Stanley Cup Finals: Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Colorado Avalanche ( Avs lead 3-2)

[U55]

I have no idea whats going to happen. I just know picking bolts in 5 means we win. I need mahomes for president to tell me the bolts have no chance and all things will be right with the world.

 

[Sentinel]

How is Hedman the second best defenseman in any game, in any league, in any planet?

Google "Makar, Cale". Don't know about other planets though.

 

[T REX]

Not yet...gonna enjoy our win for at least one night

 

[GreatSaveLuongo]

There was no surprise, I think everyone expected these 2 teams to meet in finals

 

[Bozo Nicholson]

Most are voting Avs thus far.

Hope you will too.

 

[JoeSakic13]

Neutral Fans:

Honestly yeah. I’m at an extreme bias here, but I can see this being a massively entertaining finals. To be the best you gotta beat the best.

I know I’ll be heartbroken if my team loses, but I have little doubt it wouldn’t be due to a display of some damn good hockey.

 

[ICanMotteBelieveIt]

Finally two great teams in the finals. On paper the best finals for many, many years.

Let's hope everyone stays healthy and that it lives up to our expectations.

I can't even guess who'll win, I'll just enjoy the show as a fan of none of the teams.

 

[Eltuna]

This is a bad take. You can throw out last year's series between the 2 teams because St. Louis was retooling and Perron was removed prior because of COVID. You're absolutely right about the Blues having a very difficult time getting the puck past the red line, but that wasn't true before Binnington got hurt. He's one of the league's best at playing the puck, and the Blues were outscoring Colorado 7-4 and leading game 3 in a tied series before Kadri ran him. Tampa has an even better goaltender and Kadri isn't cleared to run him at this point. And no one else on Colorado has the guts to "accidentally" run Vasi either. I think Kuemper/Francouz get lit up this series and exposed for being back up goaltenders.

Game 1 of the Blues series was the most statistically dominant game that any two teams have played in the playoffs this year and Binnington was in net for it.

The Blues couldn't even get one shot on the Avs in OT and I don’t think they had even one instance of sustaining pressure in the Avs zone for 6 seconds or greater in the entire game.

I understand fans wanting to look back and think about the what ifs, but St Louis just does not match up well against Colorado and would need a massive amount of luck to win. Colorado vs St Louis the past two years in both the regular season and playoffs is maybe the biggest example in the entire league of one team outclassing another. The advanced stats are off the charts in the Avs favour.

 

[ICanMotteBelieveIt]

They also touched the trophy !! We might not see any winner of that series

Endless OT then every player gotta head out to center ice and play rock, scissors paper until one team has no player left 1 day before the regular season starts again .

 

[OurlordAndSaviorKuch]

Lightning in six

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Tampa is going to three peat.

Makar is about to get teabagged so hard. Going to be hilarious watching the Canadian media try to justify their about Face

 

[ICanMotteBelieveIt]

Tampa in 7 if I had to guess. But I wouldn't be surprised if Colorado won.

It's time to just enjoy the games again.

 

[JoeSakic13]

Tampa in 7 if I had to guess. But I wouldn't be surprised if Colorado won.

It's time to just enjoy the games again.

Wait, what were you doing before?

 

[Muffin]

Tampa is going to three peat.

Makar is about to get teabagged so hard. Going to be hilarious watching the Canadian media try to justify their about Face

He's better than Fox, deal with it. Makar literally just went head to head in a match up against McDavid, there's nothing he can't handle.

 

[quesosauce]

How is Hedman the second best defenseman in any game, in any league, on any planet?

This is exactly like ESPN making Vasy a complete afterthought in favor of Shesterkin.

it may be hard to admit, but makar is better is almost every category than hedman this season

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

He's better than Fox, deal with it. Makar literally just went head to head in a match up against McDavid, there's nothing he can't handle.

Except a semi heavy forecheck.

See: the St. Louis series. Or
Even game 4 against Edmonton where he was a train wreck in his own end.

 

[Muffin]

Except a semi heavy forecheck.

See: the St. Louis series. Or
Even game 5 against Edmonton where he was a train wreck in his own end.

Yea he was a trainwreck against Edmonton in game 5 . I'm sure he was since it was a game you made up in your head.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

Predicting Avs in 7. Going to be a series for the ages.

In pure technical ability Colorado has the advantage outside of goal. But Tampa has the experience

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Yea he was a trainwreck against Edmonton in game 5 . I'm sure he was since it was a game you made up in your head.

Fat fingered it.

Meant game 4. Doesn’t change the fact that he was a shit show in his own end in that game.

 

[Crossfire Hurricane]

Yea he was a trainwreck against Edmonton in game 5 . I'm sure he was since it was a game you made up in your head.

I think he meant the game where he had 5 points.

 

[Flat Ronnie]

it may be hard to admit, but makar is better is almost every category than hedman this season
View attachment 558177

Well, we're about to find out when it truly matters. Hedman has been there and done that - twice.

 

[leafsfan5]

No it wasn't it sucked. First round was good tho

I'm going to have to strongly disagree haha

 

[Canes]

I take the Avs if it goes to 7. Home teams are 12-5 in game 7 of the finals.

Home ice advantage is the only reason why I think it will go 7 games. And while home ice advantage in game 7 is kinda lopsided in favor of the home team, Tampa is literally the definition of battle tested (in sports lol). I will root hard against a 3-peat but I just can't bet against it.

 

[Flat Ronnie]

Predicting Avs in 7. Going to be a series for the ages.

In pure technical ability Colorado has the advantage outside of goal. But Tampa has the experience

The Avs have an advantage defensively over the Lightning?

 

[Erik Alfredsson]

He's better than Fox, deal with it. Makar literally just went head to head in a match up against McDavid, there's nothing he can't handle.

Going up against McDavid is an entirely different situation than Tampa Bay. Tampa is easily the most suffocating team of the playoffs, they are so active through the neutral zone, it's pretty crazy. The one thing that Tampa will try to do against Colorado is run a heavy forcheck. Vegas did it against Colorado last year, and Makar did struggle with it. Makar has improved since last year, but dealing with Tampa Bay's viscous forcheck and finding space in that neutral zone is going to be his toughest challenge of the playoffs, by far.