[PST] Stanley Cup Final: Montreal Canadiens vs. Tampa Bay Lightning---Bolts win the Cup 4-1

[MrMike]

Go Byron, Kulak, Weber, Price, Petry, Gallagher.

[blender]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

The best goalie in the world, the best defenceman in the world and arguably the best scoring winger in the world?

Yes I agree the Flames do not have any of those things

You don't even have Point in there, lol.
Top 5 center in the league...?
Top 10 all day.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Top 10 sounds about right, and yes, the Flames don't have one of those either.

But I was more trying to point to things that the Lightning have that basically no one does that are primary reasons for their success. It's not like the Flames just haven't considered acquiring a perennial Norris favourite and the best goalie in the world. You can't just say, "hey, having better players than everyone else seems to work for Tampa, let's try that next season".

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by SebC

If the Lightning win, it's kind of like nobody does because they cheated, right?

It would be about a "meh" Cup win as you could get. Just pure boring from a team that managed to get a +$20mil cap team to the finals. Yawn.

[CroFlames]

I like Price and Weber. But I also like Vasilevskiy and Hedman.

Both these teams beat us in the Finals.

It’s hard to pick who to cheer for, but at least Tampa fans won’t riot.

I’ll watch the series and decide. Definitely not looking forward to Canadian media bleating about “number 25” non stop.

[dino7c]

Wish it was Tampa/Colorado

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Wish it was Tampa/Calgary.

[djsFlames]

Not a very exciting finals, all cause of stupid Tampa advancing.

But it may provide satisfaction if the Habs keep getting their good fortune and goaltending and stick it to those blue monsters. As long as they keep their gloating and rioting to a minimum, which I have little faith in happening.

I like Paul Byron and I like Carey Price. That's about it.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

Wish it was Tampa/Calgary.

Well yeah but given the playoff teams I think that would have been the most entertaining final possible

[direwolf]

Originally Posted by tvp2003

My heart is with Price and the Habs but my gut says Tampa will win and nobody outside of Tampa will GAF when they do.

Nobody IN Tampa will GAF either. Sure, they might spend an afternoon celebrating the next day. Maybe hold a rally for an hour or two, but that'll be it as far as fan interest is concerned.

[getbak]

Montreal's cap roster in their last game: $67,659,642.00
Tampa's cap roster in their last game: $89,329,166.00

[Hemi-Cuda]

Tampa is going to end another Canadian team Cinderella run. They don't make the same mistakes that Montreal feasted on with Vegas, and Vasilevsky is equal to Price. I'm thinking Tampa in 5

[djsFlames]

Yeah, Tampa is just too good. Too many weapons.

I said similar about Vegas, but..... it's a team that is essentially running two star players over the cap. They're loaded, and the goalie is in the top 3 on top of that.

Pretty much anybody up and down the lineup can chip in offense too.

Montreal will need all the blood magic it can handle.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by direwolf

Nobody IN Tampa will GAF either. Sure, they might spend an afternoon celebrating the next day. Maybe hold a rally for an hour or two, but that'll be it as far as fan interest is concerned.

Have you ever been to Tampa? They have a relatively large fanbase and you see lightning stuff everywhere you go...even when they sucked a few years back. They are the #1 sunbelt teams for fans IMO.

[Chingas]

If the islanders won I would have cheered for them. Now I have to cheer for the habs.

Also why isn't it as simple as saying you can't dress a roster over the cap? Lightning scenario aside, the whole banking cap space etc is overly complicated and unnecessary. Have a 25 man cap limit and an on ice limit. Simple and eliminates this BS.

I also don't understand why players aren't signed to contracts that represent a percentage of the cap, rather than a dollar figure ? Whether the cap goes up or down then becomes irrelevant.

[Matty81]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Have you ever been to Tampa? They have a relatively large fanbase and you see lightning stuff everywhere you go...even when they sucked a few years back. They are the #1 sunbelt teams for fans IMO.

I go to st. Pete's every winter the last few years with lots of time in tampa and it must be a lot different where you are at. I've seen a couple bolts car stickers, and the games I've gone to are well attended, but I think I've posted here that I've heard ppl in the stands asking about the rules of hockey in the lower bowl a ton and i see more people supporting spring training baseball teams than I've seen bolts gear. And I'd say by a huge margin. I have seen way way more yanks Phils and jays stuff out around town at the malls and stuff.

They sell tickets because they are good, and they do have a loyal core of fans, but I think saying they have a huge fanbase is getting carried away. At minimum 4/5 ppl there have no interest in hockey whatsoever would be my guess, and I feel like that's conservative.

They are a great team but nobody cares when they win outside of the 100k or so ppl there who follow them closely.

[savemedrzaius]

Battle of the Atlantic for the Cup!

Bolts in 6.

[Huntingwhale]

Easy choice to cheer for the Habs. But honestly, they are in tough. Cinderella teams seems to flicker out in the finals more often than not.

TBL has way to many weapons. Habs are playing good, but Price will literally have to put on the best goaltending performance in Habs history to pull this off. I just don't see it happening, but will gladly take a Habs win over the TBL.

[Snuffleupagus]

The Habs might have a chance if they fill their building with fans instead of outside on the streets.

[Gaudreau is a Ninja]

I know I’m older then most on this forum but for me Go Tampa Go! All the way! Will never hope for the Habs unless they’re facing the Oilers, Canucks, or Leafs.