Stanley Cup Finals: (WC2) Florida Panthers vs (P1) Vegas Golden Knights | VGK Lead 3-1

[Pierre Larouche]

Hope? Where do you need hope when its obvious what is happening, they will let Florida win one maybe two at home for ratings but other than its fixed for vegas. Anyone with a brain cell can see it.

“They” is funny. It must be difficult to officiate games w/Bennet, Tkachuk, and Gudas- they each commit a couple penalties per shift.

Anyone with a dangerous deficiency of them thinks this.

derangement syndrome

Panthers deserve to get absolutely smacked next game, what a disgraceful response to going down 3-1. Tkachuk especially with the stickwork. Deserves to take a stick to the mouth in game 5.

Tkachuk’s a dirty pos.

 

[Pierre Larouche]

Not only that but some of us like the rough and tumble aspect of hockey

Rough & tumble vs. cheap shot, dirty & dangerous.

 

[Pierre Larouche]

I'm sorry but you are being either utterly ridiculous or a total drama queen over this. Which is it? There is a MASSIVE difference between being indifferent and being hateful. Las Vegas is the ultimate someone is from anywhere but here town, why would people care what you like? They may not like it or share your love for it but saying they hate you is absolutely ridiculous. I lived through the Wranglers years and yeah a lot of people had no clue there was a hockey team in town for most of their existence. Never met someone who said I hate hockey or can't stand it during those conversations. They just didn't care.

I have family from Vegas and they’re crazy about the team 24-7-365. Very excited fan base.

You mean the way Hague and Kolesar are about to do once the next win is in the bag?

I loved Kolesar’s clean hit on Tkachuk in gm 3.

 

[Panteras]

Barkov was dinged up before the series started too, but the Panthers tried to play physical against a bigger team who enjoy that kind of a game (even if they don't seek it out) and hitting back harder than they got hit, with the result that the Panthers have come out much the worse for wear by this point in the series.

Nobody is talking about it, but there was a real failure in the Panthers' coaching to recognize that the way to beat Vegas is with speed (Dallas games 4 and 5), and that trying to play an agitating physical game against Vegas was the single most assured way of bringing out Vegas' best game. Somebody's scouting report on the Knights was just completely in error. Not only did the Panthers lose the first two games badly, but they also got beat up pretty good in the process.

The physically was their MO though, it’s what got them there in the first place so I can’t fault them that much for trying to stick with it. What I will blame them for is for waiting till game three to make adjustments after seeing how the refs were calling this final. As soon as they made those adjustments we won a game and last game they lost by a goal. But it’s too little too late.

 

[Pierre Larouche]

It's the new millennium. Everyone hates us. And besides, who cares what anyone else thinks of us anyway


That's why he won't play under the guise of "I hurt my little shoulder:

If Tkachuk plays he will never drop his stick and will use it as a weapon- or he’ll hide refs or teammates or turtle.

 

[Pierre Larouche]

Well yeah Vegas fans footed the bill for their evening. They better have made the most of it.

oh please.

If people really think the fix is in by the refs or league I wish they'd just stop watching a rigged sport, or at least stop posting here.

What a game.


Tkachuk was going full Duncan Keith with the stickwork there at the end of the game.

Tkachuk’s a dirty player.

 

[Pierre Larouche]

Then you haven't watched a lot of hockey. There's much worse just about every playoff series.

much worse? Curious what you consider to be “much worse?”

Boston media and fans

“Bruins were right to fire Cassidy.”

Haha

Cassidy had lost the locker room.

 

[Pierre Larouche]

Barkov not stepping up is another problem. Tkachuk on the ice was a liability every time. He shouldn't even have played.

Barkov looked great in gm 4.

 

[EverTheCynic]

much worse? Curious what you consider to be “much worse?”


Cassidy had lost the locker room.

I don't see why. Guy is smart as a whip and clearly has a deep understanding of the game. Great coach imo

 

[Mike C]

Rough & tumble vs. cheap shot, dirty & dangerous.

Correct. Vegas has shown great restraint to get to the greater end. Me thinks some retribution is on the horizon

 

[VivaLasVegas]

I don't see why. Guy is smart as a whip and clearly has a deep understanding of the game. Great coach imo

Yeah, I could kinda see how he might slowly chafe folks over time, but maybe he can learn a lesson and adapt too.

 

[Mike C]

If Tkachuk plays he will never drop his stick and will use it as a weapon- or he’ll hide refs or teammates or turtle.

That's EXACTLY why I'm in favor of Hill swinging his stick into his stomach a few games ago

 

[jgs]

Clearly the Panthers are dealing with multiple players with some serious enough injuries that limit they're playing ability but that is the nature of the beast when you play a physical style game As far as Matthew, they need to be careful that his injury doesn't turn into one where it affects next season, if it can, I wouldn't dress him. They are down 3-1 and Vegas has pretty much outplayed them.

 

[drktmplr12]

you aren't being objective if you look at Florida and don't see a injured team running on fumes

 

[Ghost of Arbour]

Correct. Vegas has shown great restraint to get to the greater end. Me thinks some retribution is on the horizon

You're not kidding. If VGK is up 3/4 goals in the 3rd period next game, they are going to come after FL using their sticks, baseball bats, hammers, and whatever else their equipment guy has on hand.

you aren't being objective if you look at Florida and don't see a injured team running on fumes

I think some of their injuries have started this series, particularly tkachuk's. He looked fine last series and seemed ok until he got plastered in open ice.

VGK has outplayed the panthers all 4 games so far, FL just managed to squeeze out a win last game due to VGK not converting one of their 14 point-blank opportunities.

 

[Sticksandsun]

Barkov was dinged up before the series started too, but the Panthers tried to play physical against a bigger team who enjoy that kind of a game (even if they don't seek it out) and hitting back harder than they got hit, with the result that the Panthers have come out much the worse for wear by this point in the series.

Nobody is talking about it, but there was a real failure in the Panthers' coaching to recognize that the way to beat Vegas is with speed (Dallas games 4 and 5), and that trying to play an agitating physical game against Vegas was the single most assured way of bringing out Vegas' best game. Somebody's scouting report on the Knights was just completely in error. Not only did the Panthers lose the first two games badly, but they also got beat up pretty good in the process.

Game 1 was 2-2 with 10 minutes left in the 3rd lol

 

[Ghost of Arbour]

Cassidy is an awesome coach and awesome coaches get stale at some point. If that wasn't the case the NHL would be like college sports where the great coaches stay in the same program for decades. I'm super happy for Cassidy. Just annoyed that the Panthers horseshoe up their ass didn't wear off sooner because, win or lose, I think Boston and Vegas would have been an awesome series on and off the ice.

If the league was rigging the PO, then BOS vs VGK would have been the obvious choice, or TML given they prob have the largest fan base of any team.

This entire line of reasoning is absurd; TWO whole penalties were called last night, so how exactly could the league/refs affect the game? Did they put something in the Panthers' food?

As for whether VGK "deserves" a cup so soon after entering the league - I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT. 6 years ago when I was making this argument after they made the cup finals in their inaugural year, where I felt it was patently unfair to a lot of other fan bases like mine who have suffered under garbage managment (which actually WAS due to the league) - a lot of people told me to shut up about it.

I remember vividly what my Islanders endured in 1973, and seeing VGK handed good players, plus the NYI had to give up picks to avoid having its roster picked apart of the few decent players we had, was infuriating. The league had put us in that position - TWICE - accepting crooks as owners, and now this new franchise gets to pick decent players off of everyone else's roster?

Now that they are about to win a cup, all of a sudden the mood changes and now everyone is upset with them winning? I don't want to hear it.

Hope? Where do you need hope when its obvious what is happening, they will let Florida win one maybe two at home for ratings but other than its fixed for vegas. Anyone with a brain cell can see it.

Give it a rest already with this nonsense. "Fixed"...really? That's what you are offering here?

 

[tTheVeganWoofMate]

It can be that it was time to change yet he could take another team to SCF. By all accounts, he had lost the room.

They quit on him. He was too “tough”. They wanted a bro coach and they manipulated their way to it. Look how that worked out.

 

[HanSolo]

Game 1 was 2-2 with 10 minutes left in the 3rd lol

And then what happened in those final ten?

 

[kwichang]

I think the series is over - Vegas is going to romp at home like games 1 and 2. The only remaining question is what will the handshake line be like with all the scrums in this series?

 

[jcs0218]

One of the main talking points going into this series was how the very long layoff would impact Florida.

It was theorized that they would come into this series very rusty, and that it would take them a game or two to get back to playing sharp. It was also theorized that the long layoff would help them more and more as the series went on, because they would have gotten time to rest and heal from any injuries suffered earlier in the playoffs.

However, the opposite of all of this is what has actually happened.

Florida's best period in this series was the 1st period of Game 1.

Ever since then, Vegas has been gradually outplaying Florida by greater and greater amounts.

 

[ChanceVegas]

 

[Sticksandsun]

And then what happened in those final ten?

Do you really think a game thats tied for 50 minutes isnt close? It was. Probably too busy making awful ref jokes to watch.

 

[Pierre Larouche]

Correct. Vegas has shown great restraint to get to the greater end. Me thinks some retribution is on the horizon

They’re not dbags like the Panthers

 

[TheBeard]

You're not kidding. If VGK is up 3/4 goals in the 3rd period next game, they are going to come after FL using their sticks, baseball bats, hammers, and whatever else their equipment guy has on hand.

If Vegas does that on the verge of winning the cup it would be an incredibly dirtbag thing to do.