Sam Hitchcock: Bolts on the Brink of Elimination

I hate this playoff system. 1st Place/best record should mean something - like a bye series , make the first round between wild cards / 5 games series.

Lightning (frank)ing SUCK! Pathetic effort out there & Torts will out coaching the snob Cooper.

Broomsticks are ready. I expect a complete meltdown in game 4. Should be an entertaining one to watch

This Lightning team is incredibly soft, Stamkos is not the player he once was and Kucherov carries him. No excuse for this, what happens to Cooper, safe?

I hate this playoff system. 1st Place/best record should mean something - like a bye series , make the first round between wild cards / 5 games series.

Lightning (frank)ing SUCK! Pathetic effort out there & Torts will out coaching the snob Cooper.
- disorca

The Bolt91 karma

The worst thing about the Lightning's play is that they have been completley uninspiring. Very few coaching adjustments, egregious penalties, no urgency. After the loss to the Blackhawks in the Cup final, and the Penguins and Capitals in the ECF, I still had hope and believed that these players could win the cup. That's not the case after this series.

I hope that they prove me wrong, and are able to pull out the reverse sweep, but that seems extremley unlikely given how well the Blue Jackets are playing. If the Lightning do end up losing, they have to reconstruct the team and decide whether its time to cut Cooper loose (is that even possible given his recent extenstion?).

- tomburton99

Thanks Tom. That was the perfect response. I thought my head was going to explode when I read the 1st place team should get a bye or some poop.

The worst thing about the Lightning's play is that they have been completley uninspiring. Very few coaching adjustments, egregious penalties, no urgency. After the loss to the Blackhawks in the Cup final, and the Penguins and Capitals in the ECF, I still had hope and believed that these players could win the cup. That's not the case after this series.

I hope that they prove me wrong, and are able to pull out the reverse sweep, but that seems extremley unlikely given how well the Blue Jackets are playing. If the Lightning do end up losing, they have to reconstruct the team and decide whether its time to cut Cooper loose (is that even possible given his recent extenstion?).
- jvar17

Gotta wonder how many teams looking for a new bench boss. might be putting a decision on hold to see if Cooper is let go.

Wow. This is an ALL TIME choke job

Bolts started to believe their own hype, and they’re being punished for it

You don’t come back from this. I fully expect a game four meltdown. 7-1 Jackets, or something along those lines

I hate this playoff system. 1st Place/best record should mean something - like a bye series , make the first round between wild cards / 5 games series.

Lightning (frank)ing SUCK! Pathetic effort out there & Torts will out coaching the snob Cooper.
- disorca

This series is exactly why there is no bye.

I never ever saw this coming. I don't think CBJ fans saw this coming. It hasn't even been close on-ice. Unless they all go into God mode (looking at Hedman, Stamkos, and Kucherov), they really may get swept.

The worst thing about the Lightning's play is that they have been completley uninspiring. Very few coaching adjustments, egregious penalties, no urgency. After the loss to the Blackhawks in the Cup final, and the Penguins and Capitals in the ECF, I still had hope and believed that these players could win the cup. That's not the case after this series.

I hope that they prove me wrong, and are able to pull out the reverse sweep, but that seems extremley unlikely given how well the Blue Jackets are playing. If the Lightning do end up losing, they have to reconstruct the team and decide whether its time to cut Cooper loose (is that even possible given his recent extenstion?).
- jvar17

You can always fire anyone. You just take it in the shorts financially a bit.

I wouldn't reconstruct the team either if they lose this series. I'd try to figure out what went wrong; coaching or player mix and fine tune it. It's an incredible team.

The Bolts need to strip Stamkos of the C in the offseason. He has obvious shortcomings as a leader and always disappears in the playoffs.

This Lightning team is incredibly soft, Stamkos is not the player he once was and Kucherov carries him. No excuse for this, what happens to Cooper, safe?
- ClaudeFather

One thing that is false in your statement is Kucherov does not carry Stamkos. Aside from them playing on the PP together they have been on separate lines all year. They are mutually beneficial to each other on the PP.

But to be honest the whole entire team including Stamkos hasn't shown up for the most part. Its the young guys like Cirelli and Cernak showing compete.

As for Cooper, not a hater or fan but maybe its time for a new voice in the locker room.

Thanks Tom. That was the perfect response. I thought my head was going to explode when I read the 1st place team should get a bye or some poop.
- Queenie_5_hole

This series would have happened under the old 1-8 system too. There were no byes in that scenario and people had no problems with it. (NHL should go back to it.)

You can always fire anyone. You just take it in the shorts financially a bit.

I wouldn't reconstruct the team either if they lose this series. I'd try to figure out what went wrong; coaching or player mix and fine tune it. It's an incredible team.
- Queenie_5_hole

I personally think changes need to be made to towards the supporting cast of this team. Get rid of the deadweight like Girardi and Callahan and let loose Coburn and Stralman. I'd also consider trading players like Killorn, Palat, etc. at this point, not only to give the top nine a different look, but also because of the impending cap crunch.

I hate this playoff system. 1st Place/best record should mean something - like a bye series , make the first round between wild cards / 5 games series.

Lightning (frank)ing SUCK! Pathetic effort out there & Torts will out coaching the snob Cooper.
- disorca

It does mean something - it means you get to play the worst team - that's the self explanatory advantage

I never ever saw this coming. I don't think CBJ fans saw this coming. It hasn't even been close on-ice. Unless they all go into God mode (looking at Hedman, Stamkos, and Kucherov), they really may get swept

As a CBJ fan I can say that no one in Columbus saw this coming. We are all waiting for the Bolts to turn it on and dominate a game. My fear is that TBL will wake up tomorrow and snap out of it and turn the series on its head. Don't want to see the CBJ choke away a three game lead.

I am surprised about the lack of adjustments by Cooper.

The calls for firing Cooper and blowing up the team are a bit extreme.

You can always fire anyone. You just take it in the shorts financially a bit.

I wouldn't reconstruct the team either if they lose this series. I'd try to figure out what went wrong; coaching or player mix and fine tune it. It's an incredible team.
- Queenie_5_hole

They got about 8-10mil in cap space for next season and need RFA contracts for POINT, Paquette and Erne..

Stralman, Girardi, Colburn and Rutta are all UFAs.

The team is getting reconstructed whether they win or lose.

Blow up the team Tampa, its the end of the world.

As a CBJ fan I can say that no one in Columbus saw this coming. We are all waiting for the Bolts to turn it on and dominate a game. My fear is that TBL will wake up tomorrow and snap out of it and turn the series on its head. Don't want to see the CBJ choke away a three game lead.

I am surprised about the lack of adjustments by Cooper.

The calls for firing Cooper and blowing up the team are a bit extreme.
- GeriHattric7

This series and the Penguins series highlight what a tight checking team can do to a skilled team. The Penguins and Lightning, while not on even par this year, tend to score goals based on collective individual skill, meaning they are skilled players playing a system which emphasizes that skill. When you play a team that can choke that skill out, it is up to the coach to make adjustments and for the players to execute those adjustments. I have seen no changes for both teams through 3 games. That is why they're both down 3-0.

The Bolt91 karma
- Symba.007

100%

As a CBJ fan I can say that no one in Columbus saw this coming. We are all waiting for the Bolts to turn it on and dominate a game. My fear is that TBL will wake up tomorrow and snap out of it and turn the series on its head. Don't want to see the CBJ choke away a three game lead.

I am surprised about the lack of adjustments by Cooper.

The calls for firing Cooper and blowing up the team are a bit extreme.
- GeriHattric7

The lack of adjustments isn't suprising to Lightning fans. The first few years after he was hired, it was excusable since he was still a very new coach. At this point though, we've seen him get outcoached multiple times in the post-season and know what to expect from him.

100%
- Scabeh

I don't even remember Bolts91 posting in the Lightning blog that often. Was he just trolling the other fanbases?

What the actual F**K is happening..?

Its the Caps series all over again. Cant get in the offensive zone. The games suck. We cant convert on the small mistakes CBJ does. Frustration and desperation but lack of effort. Dont know that to say. This is a freaking nightmare.

Cooper had a great regularseason last year aswell and with the addition of our young guys, Point taking another step, McD all year, Vasy more experienced.. Of course this team would be better. That has never been a problem, Coop being outcoached in the playoffs is.

Me and FedsStammer said this in november. But now he is extended and will have to learn to adapt next year instead..

Its like there is a conspiracy among Eastern coaches that they have a tactic to stop Tampa but only uses it in the postseason. And Coop has no idea what the hell is going on. Because CBJ is playing just like Caps did.