ECQF: Tampa Bay Lightning (A1) v Columbus Blue Jackets (WC2) — JACKETS WIN SERIES 4-0

[Erick Estrada]

I think Blue Jackets maybe win a game but this series seems like a formality.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

Tampa in 4.

I can't believe that anyone is giving Columbus a chance in this series.

Yeah, yeah, "It's the playoffs, anything can happen!"

B.S. Tampa is a runaway favorite to go to the cup final. In a league full of parity, they established throughout the year that they were operating on another plane of existence.

Tampa Bay in 4, and it will be 4 very decisive wins. ZERO chance for the inconsistent Blue Jackets.

The best team of all time, the 95 Wings, did not win the Stanley Cup. So yes, anything can happen.

Of course I am betting on Tampa, but to say it’s a done deal is folly.

[BACKCHECK!!!]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

Even the absolute best team has no better than a 75% chance to win a given playoff series. Hell, 75% is generous. Hockey is simply a sport where there is a great deal of randomness and a lot of variance in outcomes owing to things like hot goaltenders, injuries, special teams and other factors.

Let's say Tampa has a 75% chance to win this series. They have, at best, a 60% chance to win round two, which will be against a very good team. Then given them a 60% chance to win round 3. That would give them about a 27% chance to make the cup final...

Similarly, it is very rare you see a hockey team with an 80% chance to win an individual game. It basically requires a really good team against a bad team with injuries starting its backup. It will more or less never happen in the playoffs. But even if you thought Tampa had an 80% chance to win every game against Columbus, they would still only have a 41% chance of a sweep.

It's extremely rare for a team to have an 80% chance of winning an individual game? And only against bad teams with injuries and dressing their backups?

Dude, Tampa just won 76% of ALL their games this season. Against all comers.

On a rolling basis, in a full season there are 76 possible seven game series (ie games 1-7, 2-8, 3-9, etc). Tampa just won 75 out of 76 of them this year. That's 98.7% of their possible seven game stretches.

You are claiming that they will *probably* be eliminated in the first or second round. I'm not seeing it.

[Johnny Makarov]

Tampa hasn't faced adversity all year. If they drop 1 of the first 3 games to the BJs, the Bjs win the series.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Columbus had the 4th most wins in the east, and they added forward depth at the deadline (including their new top line centre).

This isn’t your typical 8th seed. Yeah, Tampa is great. But Columbus is no slouch.

[Scary Eloranta]

Lightning sweep


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[Canada 02]

Columbus might not score 4 goals, never mind trying to win 4 games

Lightning easily sweep

[Mathgod]

Originally Posted by BACKCHECK!!!

Dude, Tampa just won 76% of ALL their games this season. Against all comers.

And some of those losses were on 2nd halves of back-to-backs. There are no back-to-backs in the playoffs.

The Jackets got their keisters stapled to the wall in every meeting with the Lightning this year.

For those of you who think this will be a competitive series, god bless your optimism. All signs point to a slaughter.

[UKflames]

I think ultimately Tampa prevail but not before Columbus give them a bit of a scare. They know their team is going their separate ways once this season is over, which might provide enough incentive to really push for the upset.

[Cole436]

Do the BJ's have some 03 Ducks in them? Yeah I think it's within the realm of possibility, but EVERYTHING would have to go right for them. I think they'll steal one or two games, but I can't see this going past 6 for the Bolts.

[spuzzum]

TB in 5

[Hackey]

Im rooting for the Jackets. They are a strong 8 seed.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

Tampa in 4.

I can't believe that anyone is giving Columbus a chance in this series.

Yeah, yeah, "It's the playoffs, anything can happen!"

B.S. Tampa is a runaway favorite to go to the cup final. In a league full of parity, they established throughout the year that they were operating on another plane of existence.

Tampa Bay in 4, and it will be 4 very decisive wins. ZERO chance for the inconsistent Blue Jackets.

8 times the president's cup team has won the cup. Once since 12-13. Add 3 more teams that made it to the cup finals on top of that since 85-86.

The red season champs literally means nothing in the playoffs. Nothing at all. Maybe they beat CLB. Maybe they dont. Who knows how a 7 game series unfolds.

And in the parity world it would only make sense that the team that ran away with the regular season get ousted in round 1. In the interest of parity and all.

[GreenLantern2814]

Lightning in 6. I think Bobrovsky/Panarin will have one outstanding game each to show they care in the playoffs. But they're not risking their long term health for the Blue Jackets.

Duchene is a loser.

[Robo]

I'm positive tampa is going to take this series but rooting for the jackets

[Vinny01]

Jackets have the type of team that could do some real damage if they get on a roll. Honestly this is the wildcard team that I think has the best chance to go on a deep run. Tampa seems unbeatable though so I think they wrap this up in 6.

I think if the Jackets can somehow get out of this series victorious they will win the east.

[bcneil]

Kind of sucks for CBJ they made so many moves at the deadline, many at the expense of the teams future. To get Tampa. In reality TB should win the cup in like 21 games.

Tampa in 5

[Gaskal]

Narrative with the assistance of NHL 19 Playoff Mode Sim:

Ultimate Godmode Bobrovsky shows up and steals the 1st two games with shutouts despite the Lightning being the superior team both games. I guess he is not happy over the comments regarding his playoff performances earlier this season.

The Lightning have to endure a full 48 hours worth of media asking them irritating questions about the President's Trophy curse and why they didn't rest guys down the stretch.

But outside of Bob turning into a brick wall, the Jackets don't seem to have anything to muster and they lose the next four games straight to lose the series to Tampa Bay in 6.

[FlamesAddiction]

The Blue Jackets weren’t that inspiring since the trade deadline. I don’t have a lot of faith in them.

[Reggie Dunlop]

There's always one Goliath that falls. That's how playoffs work. I like the Jackets here.