Stanley Cup Playoffs start today!

[DrumsAndBeer]

I was only able to catch the last period of the first game but from the looks of it Tampa definitely let one slip away. However, regardless of play, a split on the road is not a bad thing for the Hawks. I am curious to see how Crawford will respond in goal in game 3. One thing for sure, there won't be a building half filled with Lightning fans to worry about. Florida has no business having even one NHL team, let alone two.

 

[eklektos44]

Hey! We get snow in Florida. We got some in '89. Almost an inch and a half! Jacksonville was paralyzed the whole day!

 

[RobJ]

From what I'm reading Bishop may have a groin pull or something, the Lightening aren't saying much. The 20 year old backup Vasilevskiy is pretty impressive but the Stanley Cup finals are much, much bigger games than anything he's likely experienced imo.

If Bishop is out for even a game, the Blackhawks just got very lucky indeed.

 

[RobJ]

I'm pretty happy that Tampa Bay won last night. Certainly something is up with Bishop but it can't be anything too serious. When I was a kid, 15 or so, I suffered a groin pull that kept me on the bench for nearly a month. I could hardly skate let alone play goal, so I'm thinking it might be his left knee or hamstring is giving him problems. I can't fault the guys on Hockey Night in Canada for trying to figure it out with the post game questions.

So on to game 4. I'm really looking forward to it!

 

[weedsnager]

Hawks don't win tomorrow...party is over

 

[RobJ]

I'm not sure I buy that. I really think anything can happen during the Finals. When the chips are down guys can reach down deep and come up with heart and soul they hadn't found before. Clearly these teams are very well matched so I'm expecting it to go to Game 7.

 

[RobJ]

Once I found out Bishop was out for game 4 I figured Chicago would win, and they did.

If Bishop is out for game 5 even though it's in Tampa I'm thinking the Blackhawks win again. I hope I'm wrong.

 

[RobJ]

Even with Bishop they lost. Oy, Chicago should wrap it up in game 6.

 

[riff raff]

Wow, the wheels have fallen off the Lightening. That first goal was comedic, I'm sure NOT to the home team. Tons of mistakes in their own end.
I'll hope for a Game 7 but it's not looking good for the Lightening.

 

[RobJ]

And that, as they say is that. Congrats to the Blackhawks.

 

[Zeno Marx]

Wow, the wheels have fallen off the Lightening.

That's the sad thing about this series.  It was competitive...and then it wasn't at all.  Goalie hurt.  Highest scorer in playoffs and second on the team gets hurt (Johnson).  All the confidence gets sucked out of the team.  Then Chicago could score a goal or two and set back into a strong neutral ice defense and ride out the games.  BORING to watch.  Understandable, but no fun to watch.  I wanted it to go 7 games (before it even started), but not if it was going to be like that.

After Bishop clearly gets injured, I was disappointed they didn't throw in the backup goalie for the remainder.  I get that it would have hurt their confidence and built up Chicago, but their confidence was already low.  How much worse could it have been?  Let the kid have some experience and either prove himself or not.

I love hockey.  I love to watch it.  I didn't care who won, but I wanted a fun series.  It started out like any true sports fan would want, and then it derailed into an exercise in futility.  Keith rose to Hall of Fame status, if he wasn't already there, so that was cool to witness.  What a ****** series, and it wasn't good for hockey in general.  Well, I shouldn't say that.  Now NBC can drill us with Chicago's legacy for the next year.

 

[riff raff]

Yep, what could have been. I was worried with all of the previous 7 game series, that someone (or both) would be mentally and physically shot by the finals. I thought it might have been Chicago vs the younger FL team.

Wow, the wheels have fallen off the Lightening.

That's the sad thing about this series.  It was competitive...and then it wasn't at all.  Goalie hurt.  Highest scorer in playoffs and second on the team gets hurt (Johnson).  All the confidence gets sucked out of the team.  Then Chicago could score a goal or two and set back into a strong neutral ice defense and ride out the games.  BORING to watch.  Understandable, but no fun to watch.  I wanted it to go 7 games (before it even started), but not if it was going to be like that.

After Bishop clearly gets injured, I was disappointed they didn't throw in the backup goalie for the remainder.  I get that it would have hurt their confidence and built up Chicago, but their confidence was already low.  How much worse could it have been?  Let the kid have some experience and either prove himself or not.

I love hockey.  I love to watch it.  I didn't care who won, but I wanted a fun series.  It started out like any true sports fan would want, and then it derailed into an exercise in futility.  Keith rose to Hall of Fame status, if he wasn't already there, so that was cool to witness.  What a ****** series, and it wasn't good for hockey in general.  Well, I shouldn't say that.  Now NBC can drill us with Chicago's legacy for the next year.

 

[Zeno Marx]

http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/13088089/2015-stanley-cup-finals-ben-bishop-tampa-bay-lightning-reveals-injury-suffered-was-torn-groin

goalie = torn groin.
star scorer = broken wrist.

That's the playoffs, though. Brutal. Grueling. Chicago playing four defenseman. Still, you can't do dick in hockey with a bad goalie. And I'm not pro-Lightening. I just wanted a great series in 7 games. Didn't happen.