Le Hockey

[scott43]

Watching it..Tampa just crushed their spirit in games 1, 2 and 3.. They showed what they really were..I mean, give Montreal credit, Price kept them in and they played out of their level. But..Tampa is just so good. I feel that Montreal will lose tonight..just too demoralized. Vasilevski is just as good as Price for the most part. They have great D..Hedman..I can remember when he was drafted.. Just a monster d-man. And the forwards are just..they're putting guys on waivers that would be top 6 forwards on other teams.

 

[James]

They basically keep talking about how Price has been not good, esp in the last game. It’s ridiculous. Price is the least of their problems. I thought Vegas matched better to Tampa.
Not sure why I dislike Tampa so much. They are an excellent team.

 

[Jilly]

But..it's 1 up Habs at the end of 1. Early times yet.

 

[James]

Well!
Montreal managed an OT win. Now if they can just manage three in a row. If Tampa doesn’t win, it’s a fairly epic collapse.

 

[dbostedo]

If Tampa doesn’t win, it’s a fairly epic collapse.

That's an understatement... it would only be the 5th time it's happened in the NHL playoffs (any round). And only once in the finals, in 1942, when Toronto beat Detroit.

 

[James]

That's an understatement... it would only be the 5th time it's happened in the NHL playoffs (any round). And only once in the finals, in 1942, when Toronto beat Detroit.

Montreal is going to need some luck. Tampa is just too good at controlling the puck, defending, and capitalizing on mistakes at their own blue line. Their team play should probably be studied for how to play the game these days. Hard to get the big picture on tv.

 

[S.H.]

Montreal is going to need some luck. Tampa is just too good at controlling the puck, defending, and capitalizing on mistakes at their own blue line. Their team play should probably be studied for how to play the game these days. Hard to get the big picture on tv.

yeah, have a team on the ice that is ~15-20M over the cap, and you'll be really good. no question.

 

[scott43]

yeah, have a team on the ice that is ~15-20M over the cap, and you'll be really good. no question.

All teams have the same system.... They're just better at it. I'm not a Tampa fan..I just see this as the same thing as saying a team is only good because of their goalie. Well..yeah! He's a player like every other player! Get a better goalie!

 

[S.H.]

All teams have the same system.... They're just better at it. I'm not a Tampa fan..I just see this as the same thing as saying a team is only good because of their goalie. Well..yeah! He's a player like every other player! Get a better goalie!

I agree

I'm just saying that yes, their on-ice system is great, but IMO what sets them apart is that they also have a ridiculous amount of talent, and it's not necessarily practical to copy that strategy for most teams - if Kucherov didn't come back guns blazing, maybe it wouldn't have been such a great decision.

That said, I do think there should be a playoff cap.

 

[scott43]

Cue the rioting in 10 mins....

 

[scott43]

C'est fini... Tampa has a great team man.

 

[James]

I think the hurricane probably dampened the celebration in Tampa.
Another year of hideous beards over.

 

[scott43]

No riots. Thank you Montreal.
What a war. Another year in the books.

 

[James]

Like winning a Stanley Cup with skill players and everyone thinks this is the way..until the next year when they get ground into the ice by a tougher team

Yeah, that’s what Tampa has had - both. And speed, and they’re relentless. Kind of amazing the Islanders took them to seven.

 

[scott43]

So Robin Lehner has decided to burn down the NHL before the season even starts... Lotsa sweaty people today I bet....

Vegas' Lehner accuses NHL teams of malpractice

Golden Knights goalie Robin Lehner accused NHL teams of offering benzodiazepines and Ambien to players without prescriptions.

www.espn.com

 

[James]

I’m shocked that the NHL encorages dinosaur coaches.

 

[dbostedo]

I’m shocked that the NHL encorages dinosaur coaches.

 

[scott43]

I mean if you read some of the stuff from Daniel Carcillo and Akim Aliu it really makes you stop and think. They may have an axe to grind but these little bits that leak out. It's like the 50's never ended sometimes. But it's pro sports if you can help a team win you're pretty much Teflon.

 

[James]

Baseball just went through the nonsense with sticky stuff and pitchers. I mean, apparently they’ve all been doing it for years. Instead of actually addressing it, maybe make the ball grippier or allow standard sticky stuff, they force cold turkey quitting, and pretend it was just outliers doing it.
The NHL is going to pretend it’s just a few people doing it.

 

[scott43]

Why hockey’s most famous hazing incident hasn’t broken Akim Aliu

www.sportsnet.ca