We need to talk about Tampa

[T REX]

Well it's not on the line tonight but 3rd could be.
I wouuldn't call them safe but they do have at least a minimum of a 4 point spread on all of Tampa, Florida, Buffalo, and Montreal so I would call them comfortable in terms of 2nd right now, they aren't safe but they do have a coushion.

Objects in rearview mirror are bigger than they appear

 

[Stephen]

Play the Canucks next. Both on 7 game winning streaks. Look forward to seeing how Miller responds against his old team! Hoping for a good game!

The way Tampa is playing, they will need to scrape the Canucks off the asphalt after that game.

 

[JoVel]

The way Tampa is playing, they will need to scrape the Canucks off the asphalt after that game.

I haven't followed them but the Canucks can't be that bad either if they've won 7 in a row, right?

 

[Stephen]

I haven't followed them but the Canucks can't be that bad either if they've won 7 in a row, right?

Canucks are a great young team, but it's fun to hype things up.

 

[LeafalCrusader]

Watch out for Tampa. Think they come out of the east.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

The Atlantic is a tight race

 

[NyQuil]

Tampa is better off without the pressure that comes with the kind of season they put up last year.

 

[Suntouchable13]

Watch out for Tampa. Think they come out of the east.

Toronto-TB series needs to happen. It would be really exciting hockey.

 

[JoVel]

Toronto-TB series needs to happen. It would be really exciting hockey.

Pray for the goalies on that one.

 

[danpantz]

Both Toronto and Tampa surging while Boston is slumping is making what looked like a boring divisional race a lot more interesting down the second half stretch.

Do we get a 3rd year in a row of
1. Tampa
2. Boston
3. Toronto?

 

[JoVel]

They're about to go on a 10 game winning streak now.

Thanks OP smh

Well, for the record, they've yet to lose a game since this thread was started.

 

[LastOne2100]

Both Toronto and Tampa surging while Boston is slumping is making what looked like a boring divisional race a lot more interesting down the second half stretch.

Do we get a 3rd year in a row of
1. Tampa
2. Boston
3. Toronto?

As a Toronto fan, please god no.

 

[DistantThunderRep]

Tampa still sucks. Don't let this win streak fool you. They have struggled to beat the mediocre teams down this stretch. We beat a banged up Montreal twice, Buffalo, Detroit, Ottawa, Florida, and Carolina. Big challenge there. The only good teams there is Florida and Carolina.

This is all just fluff and not any sign of success for us. People need to stop boosting us up.

 

[Master P]

Tampa still sucks. Don't let this win streak fool you. They have struggled to beat the mediocre teams down this stretch. We beat a banged up Montreal twice, Buffalo, Detroit, Ottawa, Florida, and Carolina. Big challenge there. The only good teams there is Florida and Carolina.

This is all just fluff and not any sign of success for us. People need to stop boosting us up.

Yes, nothing to see here. Please ignore the wins.

 

[Dread Clawz]

Tampa still sucks. Don't let this win streak fool you. They have struggled to beat the mediocre teams down this stretch. We beat a banged up Montreal twice, Buffalo, Detroit, Ottawa, Florida, and Carolina. Big challenge there. The only good teams there is Florida and Carolina.

This is all just fluff and not any sign of success for us. People need to stop boosting us up.

Nice reverse jinx attempt. I think you guys are pretty safe to get a divisional seed though. It was never really in doubt.

 

[Vasilevskiy]

Metro teams worry me in the playoffs.
Caps and Isles especially

 

[ER89]

Metro teams worry me in the playoffs.
Caps and Isles especially

caps should. The isles shouldn't. Btw whats up with vasi? Seems like he has been having an off season? That true? He always stones the leafs though ffs.

 

[A1LeafNation]

They look fine to me..

 

[Rhaegar Targaryen]

Well they’re about to pass the Leafs lmao

 

[tenken00]

Good for Tampa. Take the President's Trophy away from the Caps!

 

[God King Fudge]

Nice reverse jinx attempt. I think you guys are pretty safe to get a divisional seed though. It was never really in doubt.

It's not a jinx, though. They suck. They're playing far below expectations, both goalies are the hottest of trash and even though they're very, very likely to make the playoffs, it will be a quick and brutal exit again for them.

Playing Florida, Buffalo and Mrazek are gonna get you some W's.

 

[Gary Nylund]

I wonder how these things work like. We saw the Capitals do a bit of the same thing, going from winning the league in an impressive manner to kind of just making sure they are making the PO's. Do they sit down and take a collective decision before the season to make this move or what is it? Does the coach change his strategy? Is it an unspoken thing that the leading players just 'feel'? Or is it just a coincedence?

The bolded IMO, not just the leading players but everyone.

Finish 1st overall, go out early in the playoffs and come October, you figure you're going to make the playoffs but are 6 months away from playing meaningful games. It's easy to see how regular season games seem somehow less meaningful then they did a year ago and it's harder to get motivated so you just cruise and at some point, you start to ramp up the effort.

It looks like this will be a 3-way dogfight for first place in this division and the 2-3rd place teams will once again have the misfortune of facing a top contender in the 1st round. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if TB/BOS/TOR all finished top 5 overall drawing even more attention to the idiotic playoff format the NHL uses.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Well they’re about to pass the Leafs lmao

TB is cobfortably ahead of the Leafs now, their PTS% .634 >> the Leafs .616.

 

[CupsOverCash]

TB is cobfortably ahead of the Leafs now, their PTS% .634 >> the Leafs .616.

But OP said he highly doubted they caught up. What gives?

 

[VinikToWinIt]

But OP said he highly doubted they caught up. What gives?

It's a good thing we won that MUST win game against the Panthers back in December.