Tampa Bay @ Carolina: Nine-Nine!

[DougieSmash]

Is there any chance we win the series at all?

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

Is there any chance we win the series at all?

we havent lost 4 games yet so, yes.

 

[hockeynjune]

 

[Finnish Jerk Train]

It's one hell of a big hole to climb out of. It's possible... in 2006, we dropped the first two at home, then had to go to Montreal and bring ourselves back from the brink. But that team wasn't nearly as good as Tampa, and I haven't seen much reason for optimism in a while. I can't add anything that hasn't already been said, other than I felt like we got exposed and/or worn down by the time we got to game 5 against Nashville. We pulled it out, but haven't looked like ourselves very often since the 2OT games.

 

[Socks]

I'm super disappointed I didn't see y'all's GDT thread until just now. Nine-nine!!!

 

[HisIceness]

I'm super disappointed I didn't see y'all's GDT thread until just now. Nine-nine!!!

Forgot the GDT sticker tag prefix thing in here

 

[Blueline Bomber]

Is there any chance we win the series at all?

Of course there's a chance. It's a hill to climb, no denying that. But if we win the next two, it's back to a best of 3 with home advantage back in our favor.

And it's not like these past two games were blowouts. They were close games that just tilted the wrong way. As I said earlier, we've hit at least 3 posts the past two games. Any one of those shots goes in, and we could easily be up 2-0.

Honestly, as cliche as it sounds, if we keep playing the way we have, they'll start going in. We controlled the play in Game 1 and held TB to 15 shots in Game 2. Keep doing that, and the wins will follow

 

[Blueline Bomber]

Forgot the GDT sticker tag prefix thing in here

Which is odd, because I definitely remember adding it when I posted the GDT.

 

[Svechhammer]

Of course there's a chance. It's a hill to climb, no denying that. But if we win the next two, it's back to a best of 3 with home advantage back in our favor.

And it's not like these past two games were blowouts. They were close games that just tilted the wrong way. As I said earlier, we've hit at least 3 posts the past two games. Any one of those shots goes in, and we could easily be up 2-0.

Honestly, as cliche as it sounds, if we keep playing the way we have, they'll start going in. We controlled the play in Game 1 and held TB to 15 shots in Game 2. Keep doing that, and the wins will follow

See I disagree. We held TB to only 15 shots because they were content with only 15 shots. They sat back in a defensive shell waiting for us to screw up and hit us with a counter. And the shots we did have were mostly easy saves for Vasi to make.

That's not a style that will win you games against that team. That's the kind of style that throws nearly 70 shots on goal over 2 games with only 2 goals to show for it. If you're not going to make things difficult for a goalie of the caliber of Vasi, this is the result you're going to get.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

See I disagree. We held TB to only 15 shots because they were content with only 15 shots. They sat back in a defensive shell waiting for us to screw up and hit us with a counter. And the shots we did have were mostly easy saves for Vasi to make.

That's not a style that will win you games against that team. That's the kind of style that throws nearly 70 shots on goal over 2 games with only 2 goals to show for it. If you're not going to make things difficult for a goalie of the caliber of Vasi, this is the result you're going to get.

We definitely need better shot selection, but the fact remains that these two games could have easily gone in our favor, and the next two could as well, if we keep playing the way we have. If we change it up now and get off our game, then we absolutely will lose this series

 

[HisIceness]

I'm telling you it was bad.

I'm talking less than 2 mins to go, down 2, and they are ruthlessly booing people who have seen enough and are heading for the exits. And I'm talking about people who clearly have mobility issues needing extra time to get up the stairs, and they're calling them fake fan motherf***ers.

Mind you, this is in STM sections and those who left I saw almost nightly in our seats while the ones who were starting everything I had never seen before.

Had Svech not scored to interrupt things, there would have been a fistfight. Things were escalating quickly.

Oh I believe you. Last game I went to was the 17-18 season opener (the one where Slavin beat the Wild in the shootout), there was a lot of rowdiness going on. I could tell the "instigators" were either first time Hockey fans and/or consumed one too many beers. People around them asked them to stop and they'd do the "f*** you I do what I want i paid for my ticket" mantra.

Thankfully no fights or drunken fools falling on people but security did have to get involved more than once. Probably nothing they (security) are not used to but as a whole I thought it made the fanbase look bad considering we don't have that reputation for being assholes.

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

High Danger Chances:

4 minutes of PP: 1 (also gave up 1)
4 minutes of PK: 1 (gave up 0)
50:00 minutes of 5v5 time: 5 (gave up 8)
2 minutes of 6v5: 4 (gave up 0)

32 to 15 shot chances, 11 to 9 high danger chances.

Much like the Nashville series, we are getting quantity not quality.

 

[Tryamw]

High Danger Chances:

4 minutes of PK: 1 (gave up 0)

I think we all knew when this one didn't hit Twine that it was going to be a bad day.

 

[The Faulker 27]

I think there's a decent chance we win 1 in Tampa. It's grasping, but win 1 and come back to Raleigh with something to prove and it might just turn into a series.

 

[The Faulker 27]

I think we all knew when this one didn't hit Twine that it was going to be a bad day.

Is that the one where Vasy threw his stick after missing the poke check?

 

[3CanesInTheBox]

Die Hard with a Vengeance was an over the top sequel.

Us taking down the defending champs after going down 0-2 again will be another over the top sequel.

cue slowmo scenes.

 

[3CanesInTheBox]

Vasy has no more horseshoes.

Canes in 6.

Hear me now quote me later.

Well I did say Canes in 7 ahahahahaha. Just all part of the painful demoralizing plan.

 

[tarheelhockey]

In our prior series, Nashville lost the first two games 8-2. They ended up two OT goals from winning that series.

We're sitting here after consecutive 2-1 losses asking whether we even have a chance? Come on, guys. There's a level of defeatism here that isn't warranted at all when we're in a series this tightly played.

 

[VAcaniac]

Bear in mind Necas missed a wide open net on the backhand in the 2nd period. That goes in, we’re probably still watching this game.

Granted I was watching from the other side of the ice, but I couldn't believe Necas didn't score there. When I saw he had him beat on the backhand, I thought it was a layup.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Granted I was watching from the other side of the ice, but I couldn't believe Necas didn't score there. When I saw he had him beat on the backhand, I thought it was a layup.

I haven't seen a replay, but I wonder if his stick was lifted at the last second or something. That goal would have blown the roof off the place and totally changed the course of that game.

 

[hockeynjune]

I haven't seen a replay, but I wonder if his stick was lifted at the last second or something. That goal would have blown the roof off the place and totally changed the course of that game.

I admit I experienced premature celly there as did most of my section. So deflating.

 

[emptyNedder]

In our prior series, Nashville lost the first two games 8-2. They ended up two OT goals from winning that series.

We're sitting here after consecutive 2-1 losses asking whether we even have a chance? Come on, guys. There's a level of defeatism here that isn't warranted at all when we're in a series this tightly played.

I tend to agree as the two teams have been. for all intents, even. But then you have to question how much the home crowd improves performance/chances. If the raucous PNC crowd has only a minimal impact, then the series is still winnable.

 

[tarheelhockey]

I tend to agree as the two teams have been. for all intents, even. But then you have to question how much the home crowd improves performance/chances. If the raucous PNC crowd has only a minimal impact, then the series is still winnable.

To me the question is less about the crowd and more about how Cooper exploits home ice advantage for matchups. Tampa's a tough matchup team even when you have the advantage, let alone when they're able to get the matchups they want.

Whoever draws into Trocheck's spot will need to seriously step it up. Replacing Trocheck's nearly invisible level of contribution isn't too hard, but that player will need to be an active positive force in order to counter what Tampa's going to bring on their home ice. At an absolute minimum, that player needs to not get caved in their own zone.

 

[hockeynjune]

I tend to agree as the two teams have been. for all intents, even. But then you have to question how much the home crowd improves performance/chances. If the raucous PNC crowd has only a minimal impact, then the series is still winnable.

We were pretty rowdy last night, really didn't seem to help much.

 

[3CanesInTheBox]

In our prior series, Nashville lost the first two games 8-2. They ended up two OT goals from winning that series.

We're sitting here after consecutive 2-1 losses asking whether we even have a chance? Come on, guys. There's a level of defeatism here that isn't warranted at all when we're in a series this tightly played.

I definitely get why people feel depressed, especially after last night. I’m just gonna postpone throwing in the towel on the entire series unless we lose next game. Here’s hoping!