GDT: 4/29/24 - 7:00PM EDT - #1 WC Tampa Bay @ #1 Florida [ECQF GAME 5]

[FinnLightning26]

Agreed on all fronts except for your core group. Point is absolutely in that group. In the event we move on from Stamkos or trade Cirelli, Point being one of the top two C's is a given. Right now, it's a given and we have a UFA Stamkos and signed Cirelli. I would also say Sergachev is in that group because management's perception of him is Hedman's eventual replacement.

Realistically yes. I'm just pretty disappointed what I saw from Point this season, as crazy as that sounds looking to his statline. He doesn't seem to be the player he once was anymore.

 

[Stammertime91]

Realistically yes. I'm just pretty disappointed what I saw from Point this season, as crazy as that sounds looking to his statline. He doesn't seem to be the player he once was anymore.

im inclined to give him another season before even remotely going there. Back to back 50 and 40 goal seasons. He was pretty lousy this year and looked like Ovi controller disconnecting on defense more times than I can count, but he's bought himself time. I want him split from Kucherov. They've become too deferrent of each other. Point looked for Kucherov more than the net it felt like.

 

[Tampa22]

Sad finish, I imagine a hard one but not giving our ass to easy to the Panthers. We are one team attacking and another defending. We play maybe 3 periods of good hockey from 18.

 

[Outl4w]

Cooper had a great rant .
Bolts coach Jon Cooper went on a near 4-minute rant in today's postgame about goalie interference and his team's two disallowed goals tonight vs Florida:
"This is clearly a turning point in the game... to pull a goal off the board it has to be unbelievably egregious. I couldn't find anything remotely egregious on the first one."
"The next one... I will give [Bobrovsky] credit. He completely quit on the play, then flailed ... he duped them and so be it."
"Is it net-front battles aren't allowed anymore? The boxing out is like prison rules in the playoffs but it's not prison rules for the goalie? We might as well put skirts on them then, if that's how it's gonna be. They have to battle through stuff too ... I think we're letting the goalies off the hook."

 

[AHockeyFanatic]

You don't have to run a single forecheck all game long. For the first few years under Coop we'd switch to a 1-3-1 to close a game and protect the lead. In our run and gun years we attacked in waves 2 to 3 guys at a time (sometimes in that 2-1-2) and Coop ran the 3-1-1 to close the game. Now? We *literally* (and that word gets used a lot) just do not ever change anything. We are a possession team that's being run like a Guy Boucher wet dream

Keep Coop and JFBB. Use your cap space effectively. Run a different system that doesn't rely on fire drills in your end and sacrificing possession to do it

The constant fire drill in the defensive zone has gotten really old, it's been like this for probably 3 years now, time to change it up. They need to implement a system that Serg can understand because he is AWFUL knowing what to do when he is getting pressed on D. Just make it simple for them.

 

[Powerplay17]

Coop is absolutely correct in his characterization of those calls. Glad he said something. The league has a major issue with its officiating and refuses to address it. BUT, this is an aging top heavy fringe playoff team that needs a massive retool. Holding on to the scraps of a once great empire will only set this franchise up for a Blackhawk ending.

Unless Stamkos is willing to take a bare bones contract, that money must be spent on building real roster depth. The cup runs are over folks and they ain’t coming back with this roster.

Wouldn’t break my heart to see a new HC here as well. Things are stale and need a hard reset.

 

[AHockeyFanatic]

He ain't wrong. Not that it changes the series or what deserved to happen.

I love Cooper... but this is sour grapes. The team lost 6-1, the game was never really that close and this years team wasn't very good anyway, this is why you don't give out stupid contracts because you get a boner from having some cap space in years.

Re-sign Stamkos (Because you're not going to replace a 40 goal scorer for cheaper than him) and bring in a 1st line / 2nd line defensive defender and clean this defensive zone garbage up.

 

[Hoek]

Coop is absolutely correct in his characterization of those calls. Glad he said something. The league has a major issue with its officiating and refuses to address it. BUT, this is an aging top heavy fringe playoff team that needs a massive retool. Holding on to the scraps of a once great empire will only set this franchise up for a Blackhawk ending.

Unless Stamkos is willing to take a bare bones contract, that money must be spent on building real roster depth. The cup runs are over folks and they ain’t coming back with this roster.

Wouldn’t break my heart to see a new HC here as well. Things are stale and need a hard reset.

I'll take the Blackhawk ending. Getting undeservedly handed another generational player as soon as they hit rock bottom? Possibly another this year? Yes please.

 

[Coopers Gum]

We got torched by CV - what a player to lose, dudes outperforming superstars out there.

Imagine if we kept JAM and Verhaege? No idea what their contracts are like right now, but damn, if they stay on the Bolts? We score a billion goals a season.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

I'll take the Blackhawk ending. Getting undeservedly handed another generational player as soon as they hit rock bottom? Possibly another this year? Yes please.

The difference is you'd prefer to not have the Lightning waste 5 years/seasons of our time, like the Blackhawks did to their fans. Either aggressively retool with significant improvements made to make the team better than this season, or retool/rebuild with the idea in mind that this could fall off a cliff soon and be ready to pick high soon and start the next generation of Lightning hockey with a Gavin McKenna or future equivalent level of player when we approach the 2030s.

 

[DFC]

Realistically yes. I'm just pretty disappointed what I saw from Point this season, as crazy as that sounds looking to his statline. He doesn't seem to be the player he once was anymore.

Guys have off years. Replacing him would be almost impossible.

 

[FinnLightning26]

Guys have off years. Replacing him would be almost impossible.

Yeah, I wasn't saying it was realistic. I just wouldn't put him in the same category of untouchables as a guy like Kuch.

 

[TheSchmidt]

Realistically yes. I'm just pretty disappointed what I saw from Point this season, as crazy as that sounds looking to his statline. He doesn't seem to be the player he once was anymore.

Him going from a top tier defensive center to a floating pylon in like three years is disappointing

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Him going from a top tier defensive center to a floating pylon in like three years is disappointing

Cups, money, wear & tear leading to career preservation/gun-shyness in regards to digging in are my theories as to why his all around game has fallen off a cliff.

 

[Maelmoor]

I always feel sad and empty when you are out of the playoffs, no matter the expectations

 

[Outl4w]

I love Cooper... but this is sour grapes. The team lost 6-1, the game was never really that close and this years team wasn't very good anyway, this is why you don't give out stupid contracts because you get a boner from having some cap space in years.

Re-sign Stamkos (Because you're not going to replace a 40 goal scorer for cheaper than him) and bring in a 1st line / 2nd line defensive defender and clean this defensive zone garbage up.

Well the game would have been tied if they counted the goals. They allowed tbe goal in game 2 with a lot more contact on Vasi. If the goals counted we wouldn't have pulled our goalie giving them multiple empty net goals. Did the deeper team win? Yes. Did the deeper team get some blind eyes turned by the department of player safety, on ice refs. And review officials? Yes.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

I always feel sad and empty when you are out of the playoffs, no matter the expectations

I think I was prepped for it better because I knew Panthers in 5 was likely the result after the Bruins threw their last 2 games and the Leafs choked their lead away against the Panthers, meaning we'd play Florida instead of Boston. I think Lightning Bruins would have been a 6 or 7 game series, we just don't match up well against a deeper, better Panthers team.

 

[JoVel]

I think I was prepped for it better because I knew Panthers in 5 was likely the result after the Bruins threw their last 2 games and the Leafs choked their lead away against the Panthers, meaning we'd play Florida instead of Boston. I think Lightning Bruins would have been a 6 or 7 game series, we just don't match up well against a deeper, better Panthers team.

It's easier when there are no what if's and you're just a lot worse than your opponent.

 

[AHockeyFanatic]

Yeah, I wasn't saying it was realistic. I just wouldn't put him in the same category of untouchables as a guy like Kuch.

Lol what? He's very much untouchable. Kuch and Point are 1/2 in untouchable.

 

[Antiramie]

Lol what? He's very much untouchable. Kuch and Point are 1/2 in untouchable.

1. Vasy
2. Kuch



3. Point

 

[DFC]

Cups, money, wear & tear leading to career preservation/gun-shyness in regards to digging in are my theories as to why his all around game has fallen off a cliff.

I think it's 100% role. He's depended on for offense now, not defense. It wasnt that long ago we put him in a shutdown role in the playoffs and he did it easily, with Killorn and Cirelli.

 

[Peacefool]

If it was Fla who had 2 dissallowed goals and we won, I would write here "ffs refs are idiots,great win"
but now, uf I have no words, we played good, but D almost costed us a Play off spot, and it costed us this round. We couldnt clear the puck few times and all of those trimes Fla scored.