*Closed* 16 years of Champions Bracket [QuarterFinals] - 2. COLORADO 2022 vs. 7. TAMPA 2021

[Tufted Titmouse]

Who would win in a 7 game series?

TAMPA 2021						COLORADO 2022
Player	GP	G	A	PTS		Player	GP	G	A	PTS
Nikita Kucherov	23​	8​	24​	32​		Cale Makar	20​	8​	21​	29​
Brayden Point	23​	14​	9​	23​		Mikko Rantanen	20​	5​	20​	25​
Steven Stamkos	23​	8​	10​	18​		Nathan MacKinnon	20​	13​	11​	24​
Victor Hedman	23​	2​	16​	18​		Gabriel Landeskog	20​	11​	11​	22​
Alex Killorn	19​	8​	9​	17​		Valeri Nichushkin	20​	9​	6​	15​
Ondrej Palat	23​	5​	8​	13​		Nazem Kadri	16​	7​	8​	15​
Anthony Cirelli	23​	5​	7​	12​		Devon Toews	20​	5​	10​	15​
Blake Coleman	23​	3​	8​	11​		Artturi Lehkonen	20​	8​	6​	14​
Erik Cernak	21​	1​	9​	10​		Bowen Byram	20​	0​	9​	9​
Ryan McDonagh	23​	0​	8​	8​		J.T. Compher	20​	5​	3​	8​
Yanni Gourde	23​	6​	1​	7​		Andre Burakovsky	12​	3​	5​	8​
Tyler Johnson	23​	4​	3​	7​		Josh Manson	20​	3​	5​	8​
Ross Colton	23​	4​	2​	6​		Andrew Cogliano	16​	3​	3​	6​
Barclay Goodrow	18​	2​	4​	6​		Darren Helm	20​	2​	3​	5​
David Savard	20​	0​	5​	5​		Erik Johnson	20​	1​	4​	5​
Pat Maroon	23​	2​	2​	4​		Logan O'Connor	17​	1​	3​	4​
Jan Rutta	23​	2​	1​	3​		Alex Newhook	12​	0​	4​	4​
Mikhail Sergachev	23​	0​	3​	3​		Samuel Girard	7​	1​	2​	3​
Mathieu Joseph	6​	0​	2​	2​		Nico Sturm	13​	0​	2​	2​
Luke Schenn	8​	1​	0​	1​		Darcy Kuemper	16​	0​	1​	1​
Andrei Vasilevskiy	23​	0​	0​	0​		Nicolas Aube-Kubel	14​	0​	0​	0​
						Pavel Francouz	7​	0​	0​	0​
						Jack Johnson	13​	0​	0​	0​
Player	GP	SV%	GAA	GSAA		Player	GP	SV%	GAA	GSAA
Andrei Vasilevskiy	23​	0.94​	1.9​	12.8​		Darcy Kuemper	16​	0.9​	2.57​	-4.3​
Team Total	23​	0.94​	1.9​	12​		Pavel Francouz	7​	0.91​	2.81​	-1.1​

Other polls currently running:

1. CHICAGO 2013 vs. 8. TAMPA 2020​

3. DETROIT 2008 vs. 6. ANAHEIM 2007​

Click to read more...

 

[bobholly39]

Tampa.

I think Tampa's 2022 roster probably would have beaten Colorado too if it wasn't for the 3rd final in a row - lot of mileage/fatigue. And the 2021 team was quite a bit better.

Close, because Colorado is pretty great too - but this is Tampa

 

[Vakarte]

Dam Colorado being a #2 seed in this bracket and going out like this.

Why were they even a #2 seed in the first place?

 

[Tufted Titmouse]

Dam Colorado being a #2 seed in this bracket and going out like this.

Why were they even a #2 seed in the first place?

Reg season win% seeding

No easy match-ups in the Quarters:

I thought Tampa 2020 was better than 2021, and they might go out in the Quarters as well.

 

[LightningStorm]

Think we win this one. 2021 has Point scoring his clutch goals (and leading the team in goals) as well as still having the Coleman-Gourde-Goodrow line. I think that would be just enough for the Bolts to beat the Avs.

 

[Tufted Titmouse]

Think we win this one. 2021 has Point scoring his clutch goals (and leading the team in goals) as well as still having the Coleman-Gourde-Goodrow line. I think that would be just enough for the Bolts to beat the Avs.

I'm a little surprised you are losing this one. I feel like you have a slight advantage upfront, slight disadvantage on D, but then you have prime Vasilevsky vs injured Kuemper.

Even this year's Lightning team looked competitive again the 2022 Avs without a healthy Point, and with a lot of depth replaced with lesser parts (+1 more year on McDonagh's knees).

 

[LightningStorm]

I'm a little surprised you are losing this one. I feel like you have a slight advantage upfront, slight disadvantage on D, but then you have prime Vasilevsky vs injured Kuemper.

Even this year's Lightning team looked competitive again the 2022 Avs without a healthy Point, and with a lot of depth replaced with lesser parts (+1 more year on McDonagh's knees).

Probably thinking it would be a rehash of this past finals, even though the Bolts had lost some key pieces for 2022.

 

[JaegerDice]

These brackets have been frustrating at times, just for how the matchups landed.

I voted 2013 Blackhawks over 2020 Lightning. I’d easily pick the 2020 Lightning over the 2022 Avalanche.

But Im inclined to pick the 2022 Avalanche over the 2021 Lightning, cause there was a notable drop in performance (particularly possession and defense) from 2020 to 2021, which Vasi’s Conn Smythe performance covered up… but Im not sure that works as well against a team as potent as Colorado as it did against the teams they beat.

That said, until Tampa, its not like Colorado beat any worldbeaters either.

But just as it felt WRONG for the LA Kings not to be represented in the 2nd round, it feels WRONG for the Lightning not to be represented in the 3rd round.

I voted Colorado 2022 for now, but I might change my mind back and forth a few times.

 

[McJedi]

Avs were the better team in 5 out of six games in the Finals. would have defeatEd a better 2021 Tampa team too but not as convincingly.

 

[Tufted Titmouse]

This one is going down to the wire. Only 4 votes separating the two now.

 

[FrankSidebottom]

With healthy Point and the real 3rd line it couldn’t even be close.

 

[banks]

It's hard to argue for Tampa when Colorado beat a very similar Tampa team in real life. You can be sure it would have been closer because of the players Tampa was missing in 2022 vs '21. But the real life results just hold too much weight for me.

Colorado.

 

[Tufted Titmouse]

It's hard to argue for Tampa when Colorado beat a very similar Tampa team in real life. You can be sure it would have been closer because of the players Tampa was missing in 2022 vs '21. But the real life results just hold too much weight for me.

Colorado.

I don't think I agree. This year's Tampa team is a clear step down, and not having a healthy Point is a pretty huge loss. Imagine COL without Rants, different team.

 

[banks]

I don't think I agree. This year's Tampa team is a clear step down, and not having a healthy Point is a pretty huge loss. Imagine COL without Rants, different team.

I didn't intend to say differently. The Tampa team in the poll (2021) was better than the one Colorado beat (2022). Sorry if I'm unclear.

I'm just saying the difference isn't enough to bridge the gap from the real-world results we saw last year. Colorado beat a very similar team in real life, and did so pretty convincingly. That win carries too much weight for me to flip based on Gourde and a healthy Point.

 

[Vk1ing]

While I do this would have been closer, I still think Colorado wins it. Our depth still matches up very well against a more complete Tampa Team. Especially with how Byram began to live up to his potential, this is one of the deepest Defense groups. Even with Mid goaltending we were able to Win the Cup.

 

[Tufted Titmouse]

I didn't intend to say differently. The Tampa team in the poll (2021) was better than the one Colorado beat (2022). Sorry if I'm unclear.

I'm just saying the difference isn't enough to bridge the gap from the real-world results we saw last year. Colorado beat a very similar team in real life, and did so pretty convincingly. That win carries too much weight for me to flip based on Gourde and a healthy Point.

Gourde, Point, Coleman, Goodrow, Johnson - to me, almost all of those players were replaced with slower, less versions. Nick Paul had a good playoff round against Toronto, but he was a bit lacklustre otherwise. Hagel was not the difference maker Goodrow or Coleman were.

Not to mention, losing a legit Conn Smythe calibre performer was a big deal.

Anyways, agree to disagree I suppose. I think recency bias is at play in this poll, but that's just one small opinion in the big picture.

Crazy to think no TBay team is on pace to make it to the Semis.

 

[Rschmitz]

It's hard to argue for Tampa when Colorado beat a very similar Tampa team in real life. You can be sure it would have been closer because of the players Tampa was missing in 2022 vs '21. But the real life results just hold too much weight for me.

Colorado.

No, the 2022 team was missing their entire 2021 third line and Point

 

[Rschmitz]

2021 Lightning team which had a healthy Point, the best third line in the game, and Savard, easily defeat Colorado

 

[These Are The Days]

Dude Tampa was 2 goals away from beating the Avs in 5 and not only lost like half the 2021 crew but had like the worst injury list you'll ever see

2021 Tampa vs 2022 Avs is over in 6 at most with Tampa taking it

 

[WarriorofTime]

Dude Tampa was 2 goals away from beating the Avs in 5 and not only lost like half the 2021 crew but had like the worst injury list you'll ever see

2021 Tampa vs 2022 Avs is over in 6 at most with Tampa taking it

"2 goals away from beating Avs in 5" is a funny way to say "lost in 6 while being outscored 20-15"

 

[These Are The Days]

"2 goals away from beating Avs in 5" is a funny way to say "lost in 6 while being outscored 20-15"

A bunch of extra goals in game 2 that upped the spread isn't why Tampa lost the series. It was 2 OT losses. Again, read the injury report. They won 2 games with like 1/3 of their roster playing on blown knees and shoulders and their most reliable player in the clutch (Point) having a torn quad.

An even slightly more healthy Tampa team wins the Cup nevermind one with Gourde, Goodrow and Coleman. It would've been a massacre

 

[Tufted Titmouse]

Looks like COL is pulling away, setting us up for the dream matchup of all my fellow fans who watched in the early 2000's....DET (2008) vs COL (2022).

 

[hockeydog23]

A bunch of extra goals in game 2 that upped the spread isn't why Tampa lost the series. It was 2 OT losses. Again, read the injury report. They won 2 games with like 1/3 of their roster playing on blown knees and shoulders and their most reliable player in the clutch (Point) having a torn quad.

An even slightly more healthy Tampa team wins the Cup nevermind one with Gourde, Goodrow and Coleman. It would've been a massacre

Ah yes, lets discount the goals the other team scored and their injuries as well... Just gonna ignore Girard and Burakovsky being out, Nichuskin and Kadri playing with broken bones, and Keumper having one functional eye. Poor Tampa, the only team to ever deal with injuries in the playoffs...

Honestly losing to Toronto in the first round this year would have been better for the Tampa fan base and coach. Then they'd still have their dignity intact instead of showing off their excuse-making acumen when things don't go their way, which was on full display in the finals.