2021 Tampa Bay Lightning Playoff Thread.

People up here always ask me why the Florida Panthers took their football teams name. Seriously.
Then I explain which team came first (Florida in '93 and Carolina in '95) and the fact that the Florida Panther is an actual animal name (Though a cougar in reality) and that what lived up here is actually a cougar as well but is now extinct.

Carolina Cougars would have been a really good name. They whiffed imho.

 

So Wilmington where I live is less than 2hrs from PNC Arena. I know several Caniacs, but out in public you would have no idea the team existed right now. I see more Lightning Swag at my gym than Canes gear. The franchise does not market well across the state. They are pretty much Raleigh's team and no one else cares. The Hornets and Panthers do much better at having a statewide fanbase. Regular season games at PNC will have a LOT of lightning blue pockets around the arena and you can actually hear the "Lets Go Bolts" cheers on TV when they play there. The canes fans will boo to drown it out.

Carolina is still a really tough out and I wont breath easy until the teams are shaking hands at center ice, but Tampa thankfully has grabbed a stranglehold and would have to implode at this point.

I hope they score a couple goals early and get the win tomorrow so they can rest and let NYI and BOS beat each other up for a few more days.

 

Great to see Tyler Johnson showing up a bit too. That 4th line can really be a game changer since most teams have nothing to combat it with.

 

Really need to finish them tonight.
The pressure shifts to our side with a loss tonight.

No penalties.
Convert on the PP.
Vassy needs to be Vassy.

GoBolts!!

 

Third. They won the cup on a shutout. Vassy is the first goalie to ever close out 3 consecutive series with an SO.

 

How crazy to think that after all the temporary realignment it could be Tampa vs Boston for a trip the the SCF?
(I think the Isle will beat Boston, but just sayin')