Eastern Conference Playoffs - Round 2: Habs vs Lightning (Bolts win 4-2)

[ReinhartonD]

It's okay Canada. We got this.

[FireGilbert]

Wow, that was the worst last minute defensive collapse I have ever seen. It's hard to believe the Flames are involved in the closest series of the four.

[Tsawwassen]

Originally Posted by HOWITZER

well s@#$. guess we're stuck with a Calgary vs. Tampa Bay SCF. Too bad.

Originally Posted by Cheese

Payback's a bitch!

Originally Posted by The Yen Man

Flames Lightning, 10 year reunion. Book it!

It's a grudge match for sure. Should the Flames win, the Lightning have to have their 2004 title stripped from them because it's tainted and given to the Flames.

[habernac]

They've played well enough to win 2 of the 3. But when you take your foot off the gas in the playoffs.... Markov has been beyond abysmal. Tampa has scored goals 24, 14 and 1.1 seconds before the end of a period. Those are back breakers. Lazy mental errors have cost this team big time.

[EldrickOnIce]

Bob McKenzie on TSN 690 Montreal radio this morning... "If this series was played in my back yard, I'd have closed the curtain for most of it."

The Habs are so painful to watch... and Tampa is beating them at their own game.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by EldrickOnIce

Bob McKenzie on TSN 690 Montreal radio this morning... "If this series was played in my back yard, I'd have closed the curtain for most of it."

The Habs are so painful to watch... and Tampa is beating them at their own game.

It's not like the Rangers/Capitals series has been exciting. The Eastern conference playoffs has been unwatchable for the most part. No goals, no offense, little drama (outside of the Habs usual shenanigans). Just boring 90's style hockey. Kind of strange how the Western conference series have been much more wide open and up tempo for the most part given the Eastern conference reputation of playing more wide open.

Really if the Flames weren't in the playoffs I would have to say that this year's playoffs have been a total snoozer.

[cKy]

^^ Thats kind of been the whole season though hasnt it? Lowest goal totals in years. Not much of anything happened this year worth talking about.

It's a good thing Flames have been awesome to watch this year as I would agree with you, it's been very meh this year.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by cKy

^^ Thats kind of been the whole season though hasnt it? Lowest goal totals in years. Not much of anything happened this year worth talking about.

It's a good thing Flames have been awesome to watch this year as I would agree with you, it's been very meh this year.

Goal totals weren't down, just individual totals are down. A lot of that has to do with teams rolling 4 lines (no 5 minute stretches with terrible players on the ice and also less ice time to superstars) and less powerplays.

Overall the game has been just as exciting to me. Why do we want more goals? I've never understood that

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by cKy

^^ Thats kind of been the whole season though hasnt it? Lowest goal totals in years. Not much of anything happened this year worth talking about.

It's a good thing Flames have been awesome to watch this year as I would agree with you, it's been very meh this year.

And IMO, the reason is blatantly obvious.

Go back to 05/06, post lockout, and how hard the NHL worked to get obstruction out of the game. If you even stepped in front of a guy (with no contact) it was a penalty.

For a few years, they tried to be consistent about it. But for the last 3 or 4 years, it has been seeping back into the game.

And then this year, it just exploded again. Watch a game from this year and watch a game form 06 or 07. Guys are back to grabbing onto wingers as they attempt to enter the zone to fore-check. Blatant picks aren't just in the way, they are making contact.

In front of the net, defensemen weren't allowed to touch the forward for a few years. Now they are back to tackling them.

Honestly, when they started calling all the penalties in 06 and wouldn't allow defensemen to touch anyone, I didn't like it (being a defenseman).

But now that we have gone full circle, I MUCH prefer them not allowing any obstruction at all. Let the talented players play.

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

Goal totals weren't down, just individual totals are down. A lot of that has to do with teams rolling 4 lines (no 5 minute stretches with terrible players on the ice and also less ice time to superstars) and less powerplays.

Overall the game has been just as exciting to me. Why do we want more goals? I've never understood that

People would like to see records challenged. As it is stands, it seems there is no chance of any significant single-season records or historical records being challenged... at least until players are physically able to play into their 50's...

[troutman]

Florida man facing charge for bringing gun to Tampa Bay Lightning-Montreal Canadiens playoff game


http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/st...ml?id=11036803

[codynw]

[cKy]

Funny timing on TSN's part - they stole the idea from CP and made an article about it :P

http://www.tsn.ca/where-have-all-the...-gone-1.277243

Pretty decent article.. But now i'm derailing this thread.

Nice to see TBL do what they shouldve done last year with Montreal. As a Bruins fan, I hate MTL and besides them stealing our cup in 04 - have nothing against TBL at all.

Could TBL hang with the Hawks/Ducks in the Finals?

[codynw]

Originally Posted by cKy

Funny timing on TSN's part - they stole the idea from CP and made an article about it :P

http://www.tsn.ca/where-have-all-the...-gone-1.277243

Pretty decent article.. But now i'm derailing this thread.

Nice to see TBL do what they shouldve done last year with Montreal. As a Bruins fan, I hate MTL and besides them stealing our cup in 04 - have nothing against TBL at all.

Could TBL hang with the Hawks/Ducks in the Finals?

If anyone in the East can beat the Hawks or Ducks, it's Tampa. That's just a stacked team from top to bottom. Bishop is the only question mark but he's been good in this series.

[Poe969]

you mean Hawks/Ducks/Flames right?

This has been such a terrible series but so was the Montreal vs Ottawa series. I don't think any team from the east stands a chance against any team from the west.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by cKy

^^ Thats kind of been the whole season though hasnt it? Lowest goal totals in years. Not much of anything happened this year worth talking about.

It's a good thing Flames have been awesome to watch this year as I would agree with you, it's been very meh this year.

Funny though that 5 of the top 6 scorers from the regular season were from the East.

Hudler was 3rd in the West with 2 Dallas players ahead of him, So considering just who was in the playoffs at the start, Hudler was the top scorer from the West. Not sure where I am going with that, I just thought it was interesting.

[RyZ]

Originally Posted by cKy

Could TBL hang with the Hawks/Ducks in the Finals?

I don't think so. Much like the last season (and any of the last few, really) I expect whoever comes out of the west to win in 6 or less over whoever comes out of the east.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

And IMO, the reason is blatantly obvious.

Go back to 05/06, post lockout, and how hard the NHL worked to get obstruction out of the game. If you even stepped in front of a guy (with no contact) it was a penalty.

For a few years, they tried to be consistent about it. But for the last 3 or 4 years, it has been seeping back into the game.

And then this year, it just exploded again. Watch a game from this year and watch a game form 06 or 07. Guys are back to grabbing onto wingers as they attempt to enter the zone to fore-check. Blatant picks aren't just in the way, they are making contact.

In front of the net, defensemen weren't allowed to touch the forward for a few years. Now they are back to tackling them.

Honestly, when they started calling all the penalties in 06 and wouldn't allow defensemen to touch anyone, I didn't like it (being a defenseman).

But now that we have gone full circle, I MUCH prefer them not allowing any obstruction at all. Let the talented players play.

I'll be honest. I felt a little guilt there when the Flames went all those games in the regular season without committing a single penalty. Sure they were playing disciplined but you can't tell me they didn't commit any forms of obstruction. Combine that with the insane amount of shot blocking and goaltenders continuing to get bigger and better and I don't see any cure for this outside of going back to 06 officiating. Personally I would like the see goaltender pads, trappers and blockers reduced in size as the original reason for pads was to protect goaltenders but over the past 25 years they have gone from protection to increasing the amount of surface area to take away from shooters.

[Locke]

That was pretty much the back-breaker for the Habs.

Good.

[Buff]

Scoring with 1.1 seconds left on the clock? Johnson should be a Calgary Flame, he'd fit right in!