ECR1: Florida Panthers (A3) vs Tampa Bay Lightning (A2) - PANTHERS WIN 4-1

[Sylvanfan]

It makes me puke in my mouth a bit...but go Lightning. Need this Florida pick to fall at like 22 overall...and Ottawa to stay in front of it so it's really pick 21. So Tampa or Toronto has to come out of this Division.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

It makes me puke in my mouth a bit...but go Lightning. Need this Florida pick to fall at like 22 overall...and Ottawa to stay in front of it so it's really pick 21. So Tampa or Toronto has to come out of this Division.

Again, as far as I understand the situation, it will stay where it is if Florida wins in the first round, but loses in the second round. Being that we all have an historic hate for Tampa, it seems to be an easy choice for this series.

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

Again, as far as I understand the situation, it will stay where it is if Florida wins in the first round, but loses in the second round. Being that we all have an historic hate for Tampa, it seems to be an easy choice for this series.

But again Ottawa can't pass Florida...so the other option is Toronto...

Sorry pal...has to be Tampa here. It does seem like the winner of this series is cup bound. Unless Washington isn't the Paper Tiger that I think they are.

I guess if the Flames win the draft lottery..I would change my tune and Florida can win the cup..so if you make that happen I'm happy to support you.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

Being that we all have an historic hate for Tampa

I don't. The Lightning didn't call back that goal. I have a historic hate for the officials who made that call.

The team that benefited from the call has long since retired, and most of the players who replaced them have also retired. The players on the team today were kids in 2004, and one of them wasn't even born yet. Jon Cooper was coaching the Texarkana Bandits then. Julien BriseBois was working in hockey ops for the Habs. Even the owners have turned over multiple times.

I don't really bear a grudge against a single human being in the Bolts' organization today.

[dino7c]

Yeah Tampa is very low on my hate list

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

But again Ottawa can't pass Florida...so the other option is Toronto...

I'm not sure what you mean here. In what sense would Ottawa pass Florida?

If you mean in draft position, sure they can. If Ottawa wins two rounds in the playoffs, then their first-round pick drops to 29th or worse, and Florida's actually moves up from 22nd because a team behind them dropped.

Sorry pal...has to be Tampa here. It does seem like the winner of this series is cup bound. Unless Washington isn't the Paper Tiger that I think they are.

If Washington is a paper tiger, it's not likely to make it out of the Met bracket. At the moment, Carolina is only three points behind Tampa (each with one game remaining), and Florida is a point behind Carolina. It's not a foregone conclusion that a Stanley Cup finalist will come out of the Atlantic.

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

I'm not sure what you mean here. In what sense would Ottawa pass Florida?

If you mean in draft position, sure they can. If Ottawa wins two rounds in the playoffs, then their first-round pick drops to 29th or worse, and Florida's actually moves up from 22nd because a team behind them dropped.



If Washington is a paper tiger, it's not likely to make it out of the Met bracket. At the moment, Carolina is only three points behind Tampa (each with one game remaining), and Florida is a point behind Carolina. It's not a foregone conclusion that a Stanley Cup finalist will come out of the Atlantic.

Ottawa has to forfeit their first round pick from the Davidov fiasco. So right now they're a void pick before the Panthers pick which does the Flames a favor and moves it up a spot. But if they move to say 29...it doesn't change that since Minnesota and St.Louis are the only teams between Ottawa and Florida. I had that mixed up, so yeah Ottawa can whack the Leafs and that's fine.

I'm not too high on Carolina, they could make the final 4 since it could be an easier path there. But I think any of Florida, Tampa, or even Toronto would handle them.

[memphusk]

#### the pick. Go Panthers Go.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

Ottawa has to forfeit their first round pick from the Davidov fiasco. So right now they're a void pick before the Panthers pick which does the Flames a favor and moves it up a spot. But if they move to say 29...it doesn't change that since Minnesota and St.Louis are the only teams between Ottawa and Florida. I had that mixed up, so yeah Ottawa can whack the Leafs and that's fine.

OK, I agree with that completely. I just didn't follow you properly the first time.

[icarus]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

I don't. The Lightning didn't call back that goal. I have a historic hate for the officials who made that call.

IIRC it was not called a goal at the time nor was it even reviewed. Play continued pretty promptly after the next whistle. It was only the tv broadcasters who spotted it. Even those of us who were at the game didn't realise how close it was until we started hearing from folks watching at home.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Tuesday? Why is this series starting 3 days after some of the others?

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by icarus

IIRC it was not called a goal at the time nor was it even reviewed. Play continued pretty promptly after the next whistle. It was only the tv broadcasters who spotted it. Even those of us who were at the game didn't realise how close it was until we started hearing from folks watching at home.

Correct. I was at the game and had no clue.
The chance that haunts me is Marcus Nilson in overtime.

[Mathgod]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

Tuesday? Why is this series starting 3 days after some of the others?

Four game 2s will have already been played before the puck drops in this series. Bizarre.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by Mathgod

Four game 2s will have already been played before the puck drops in this series. Bizarre.

Sorry guys, I’m going out of town until Monday night so I asked Gary to consider what games I don’t want to miss.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

Tuesday? Why is this series starting 3 days after some of the others?

A quick search tells me that Amalie arena is book on Saturday for an Alan Jackson concert, so that's out. Sunday? Might be a push to get the game in after a concert set up, but doable. Monday? I have no idea why they couldn't start by then. Maybe they didn't want to have 5 series play all on a Monday night? Get more views overall? Other than that I have no clue.

[EVERLAST]

I want the Panteros to win.

I see A grown up Bennett, Tkachuk and a Paul Maurice. I think Bill Zito is an awesome
Executive and sees value like Craig Conroy even through we don't yet have our 2 nd cup yet .

I like Listening to Paul Maurice and his pressers a d wish we had a coach that could inject more life with profanity and theatrics into our team like he does becsuse
Huska needs to show more urgency towards that.

[ForeverFlameFan]

Gonna be a fun series. I think the GD in the reg season is a telling story and the Lightning were the best in the league. I think they’re the “dark horse” if you think they aren’t going to go far. The Sergachev retool trade has absolutely revamped their team and they’re hot right now with top end players playing to their ability. Florida can still be a problem, and just like the Dallas/Colorado series whoever comes out of this one is likely the SC finalist for the East.

I think Florida is out of gas from being part of 2 SCF back-to-back, Tampa in 6.

[FanIn80]

Florida's top players were all out for extended periods of time this season, yet they still managed to clinch early enough to rest a lot of guys who needed it.

Game One might be the first time since the begining of the season that the whole team is playing together... although I think Ekblad still has to miss a couple. We have yet to see the full Panthers current lineup play a single game together. Chucky, Bennett and Marchand is going to be must-watch television, and I'm here for it.

[Saqe]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

Florida's top players were all out for extended periods of time this season, yet they still managed to clinch early enough to rest a lot of guys who needed it.

Game One might be the first time since the begining of the season that the whole team is playing together... although I think Ekblad still has to miss a couple. We have yet to see the full Panthers current lineup play a single game together. Chucky, Bennett and Marchand is going to be must-watch television, and I'm here for it.

Looks like these guys aren't going to be playing together, at least at the beginning. Maurice does a lot of line shuffling though. Marchand is going to be playing on the third line with Lundell and Luostarinen.

[the-rasta-masta]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Correct. I was at the game and had no clue.
The chance that haunts me is Marcus Nilson in overtime.

I was at the game. I turned to my dad immediately and said that looked in. We had a good view from our seats. Couldn’t believe there was no review. Then we heard on the radio on the drive home how it was in (it was pretty definitely thought to be in immediately following the game, all that parallax stuff happened later on once the NHL needed to justify things).