ECQF: Florida Panthers [ATL1] vs Tampa Bay Lightning [WC1] - Florida wins 4-1

[Paulie Walnuts]

Do we really need to bash Huberdeau in every thread ?

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

A big reason he wanted out was how we handled the years prior. Another blunder by Brad, we could have had both locked up well before it came to that.

Literally all of CP was ready to drive Bennett to the airport. He needed a change of scenery, and that's ok.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

Literally all of CP was ready to drive Bennett to the airport. He needed a change of scenery, and that's ok.

Not me, I always was on the keep Bennett train.

[Paulie Walnuts]

It doesn’t matter if wanted him or not. He asked for a trade.

It clearly wasn’t working here. A small sample size under Darryl doesn’t change a thing. Because he has those spurts under other coaches as well.

[FanIn80]

I was one of the people who mocked the "keep Bennett" crowd for at least a season and a half after he was traded... but I'm also a software developer who watches hockey on a TV screen from my couch. Nobody's paying me millions of dollars to properly evaluate NHL talent and make the right decisions.

I'm all for letting the coach run the bench, but someone needed to step up and tell whichever Sutter we had at the time to stop screwing around.

[ComixZone]

Team Captain of “Keep Bennett” checking in here.

There were plenty of people here who saw how terribly the Flames were managing Bennett.

Is he an elite #1 centre? Nope, but he’s a fantastic player who plays with an edge and wants to win at all costs - which should have been something that Flames coaches and management embraced, but they screwed the pooch hard.

Happy to see Bennett finding success with the Panthers, and I hope he gets/stays healthy and raises the Cup this spring.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Coaches and Bennett have themselves to blame for him not working out here.

He also took a lot of dumb penalties. He is also terrible at faceoffs.

[Sylvanfan]

Since getting down 3-1 to the Bruins the Panthers are 15-2 vs Eastern Conference teams in the playoffs. I thought this would be a closer series, but Tampa is done. Still have some great pieces. But going to need to cycle in some new blood.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by AC

Dumb challenge, Cirelli spins off his check into Bobrovsky.

No chance they overturn that when they vehemently called it off to begin with.

Originally Posted by 3rd liner

I’m cheering for the panthers, but that was not enough interference to warrant no goal. That is a terrible call. Barely made contact.

Both of these posts are true at the same time.

The call was weak, but they were emphatic. In order to overturn it, you would have to show clear evidence of no contact and not being in the blue paint.

It was a bad challenge because there was nothing to really overturn what was a weak call to begin with. By the letter, they called the rule.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

Tkachuk with 9 points.

A very quiet 9 points too. He wasn't that noticeable in the series.

[AFireInside]

Sam Bennett wasn't very good here and he's a 40 pt guy on a good team. I like how he plays but I don't think he was a huge loss.

Pospisil plays with edge and takes fewer stupid penalties.

[Hockey_Ninja]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

Literally all of CP was ready to drive Bennett to the airport. He needed a change of scenery, and that's ok.

I'm not one of those people. I always felt like the Flames would regret giving up on Bennett

[Cali Panthers Fan]

For years, in the battle of Florida, the Lightning dominated the crap out of the Panthers.

A couple years ago, the Panthers were the President's Trophy winners, and got past Washington in the 1st round, only to lose pretty quickly to Tampa in the next round. That loss stung.

But now...
The battle has been won,
The beast has been slain,
The nemesis, defeated...

The balance of power in Florida has finally swung toward the Panthers. They are the dominant Florida team now, and probably for the next while.

I give a ton of credit to Tampa Bay. I marveled at the level of play they brought in the playoffs. They were fast, physical, and played really hard in their own zone. I didn't see that from them all year. They were the soft, river hockey team that relied on their goalie and powerplay to win games. Basically, Oilers east if the Oilers had a great goalie. But that wasn't this series. They brought their A effort, and pushed the Panthers the entire time.

Sure, it was a 4-1 series win, but every game was a very close battle, and a change in the outcome of a single play here or there could have shifted this series. It was really entertaining from start to finish. Easily the best first round series I've watched.

Gotta give credit to Stamkos, Hedman, and Vasy. Those three were exceptional and held their team in this series. I thought Nick Paul was pretty good as well.

On to the next round!!! Confidence is sky high!!!

"who we playing?"

Oh...looks like it will be the Bruins in another 7 game death match. Fun.

[FanIn80]

I am not looking forward to a Bruins team hellbent on revenge.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

I am not looking forward to a Bruins team hellbent on revenge.

I am excited and terrified at the same time. Should be great hockey, but I make no confident prediction that the Panthers will beat the Bruins.

[traptor]

Feels like the Panthers had the stuff to do what toronto needs to do. Trade a key guy who cant bring it in playoffs.


Panthers with 1 playoff series win over 10 years with Huberdeau.

Panthers with 3 playoff series wins over 2 years (to be continued.. ) without Huberdeau.

They read the Huberdeau situation perfectly. Wish the flames could get ahead of something for once.

[Paulie Walnuts]

I don’t know. Boston isn’t some beast. They drew an easy 1st round match.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by AFireInside

Sam Bennett wasn't very good here and he's a 40 pt guy on a good team. I like how he plays but I don't think he was a huge loss.

Pospisil plays with edge and takes fewer stupid penalties.

Bennett was not good here. He also hasn’t developed into a 4th overall player.

He’s a good player now, but still takes dumb penalties and sucks at faceoffs.

People acting like we lost a #1C and down we went.

I get being upset over Tkachuk, that hurts.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

I don’t know. Boston isn’t some beast. They drew an easy 1st round match.

They will be highly motivated after the series last year. That was an all time epic series that they barely lost...in a year where they had one of the best regular seasons ever and didn't make it far in the playoffs. They will want revenge.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

They will be highly motivated after the series last year. That was an all time epic series that they barely lost...in a year where they had one of the best regular seasons ever and didn't make it far in the playoffs. They will want revenge.

It was actually the best regular season ever.

I don’t know. I just don’t see a beast with Boston. Different team as well.

I think Florida takes them in 5 or 6.