Round 1 — Rest of the East
- Thread starter The Napkin
- Start date
Crazy bounces killing the caps. First the puck rolls of a stick, leading to a 2-on-1. Then a pass from behind the next gets deflected right into the crease
No discipline. Even though he does this shit a lot.
https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/rangers-trouba-avoids-a-hearing-for-hit-on-penguins-crosby/
Something is just not right with this Tampa team. Could just be fatigue. That’s a ton of hockey games since August 2020.
I might be more sympathetic to the Leafs if the media here weren’t convinced there’ll be a Cup parade ending at Nathan Phillips Square every September, that every Anglophone Canadian secretly can’t wait for the Leafs to win, and that Bettman and the NHL absolutely have it out for the Leafs. For a team that has done jack shit the last half-century, they have no shortage of apologists.
Doesn’t that scream an odometer problem? Say what you want about the circumstances, but the Lightning have won the last two Cups, and, as a consequence, have some of the most games played in a 24-month stretch as you can have with only one short off-season to rest.
Yeah, I was agreeing with the fatigue point. I think that’s it. They had the issue in the regular season, too. Just looking really flat for long stretches.
They were up 3-2 on the Bruins in 2019 and lost on home ice. Last year they were up 3-2 and lost game 6 on the road…in OT.
(I think they get it done this time. Every time I think “same old Leafs” this series they seem to bounce back).
And in between, they had a 3-game sequence in the play-in round that went:
-gagged 3-goal lead
-3-goal comeback
-do-or-die game no-show
They’ve been creative.
This is tense. Feels like if the Leafs get past the 1st Round jinx only Colorado can stop them.
it's nice watching an OT game where I'd be happy whichever team loses with these two...
