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Fresh From The Oven
Not one Tampa Bay forward averaged more than 19 minutes a night, the top-9 cutting off at around 16 minutes a night. This is significantly different than the previous year where they had five guys over that 19 minute mark with Stamkos going down so early. More than one way to win except the constant factor here is the otherworldly production out of Kucherov and Point, year after year. They won in spite of Stamkos’s decline in play by maximizing his power play effectiveness. Point had yet another remarkable post season…I wonder if he gets Marner/Matthews/Tavares money coming off of the bridge. Hedman, McDonaugh and Sergachev carried the mail on defence.
This is very similar to Toronto. Top-end forwards, one of whom (the team captain, no less) goes down, except in one situation, the star players exceed their expectations while in the other situation, we have the exact opposite, wherein the Rocket Richard winner scores one goal in 7 games. Yes, goalies win you games, but Vasilevskiy isn’t the reason why Tampa scores and Campbell (nor Andersen) should be the reason why Batman and Robin fall flat on their faces. I’ve been hard on Keefe but ultimately the coach doesn’t play the game-players need to earn their money. Rielly, Muzzin, Brodie and Holl may not have the same prestige as the aforementioned defenders but it’s good enough group to squeak past the first round, even with Muzzin going down. Toronto has had easy opponents in two consecutive years handed to them on a platter but failed to make the most of their situations. Might be time to make a significant change or two, whether it’s personnel, systematic/tactics based, or development wise.
This is very similar to Toronto. Top-end forwards, one of whom (the team captain, no less) goes down, except in one situation, the star players exceed their expectations while in the other situation, we have the exact opposite, wherein the Rocket Richard winner scores one goal in 7 games. Yes, goalies win you games, but Vasilevskiy isn’t the reason why Tampa scores and Campbell (nor Andersen) should be the reason why Batman and Robin fall flat on their faces. I’ve been hard on Keefe but ultimately the coach doesn’t play the game-players need to earn their money. Rielly, Muzzin, Brodie and Holl may not have the same prestige as the aforementioned defenders but it’s good enough group to squeak past the first round, even with Muzzin going down. Toronto has had easy opponents in two consecutive years handed to them on a platter but failed to make the most of their situations. Might be time to make a significant change or two, whether it’s personnel, systematic/tactics based, or development wise.
