Before one of you complains about this being a football board. We do this every year and it gets a lot of response. I will close the thread from last year. And that pass from Ryan to Brayden was a thing of beauty! Welcome back Stammer and Kuch! Lets Repeat!
If you want to relive the Cup thread. It is now in the Hall Of Fame: OT: Tampa Bay Lightning/Tampa Bay Rays Playoffs Thread | Swamp Gas Forums
Impressive come back from Nikita Kucherov. It's almost like he could have come cap, I mean back, before the playoffs...
Ha! No question they worked within the league rules to creatively navigate the cap. But the season was 2 months shorter this season. In a normal year he plays the last 2 months of the regular season. Those two goals were beauties, but that assist to Pointer was magic. He fakes the slap shot, and in the shot motion flings it to Point. Bobrovski bit on the shot and Point had an empty net.
Glad to see Bennett for Panthers suspended for the next game for a very dirty hit on Coleman. That one was called but several more went uncalled including a couple behind the play on Kucherov early in the game. I guess he got even with 2 goals and an assist. Meanwhile Panthers arena still has had more different names than they have playoff wins in it.
For Kuch to play like that last night after missing the entire season was nothing short of incredible.
Yeah. "Charging" was a weak call. That was textbook boarding and should have been called as such. We scored on that PP. That hit cost them the game and now he has to sit another.
Charging is also boarding with a head of steam. Should have been a 5 min major...but all is alright today. Also the reason the NHL suspended the perp for the next game.
As a long-time hockey fan, i can tell you that the game has changed. It used to be that particularly in playoff hockey, the refs let the guys play. TB getting three consecutive power plays was ridiculous. I saw at least five penalties not called for Florida. The most egregious was with 2 minutes remaining, a Panther pulled down at the blue line, no call. Either be balanced, or just let them play.
That hit on Coleman probably should have been more then two Huberdeau should have gotten 2 for holding the stick instead of a matching penalty. There were missed calls that hurt Tampa too if we are being honest. And that Stamkos hit that Twitter is crying about was to the shoulder and legal.