Ben Shelley: Hurricanes lose Game 5, eliminated by Lightning

Another victim fallen to the Tampa Bay Cheatening. I know its not a clever name but i am not clever anyway. That darn rule book can say whatever it wants. I still consider what they are doing as cheating. I just cant stand that the cap doesnt apply to the playoffs it makes very little if any sense. Yes i know im a sore loser i will still be crying about this into next season.

Since so many teams are over the cap in the playoffs (TBL obviously more than others), would you want the same hard cap from the reg season or increase the number by a couple million for playoffs? It'll be interesting to see what, if anything, changes this offseason.

Since so many teams are over the cap in the playoffs (TBL obviously more than others), would you want the same hard cap from the reg season or increase the number by a couple million for playoffs? It'll be interesting to see what, if anything, changes this offseason.
- Zupes

All they have to do is make it so that you can only dress players to the cap limit based on their cap hit

81.5 Million cap, TBL has 94 Million worth of players, they have to scratch 12.5 Million worth per game

Johnson/Killorn and Gourde replaced by 3 guys making the minimum gets it done

Would the series look different if those 3 were replaced by 3 rookies or 3 league minimum earning vets?

Tough to say...

Simply remove the hard cap and replace it with a luxury tax.

Simply remove the hard cap and replace it with a luxury tax.
- GalacticStone

To accommodate the cheating?

Really, that seems like a horrible solution. Not to mention a lot of work to restructure the CBA. Just destroy the benefits of a hard cap the league has been operating under and go back to the salary insanity of years ago; so that the system works for Tampa Bay.

Or maybe add in a value added tax to teams in Florida to compensate for the state tax advantage...

To accommodate the cheating?

Really, that seems like a horrible solution. Not to mention a lot of work to restructure the CBA. Just destroy the benefits of a hard cap the league has been operating under and go back to the salary insanity of years ago; so that the system works for Tampa Bay.

Or maybe add in a value added tax to teams in Florida to compensate for the state tax advantage...
- Queenie_5_hole

I don't know what else would work. I have never been a fan of the hard cap. Just because the league has been using it for years is not a reason to continue using it forever. What exactly are the benefits of a hard cap anyway? It is supposed to level the playing field and make teams more competitive. On paper that sounds good. But the owners and players can never see eye to eye on the catering for the meetings, less yet the CBA.

Florida's tax situation is not unique and workers seeking out lower-tax burdens is not unique to professional athletes. Don't like paying too much in taxes? You are free to move to a locality with lower taxes and get a job there. Do we start adding extra tax to workers who move from a higher-tax to a lower-tax locality? That is an entire can of worms to open.

As a fan of a team that built a winning roster, it would be nice to keep that roster together. This is especially true with a deep-pocketed owner and good management. The only thing standing in the way of keeping the Lightning's Murderer's Row together is the hard cap.

My position has always been this - instead of hating on the Lightning for exploiting loopholes in LTIR, one should ask why their own team isn't doing the same thing. No rules are being broken, despite the insinuations coming from the Twitterverse. Every GM is free to do the same thing and some have.

Or maybe add in a value added tax to teams in Florida to compensate for the state tax advantage...
- Queenie_5_hole

So you would have to constantly regulate all the teams at all times? Taxes are different from country to country, state to state, county to county, city to city. What if a player moves outside a city? Now we have to rebalance again.

If you think taxes are such a major factor in your team's success/failure then why don't you push to lower your local taxes?

I hate Tampa.

Not because of the Kucherov thing, they found a loophole and the league did nothing to prevent it. That's on the NHL, not on them.

I hate them because of their stupid rule that prevents fans of other teams to wear their jersey to a game in Tampa.

If that's the not definition of a cowardly organisation, I don't know what is.

My suggestion would be to implement a separate amount you can exceed the salary cap by in the playoffs, much like during the offseason.

Call it 10% or something reasonable to allow some flexibility but avoid situations like what has happened in Tampa Bay this year.

It's not like they're the first ones who have done this, either. Chicago did. Toronto used the LTIR cushion to add players too.

it just feels more egregious this year for whatever reason.

I hate Tampa.

Not because of the Kucherov thing, they found a loophole and the league did nothing to prevent it. That's on the NHL, not on them.

I hate them because of their stupid rule that prevents fans of other teams to wear their jersey to a game in Tampa.

If that's the not definition of a cowardly organisation, I don't know what is.
- Scabeh

they got rid of that rule after the video came out.

I hate Tampa.

Not because of the Kucherov thing, they found a loophole and the league did nothing to prevent it. That's on the NHL, not on them.

I hate them because of their stupid rule that prevents fans of other teams to wear their jersey to a game in Tampa.

If that's the not definition of a cowardly organisation, I don't know what is.
- Scabeh

I thought that rule was stupid also. They did away with it. It's not a thing any more. They caught a ton of blowback for it, and rightfully so.

Florida teams have an odd market. Lots of retirees and transplants from up north. Many have first teams they followed for many years before moving to Florida. They support the Lightning, but they also support their old teams. I used to wear my St. Louis Blues cap to Lightning games.

I don't mind seeing opposing jerseys. They pay for tickets and concessions, so they are supporting the Lightning by being there.

they got rid of that rule after the video came out.
- BINGO!

Good.

I'm back to being indifferent about them as an organization but in awe of their god damn perfect hockey team.

I thought that rule was stupid also. They did away with it. It's not a thing any more. They caught a ton of blowback for it, and rightfully so.

Florida teams have an odd market. Lots of retirees and transplants from up north. Many have first teams they followed for many years before moving to Florida. They support the Lightning, but they also support their old teams. I used to wear my St. Louis Blues cap to Lightning games.

I don't mind seeing opposing jerseys. They pay for tickets and concessions, so they are supporting the Lightning by being there.
- GalacticStone

And rivalries are part of the fun.

Plenty of Leafs fans when we play them in Montreal. We simply outnumber then 4 to 1. It's great.

I hate them because of their stupid rule that prevents fans of other teams to wear their jersey to a game in Tampa.

- Scabeh

It's actually harder to find people in the Tampa area who's family is actually from Florida. Half of the population is from the New York/elsewhere in the northeast areas. Another quarter are from other big cities like Chicago. More than any other team in the NHL by a longshot, the Lightning have to deal with road team fans almost out numbering Lightning fans. It's literally nuts, when the hawks are in town I swear there's more hawks jerseys in the arena than lightning jerseys.

But I HIGHLY doubt that Montreal wouldn't do something similar if every time they played Toronto in the bell centre there was mostly blue jersey's, and then the same thing for Ottawa, Boston, etc. It's a situation that outside of maybe one matchup (i.e., Toronto @ Buffalo), no other team has to deal with in a significant way.

It's actually harder to find people in the Tampa area who's family is actually from Florida. Half of the population is from the New York/elsewhere in the northeast areas. Another quarter are from other big cities like Chicago. More than any other team in the NHL by a longshot, the Lightning have to deal with road team fans almost out numbering Lightning fans. It's literally nuts, when the hawks are in town I swear there's more hawks jerseys in the arena than lightning jerseys.

But I HIGHLY doubt that Montreal wouldn't do something similar if every time they played Toronto in the bell centre there was mostly blue jersey's, and then the same thing for Ottawa, Boston, etc. It's a situation that outside of maybe one matchup (i.e., Toronto @ Buffalo), no other team has to deal with in a significant way.
- Izzo

Montreal would never do something like this.

Never.

And it's not because Leafs, Nordiques, Bruins fans haven't tried to storm our building before. We just don't let them.

Ottawa tried to prevent people in Quebec from buying tickets a few years back.

They were trashed in the papers and their strategy ended up failing because we all just called people we knew in Ontario to buy tickets for us and still outnumbered them in their building.

Rivalries are fun, rules prevent fans from other teams to do their thing are dumb and should be removed.

Fans should just buy tickets and make sure it doesn't happen.

Montreal would never do something like this.


And it's not because Leafs, Nordiques, Bruins fans haven't tried to storm our building before. We just don't let them.


- Scabeh

I understand but you are basing this on an assumption that doesn't apply to the situation here in Tampa. In Montreal you have home team fans, enough to out snipe the tickets from your rivals. It's not at all the same situation. Not because lack of hockey fans but because MOST of the population isn't from Tampa. Meaning when push comes to shove with the bigger franchises like Chicago, Rangers/Islanders, Boston, Philly, etc. We are practically out numbered here.

Unless you can say that there's more Leafs or Senator fans living in Montreal than Habs fans it's not the same situation. Like I said before, this is unique only to Tampa because we are the retirement center for all of north america. On a side note, it's also the reason hockey works here vs other areas like the panther's down in Miami. Tampa's demographics are completely different and unique.

I understand but you are basing this on an assumption that doesn't apply to the situation here in Tampa. In Montreal you have home team fans, enough to out snipe the tickets from your rivals. It's not at all the same situation. Not because lack of hockey fans but because MOST of the population isn't from Tampa. Meaning when push comes to shove with the bigger franchises like Chicago, Rangers/Islanders, Boston, Philly, etc. We are practically out numbered here.

Unless you can say that there's more Leafs or Senator fans living in Montreal than Habs fans it's not the same situation. Like I said before, this is unique only to Tampa because we are the retirement center for all of north america. On a side note, it's also the reason hockey works here vs other areas like the panther's down in Miami. Tampa's demographics are completely different and unique.
- Izzo

Carolina has a similar issue. I am originally from PA and grew up a Flyers fan. The Raleigh metro area has more than doubled since the Canes moved here. Transplants galore. Next generation is growing up going to Canes games and adopting them and winning over the transplanted parents as well. I am a Canes fan over a Flyers fan at this point from going to Canes games with my son. It takes time and winning to build a fan base.

I honestly never saw the big deal with the opposing jersey issue. It's a peculiarity to the Tampa market mostly. Those same fans who wear opposing jerseys are Tampa-area residents in many cases and they are going to games featuring their old teams that they grew up rooting for - Chicago, Detroit, Montreal, etc. I went to a Montreal game back in the late 90's and there was a ton of fans wearing Montreal jerseys. Same thing for Detroit games. In the Detroit games, there were whole sections full of red jerseys. Did it bother me to the point of butthurt? No. Like I said, many of them are locals who also show up to games wearing Lighthing gear when their old teams aren't visiting.

And even if they are out-of-state visitors, let them come and wear what they want. They are buying tickets, paying for parking, buying beers, buying food, and that money is going into the Lightning's pocket. That hotdog a Chicago fan buys helps pay for Kucherov's salary. (Eat LOTS of hot dogs please!)

On the main subject of the Canes series :

These games were close. Although the gentleman's sweep looks worse that it is, all of the games were darn close. Even game 5 could have went the other way if Vasi doesn't make that big save on Trocheck right before Point's goal. It would have changed the entire complexion of the game and fired up the crowd.

Carolina is no joke. They just ran into a healthy Lightning squad that is hellbent on repeating. Ditch Mrazek and keep the kid Nedeljkovic (sp?) - he's a keeper. The Lightning have had Mrazek's number for years.

Aho is a stud and the defense is mostly solid. None of these games were blowouts. The Canes did a good job of shutting down the Lightning at 5v5.

On the main subject of the Canes series :

These games were close. Although the gentleman's sweep looks worse that it is, all of the games were darn close. Even game 5 could have went the other way if Vasi doesn't make that big save on Trocheck right before Point's goal. It would have changed the entire complexion of the game and fired up the crowd.

Carolina is no joke. They just ran into a healthy Lightning squad that is hellbent on repeating. Ditch Mrazek and keep the kid Nedeljkovic (sp?) - he's a keeper. The Lightning have had Mrazek's number for years.

Aho is a stud and the defense is mostly solid. None of these games were blowouts. The Canes did a good job of shutting down the Lightning at 5v5.
- GalacticStone

Yeah the games were close, Tampa just has a little bit better roster all around right now.

4 of the five games were basically the same with one aberration where both teams had their goaltending fall apart a little bit.

After trade deadline if so players have not returned from LTIR, they have to play 10 games and be added to active roster to participate in the playoffs.

After trade deadline if so players have not returned from LTIR, they have to play 10 games and be added to active roster to participate in the playoffs.
- Buff36

Nah. PA will never sign off on that.

Entire free agency and cap system is broken. Need to adopt a system more similar to the NBA.

Nah. PA will never sign off on that.

Entire free agency and cap system is broken. Need to adopt a system more similar to the NBA.
- Feds91Stammer

Probably not, but a little ridiculous, atleast Stamkos had played a bunch of games during the season. And Kucherov was said to be skating for a month and half before he got added.