men on the ice.

Kadri was on the ice for four seconds and had possession of the puck along the blue line by the time the man he changed for — an idling Nathan MacKinnon — finally got to the bench. It appears on replay that Kadri thought he was changing for Valeri Nichushkin, who ended up staying on the ice and engaged in the play. MacKinnon was still on the ice at the bench along the blue line when Kadri skated into the offensive zone with the puck.

Kadri’s goal put the Avalanche one win from their third Stanley Cup title and first since 2001, with Game 5 in Denver on Friday night.

[Snake]

That’s pretty bad. The refrain is “it didn’t change anything!1” but the rules are the rules…

[Digital_Damage]

That’s pretty bad. The refrain is “it didn’t change anything!1” but the rules are the rules…

Despite what knuckleheads Like Subban (always has been a doofus) think. It changed everything.

Resulted in an OT Goal in game 4 to put it 3 games to 1. I could be wrong, but I think the last time someone came back from a hole like that in the Stanley Cup final was 1942...

[Kress]

So, three in a row to make it three in a row.

Piece of pie.
Easy as cake.

[IronDog]

That’s pretty bad. The refrain is “it didn’t change anything!1” but the rules are the rules…

Despite what knuckleheads Like Subban (always has been a doofus) think. It changed everything.

Resulted in an OT Goal in game 4 to put it 3 games to 1. I could be wrong, but I think the last time someone came back from a hole like that in the Stanley Cup final was 1942...

So, if I read that correctly, you are stating that we're re due. Good on yer, mate.

[Phantom]

Game 6!

[Dread]

Huge win for a few reasons last night. Pressure starts to mount for Colorado now. The breaks/puck luck has been very one-sided this series so hopefully that will start to even out some

Bolts will either have to lose at home or in a game 7. I like their chances still despite just being down 3-1 to an Avs team that has younger and faster skaters.

Bolts at Amile in a must win game 6, then Vasy in a game 7! LFG!!

[Buc2]

Here’s a nice write-up on Palat.

https://defector.com/ondrej-palat-is-al ... -need-him/

[Phantom]

Brayden Point to miss fourth straight Stanley Cup Final game

We need him for winner take all for game 7if lightning win tonight

[IronDog]

Damn, phantom, damn.

When, not if, when.

[Phantom]

Damn, phantom, damn.

When, not if, when.

My bad..

Let go Lightning!

[Kona]

Heck of a year for the Lightning. Didn’t end the way we wanted, but man was it entertaining post season. Thanks Bolts!

[Buc2]

Sad ending to and damned fine season.

[Snake]

When they were up 1-0 after one period, I started getting excited. Dang.

[BJJ34]

All good(salary cup manipulation) things must come to an end.

[Kress]

When they were up 1-0 after one period, I started getting excited. Dang.

I needed much more than 1 goal to get me excited. Unlike the past couple of games, where it seemed like an even back-and-forth, Colorado suddenly looked like someone put their tape on fast forward again. Between their speed and their relentless forechecking, I did not like what I was seeing. Not one bit.

That, and we were surviving by guys throwing their bodies in front of pucks. That's great and all - both for effectiveness and for the heart it shows - but it's a double-edged sword, and it bit us yet again. Blocking shots sometimes means deflecting and redirecting shots. How many Colorado goals went in clean, versus those that bounced off 20 different things first? Much more the latter, it seemed.

Oh well. It was a fantastic and entertaining season. Well played, Bolts. Well played.

[Crocaneers]

Sad ending to and damned fine season.

Agreed .... still ChampaBay!!