Post-Game Talk: GAME #6 Florida Panthers vs Tampa Bay Lighting (Knight's in White Satin)

[avenger]

we didn’t have enough to beat the best team in the NHL ... now we know that we can ... we need to score two or three more goals ... fend off two or three goals ... and add a little more to the work on tactics and PP and PК from the coaching staff we will be back !!! we will be back to take revenge! we will be stronger, more confident and bolder! we are very hungry now!

 

[sinDer]

in no way advocating just know that MTL media has this wet dream that JH signs there.

I live in Quebec and listen to MTL media everyday and never they are talking about the possibility or even the wish of Huberdeau signing there.

 

[wampa13jku]

Huberdeau looking like Barney Stinson

“suit up!”

 

[zeroG]

I live in Quebec and listen to MTL media everyday and never they are talking about the possibility or even the wish of Huberdeau signing there.

while i believe you, some how that doesn't give me the warm fuzzies.

 

[Haj]

Lets be honest here.

- Bennett has been a great addition. He takes a dumb penalty in G1, gets suspended in G2. However you want to slice it (suspensions not being applied equally across teams or a dumb decision by our player) it cost two games.
- Q wasn't able to to get Bob going with his goalie rotation in the regular season, he threw Knight in there and it worked for 1 game. His shit performance in Game 4 cost us 1 game.
- Q was outcoached and outlineuped in Game 2
- Yandle has been dogshit the past 3 months, the blueline has too many defensemen that are similar.
- Stralman somehow was the best D the past 3 games....that doesn't bode well for the rest of the blue line

This series was winnable and we lost it at the margins by sacrificing defensive structure to generate offense, inability to get a goaltender ready for the start of the playoffs, taking too many penalties against a team with a lethal power play....all stuff that should be obvious and fixable.

This isn't some moral victory, its a loss. This series was there to be taken from Tampa....they just couldn't make it happen because Tampa is better at details than we are.

 

[MPGA]

Looking back, series was lost in game 1. Man we had that one

 

[Dnigly13]

Looking back, series was lost in game 1. Man we had that one

Kinda feel like it was stolen from us. The waived off goal. The elbow to barkov head. They call that and there is no retaliation. Changes the whole damn thing.

 

[Panteras]

Now that I’ve taken a breather, I can honestly say I’m fine with this result. We didn’t even expect this team to make the post season and this was an education. Very few teams come out of nowhere to go on and win the cup. Most of these truly dynastic teams go through several heartbreaks. So it might not even be next season, or the next. But we’re building something here alright. What has me hopeful is Zito and my belief that we won’t see progress torn down.
The goalie situation is actually pretty simple. Knight and Bob tandem next year. Yandle needs gone. Go from there. Here’s to a successful draft and off-season.

 

[barkovcanfinnish]

hope lundell is the real deal. we need another big weapon in our forward core.

 

[Panteras]

hope lundell is the real deal. we need another big weapon in our forward core.

Checked some of the box cores of the WC currently going on, peeped that Kazakhstan beat Finland lol he was Finland’s only scorer. He’s putting up points everywhere he goes it seems.

 

[Chessarmy]

Disappointed. Yeah, the regular season was good but this organization is starving for at least one playoff round win.

Goodnight everyone

 

[Ghoste]

Wanted to get some bad out of the way. Felt we got outmuscled for the puck especially along the boards way too much. Physically checking-wise we were good but the physical battles hurt us all series.

Weegs seemed to have his worst set of games. Not his fault he had to take on such a load though.

I think Sasha got beat off the puck more times this series than the whole rest of his career to date. And please get him a legit scoring winger for him and Swaggy.

-ghoste

 

[Ghoste]

I’ve always loved the handshakes. This one looked like there was a ton of respect by both teams after a tough series. Had the feeling like it could be the first of a few. Love to see it.

-ghoste

 

[CameronNeely]

Wanted to get some bad out of the way. Felt we got outmuscled for the puck especially along the boards way too much. Physically checking-wise we were good but the physical battles hurt us all series.

Weegs seemed to have his worst set of games. Not his fault he had to take on such a load though.

I think Sasha got beat off the puck more times this series than the whole rest of his career to date. And please get him a legit scoring winger for him and Swaggy.

-ghoste

I actually had similar thoughts throughout the series.

Cannot help thinking if Ekblad would have made the difference. Pointless now..Don't want to put down Marchment, Duclair or Verhaeghe but Barkov really needs a better supporting or even carrying cast sometimes. Florida just beeds a 1st that can really turn things around at will. Too much to ask from Barkov alone. With current wingers Barkov's lone job isbto try and make them at least somehow usable assets. Let's say he had Kucherov on his line it would be murder. Like Point has..

 

[avenger]

I actually had similar thoughts throughout the series.

Cannot help thinking if Ekblad would have made the difference. Pointless now..Don't want to put down Marchment, Duclair or Verhaeghe but Barkov really needs a better supporting or even carrying cast sometimes. Florida just beeds a 1st that can really turn things around at will. Too much to ask from Barkov alone. With current wingers Barkov's lone job isbto try and make them at least somehow usable assets. Let's say he had Kucherov on his line it would be murder. Like Point has..

100% agreeee!

 

[GigaChad]

This was expected and it's alright.
On to the next season with a healthy Ekblad, Knight and Lundell!

Zito, do not make a single deal with Seattle! Let's not blow this up.
The future is bright and this is a start of good times!
Go Panthers!

 

[BB88]

They should be damm proud.
Fought to the end but had tough luck with facing the reigning Champs and #1 favourites on 1st round.

This years run will be very valuable for the runs coming up.

 

[FLpanthers16]

Am i mad? Not really. Do i think Tampa wer the better team over the 6 games? absolutely not.

 

[letsgrowcactus]

On one hand, this stings. This team hasn't won a series since the 1990s, and it feels like we weren't that far off this time.
OTOH, pre-season, I would have been delighted if we finished even fourth. Instead, we were actually competing for first. We didn't fall apart when we were hit by the injury bug. We took Tampa to 6 without Ekblad and with Barkov clearly not himself for a few games. It's a learning experience.

Have a good offseason, then come back next year, stronger and even better. And this time, make a deep run.

 

[letsgrowcactus]

add duclair to that list.

For me, it really depends on what Duclair asks for. If he's okay with another cheap-ish one year contract, I'd keep him, with the hopes that Denisenko/Hepo eventually replace him. If he wants more term or money, I let him walk.

 

[Pigge]

How incredibly disappointing. The odds weren't great with our 1D out and having to play the defending champions boosted by financial doping, but our players showed up and were a couple of lucky bounces away from taking this series. We should have won, but Tampa stole the series (maybe because they are more experienced in the situation, but whatever).

The organization is obviously in a better position than a year ago, but you never know if the progression continues. So it's a bummer that this season ended too soon. Also a bummer that we had to try to fight Vasi's shutout without our most experienced offensive defenseman, but it would have been tough either way.

 

[JEFFREY87]

If one of this happened we would have won. Solid goaltending and tone down the physical play

 

[ShootIt]

Sucks but we lost to a very good team.
Not some crazy upset and tbh I didn't think this team would of even made the playoffs in the offseason.

My big concern is how this team builds off this.
Next year is huge IMO. We need to keep the same level of regular season success. Maybe not the 2 seed, but at least make the playoffs soundly.

 

[ProjectPanthers]

Tampa is all Vasilevskiy. They are nowhere near the team they were last year. Their chances of repeating aren't great IMO.

This is what I've seen from Tampa all season. They just don't look as tight as they did last year. Obviously still good enough to beat the Panthers but without Vasy last night I don't think the Lightning get a win. He's been their MVP all season and unless he becomes a complete wall for the remainder of the playoffs (totally possible) I don't see them have that much success but who knows, it's the playoffs.

Also next year they'll have to make some tough roster choices so this should slowly be the beginning of the end of this Tampa group. A lot of them are 30+ and no chance they afford some of those contracts going forward. It will be our time to reign as Kings of Florida.

 

[Pigge]

Tampa is all Vasilevskiy. They are nowhere near the team they were last year. Their chances of repeating aren't great IMO.

This is what I've seen from Tampa all season. They just don't look as tight as they did last year. Obviously still good enough to beat the Panthers but without Vasy last night I don't think the Lightning get a win. He's been their MVP all season and unless he becomes a complete wall for the remainder of the playoffs (totally possible) I don't see them have that much success but who knows, it's the playoffs.

Also next year they'll have to make some tough roster choices so this should slowly be the beginning of the end of this Tampa group. A lot of them are 30+ and no chance they afford some of those contracts going forward. It will be our time to reign as Kings of Florida.

In the regular season they gave up 31 goals to the Panthers and only 18 to Carolina. So it's not inconceivable that Vasi does indeed become a wall.