Series Talk: [A2] Tampa Bay Lightning vs [A3] Florida Panthers (FLA Leads 3-1)

[Pablo El Perro]

Why didn't they wait until May to schedule game 1?

 

[cowboy82nd]

"Florida vs Tampa" sounds so dumb.

Panthers should have had balls/sense and named it Miami. Miami vs Tampa.

Why, they don’t play in Miami.

 

[KAWAIlllI]

Should be the best series in R1, but can totally see Tampa winning those tight games with 1-2 goals and go 4-0 as well

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

I know you guys beat us in the Cup Final last year but I got nothing against the Panthers so hopefully they win.

 

[Bobby Butler]

The Florida Panther is an actual animal. The Miami Panther is not.

Miami cougars on the other hand are extremely real and spectacular

 

[T REX]

Stamkos was Tampa's best player last year in the playoffs. Scored five goals in five games. Let's see if Guentzel can match that.

I'm a total Stamkos homer but we were power play merchants last year. JBB made me eat so much damn crow it hurt. Jake is way better 5v5 and Stammer fell off a cliff. No doubt Tampa is way better than last year's version. VASY is playing better as well. Tampa will go as far as Vasy takes them IMHO.

 

[BTP]

Don't tell him Tampa Bay isn't the name of an actual city. I'm worried how he'd react.

Tampa Bay still makes sense. Tampa Bay is just the surrounding area/water of Tampa.

“Florida Panthers” is the equivalent of the Sens calling their team the… “Ontario Senators”, which I’m sure we can all agree sounds dumb.

Not a fan of states or provinces that have multiple teams using the state/province as the name.

 

[Kramer Industries]

Really the schedule is so dumb as well because if this goes to 7 games, other teams will likely have 5 or 6 days off before round 2 starts vs maybe 3 days for the winner of this

Every other series has at least one 2-day break mixed in, some even have two. Our series starts last and is the only one on a pure game-off-game-off schedule.

Game 7 of our series is the same day as potential Game 7's in both Metro series' and only one day after Sens-Leafs.

The schedule is still dumb but not really for the reason you state. The scenario you describe could happen with any playoff series'.

 

[Leafsfan74]

First game of the series is on Tuesday? Damn they get far more rest than other teams enjoy.

 

[TheImpatientBoomer]

First game of the series is on Tuesday? Damn they get far more rest than other teams enjoy.

Not necessarily a good thing, rust is a real thing.
It only truly helps Tkachuk who was injured.
A few of our main guys got a game or two of rest during a busier part of the season.

 

[Leafsfan74]

Not necessarily a good thing, rust is a real thing.
It only truly helps Tkachuk who was injured.
A few of our main guys got a game or two of rest during a busier part of the season.

Well the one drawback I considered is if this series goes 7 the winner will have to play the second round with less of a break than the team they are facing, if the schedule (which I haven't looked at past the first game) remains constant in terms of days between. Even worse of course, if the other team they face only required 4 or 5 games to get through.

 

[Gizmoskevich]

Not necessarily a good thing, rust is a real thing.
It only truly helps Tkachuk who was injured.
A few of our main guys got a game or two of rest during a busier part of the season.

lol have you seen our last few games? The rust is already there lmao

 

[Hoek]

Tampa Bay still makes sense. Tampa Bay is just the surrounding area/water of Tampa.

“Florida Panthers” is the equivalent of the Sens calling their team the… “Ontario Senators”, which I’m sure we can all agree sounds dumb.

Not a fan of states or provinces that have multiple teams using the state/province as the name.

The first couple years of the Panthers existence, the Lightning would put "MIAMI" instead of "FLORIDA" on the scoreboard when hosting them, lol. It made more sense then because the Panthers actually played in the Miami arena at the time. Now it would just be wrong in a different way.

 

[ucanthanzalthetruth]

First game of the series is on Tuesday? Damn they get far more rest than other teams enjoy.

The check cleared

 

[Chaos2k7]

This should be one of if not the best first round series, the winner will go far.

 

[Stephen]

This should be one of if not the best first round series, the winner will go far.

I feel like if Florida gets in gear and beats Tampa they will go far. Metro looks like garbage so the finals could be theirs. But if there’s a round 2 between Toronto and Tampa, Tampa is unusually not good against the Leafs and no guarantees for the Lightning.

If Ottawa gets by Toronto in the first round it’s too hard to predict because they’re just a brand new animal and impossible to predict. But a Tkachuk vs Tkachuk would be savage. Ottawa vs Tampa is not that interesting but they are expansion brothers from 1992-93 and I don’t think they’ve ever met. Could be wrong, too lazy to check.

 

[Chaos2k7]

I feel like if Florida gets in gear and beats Tampa they will go far. Metro looks like garbage so the finals could be theirs. But if there’s a round 2 between Toronto and Tampa, Tampa is unusually not good against the Leafs and no guarantees for the Lightning.

If Ottawa gets by Toronto in the first round it’s too hard to predict because they’re just a brand new animal and impossible to predict. But a Tkachuk vs Tkachuk would be savage.

Sadly the Chuckies have promised their Mom they will never square off.

They are different types of rats lol.

 

[Chaos2k7]

The key to slowing down teams like TB and TOR is to own the NZ and Boards. Keep them going East/West.

Easier said than done.

 

[StammerHammer]

I am hoping that the Tampa Bay Lightning win this series and thus advance to the second round.

Me too.

 

[DistantThunderRep]

The key to slowing down teams like TB and TOR is to own the NZ and Boards. Keep them going East/West.

Easier said than done.

Keep them going east west? You mean two teams who literally have the best passers in the game who consistently score the majority of their goals going east to west?

 

[Chaos2k7]

Keep them going east west? You mean two teams who literally have the best passers in the game who consistently score the majority of their goals going east to west?

Two teams that blow the zone early and play the stretch pass game? Yup, keeping them unable to pickup speed in the NZ and out of the middle of the ice in the OZ is paramount.

 

[I am not exposed]

Not necessarily a good thing, rust is a real thing.
It only truly helps Tkachuk who was injured.
A few of our main guys got a game or two of rest during a busier part of the season.

Rust from being awful for a couple of months? It will harm Tampa more than Florida. Tampa have been playing far better recently. The rest probably helps the Panthers.

 

[BackToTheBrierePatch]

Florida just seems to find a way in the playoffs. Should be a great series. Florida in 6

 

[Ratsreign]

 

[Nineteen67]

Hopefully this lives up to the billing. Two great teams but Florida appears to be the best bet at keeping the Cup home.