Matt Ross: Battle of Florida: Rd 2, Gm 2

Good write-up Matt.

Keys to a Cats victory :

Stay out of the box.
Give Verhaeghe more ice time (which might help spark the PP also).
Crash the net, Vasi stops everything he sees, so take away his eyes.

Keys to Bolts victory :

Score early - take the crowd out of it and get in Bob's head.
Keep the crease and slot clean - let Vasi see and do his job.
Play on the edge and try to draw penalties.

Go Bolts!

Pressure on the Cats big time tonight...simply can't go down 2-0 in their own house then go to Tampa with back-to-back games.

I was surprised at the lack of physicality that the Cats brought in game 1. If they plan to amp it up in game 2, they just need to be careful in not going overboard resulting in a stream of PP's for Tampa.

Should be another fun game to watch.

Go Bolts!

Pressure on the Cats big time tonight...simply can't go down 2-0 in their own house then go to Tampa with back-to-back games.

I was surprised at the lack of physicality that the Cats brought in game 1. If they plan to amp it up in game 2, they just need to be careful in not going overboard resulting in a stream of PP's for Tampa.

Should be another fun game to watch.
- IonSabres

You hit on the reason, imo, that FL wasn’t as physical in game 1. Cats were cognizant of the fact that they really struggle vs TB’s PP. (And then they go and take 6 penalties in other ways.....)
Panthers never really got their game going. Even earlier in the game when stats said they were carrying the play, I never got the sense that FL really was. They were hesitant when the chances seemed to be opening up, and then that chance was gone. They never seemed to sustain any pressure. Idk, I was very disappointed in how they played game 1.
They’re gonna have to be much better than that, or they will be goin’ fishin’ soon.

And I think it might be time to put Horny in front of Vasi on the PP. Dude will deflect one in off of his face if he has to

Vasi is a very beatable goalie we showed it last year and leafs showed it in round 1 but our chances were sh!t. Too many pretty boy pass offs someone has to take a shot, oh i should add it must actually hit the net! If i hear the high glass behind the net hit one more time i might lose whats left of my mind. Ive selected benny boy to put one in tonight. Im not a real good guesser though

Key to Panthers win:

1 Stay out of the box, no dumb penalties.
2. Fast start.
3. Score on the power play.

Results from game 1:
1. Give up a power play 27 seconds into the game and another 6 minutes later. Add four more dumb penalties just to make it absolutely clear that no one understood #1.
2. Don't register a shot on goal until 8 minutes into the game, after TBL already had 2 power plays. Get a couple of good shorty opportunities, but pass around and don't take a shot. I guess "fast start" is a relative concept and doesn't mean what I think it means.
3. Go 0/3 on power plays immediately after going 0/18 on the power play in the prior series; despite 3 days off practicing the power play. Attempt to prove to the world that real teams don't need power plays. Power plays are for sissies.

Key to Panthers winning tonight:
Blah, blah, blah. No one listens anyway.

I thought Bob played well right up until the house caved in on him. He deserves better.

Go Panthers!

Put 72 in front of the net on the pp already

Put 72 in front of the net on the pp already
- harveykline

Isnt that bobrovsky? Hopefully hes in front of the net at all times

Isnt that bobrovsky? Hopefully hes in front of the net at all times
- Shynes57

Tampa slowed the game down, kept the Panthers to the outside and defended the slot and paint very well blocking shots and leaving the ice clean for Vasy. If they do that again they will win the game. Florida has to get into the slot and get net front presence with sustained pressure to beat Vasy (have to take his vision away and get deflections and rebounds).

I am interested to see how chippy the game will be, it benefits the Lightning to not be chippy in my opinion and allow the Panthers to take the dumb after whistle penalties. If the Panthers take penalties it will cost them the game.

But I do expect a completely different game from the Panthers much faster and more transition to outskate the Lightning like the Leafs were doing, while I still expect the Lightning to box in defensively and counter the rush to try to win a low scoring game due to not having Point.

I agree with Galacticstone as well if the Lightning take an early lead that would be bad for the Panthers because if they start pressing that leads to mistakes. Panthers are the best come from behind team in the league no doubt but I don't think they want to make that a habit of getting behind against a battle tested Lightning.

Looking forward to tonight.

Key to Panthers win:

1 Stay out of the box, no dumb penalties.
2. Fast start.
3. Score on the power play.

Results from game 1:
1. Give up a power play 27 seconds into the game and another 6 minutes later. Add four more dumb penalties just to make it absolutely clear that no one understood #1.
2. Don't register a shot on goal until 8 minutes into the game, after TBL already had 2 power plays. Get a couple of good shorty opportunities, but pass around and don't take a shot. I guess "fast start" is a relative concept and doesn't mean what I think it means.
3. Go 0/3 on power plays immediately after going 0/18 on the power play in the prior series; despite 3 days off practicing the power play. Attempt to prove to the world that real teams don't need power plays. Power plays are for sissies.

Key to Panthers winning tonight:
Blah, blah, blah. No one listens anyway.

I thought Bob played well right up until the house caved in on him. He deserves better.

Go Panthers!
- JimboCoppertone

Good write-up Matt.

Keys to a Cats victory :

Stay out of the box.
Give Verhaeghe more ice time (which might help spark the PP also).
Crash the net, Vasi stops everything he sees, so take away his eyes.

Keys to Bolts victory :

Score early - take the crowd out of it and get in Bob's head.
Keep the crease and slot clean - let Vasi see and do his job.
Play on the edge and try to draw penalties.
- GalacticStone

Thanks, GamacticStone. All solid points from you as well.

Tampa slowed the game down, kept the Panthers to the outside and defended the slot and paint very well blocking shots and leaving the ice clean for Vasy. If they do that again they will win the game. Florida has to get into the slot and get net front presence with sustained pressure to beat Vasy (have to take his vision away and get deflections and rebounds).

I am interested to see how chippy the game will be, it benefits the Lightning to not be chippy in my opinion and allow the Panthers to take the dumb after whistle penalties. If the Panthers take penalties it will cost them the game.

But I do expect a completely different game from the Panthers much faster and more transition to outskate the Lightning like the Leafs were doing, while I still expect the Lightning to box in defensively and counter the rush to try to win a low scoring game due to not having Point.

I agree with Galacticstone as well if the Lightning take an early lead that would be bad for the Panthers because if they start pressing that leads to mistakes. Panthers are the best come from behind team in the league no doubt but I don't think they want to make that a habit of getting behind against a battle tested Lightning.

Looking forward to tonight.
- stammerman

Great point about TBL slowing things down and forcing the Cats to the outside.

Florida has had this issue before where they can’t seem to get to the high-danger real estate. They’ll have to figure out a way tonight. Time to send some guys in as wedge busters.

Verhaeghe is a game-time decision.

I saw Mamin was on the top line during the AM skate. I like that a lot. I thought he was one of the best players when given a shot against WSH. Great energy, edge and generated offense. He played great on the boards and forecheck.

He’s also good at getting under the skin of the opposition. A little sandpaper on the top line would do the Cats good.

They keep saying they got to keep it simple, but they don't. Shot the puck at the net all the time and the other forwards crash the net for rebounds. Huberdeau and Barkov are passing queens. They look to make a pass at the last second or a cross-ice pass that gets picked off. They play patty cake on the power play with no shots on goal. How pathetic. We have no true sniper.

Let’s see the relentless part of their game tonight. Keep the lines rolling and let’s go!

God damnit where is reg season barkov??? This guy is a fumble bum.

Penalty parade here we go

See how easy it is to score a pp goal???

Minus giving up a PP goal, Cats have some good pace/energy.

Need to get all four lines rolling here.

God damnit where is reg season barkov??? This guy is a fumble bum.
- Shynes57

Different kind of hockey in the regular season.

Isnt that bobrovsky? Hopefully hes in front of the net at all times
- Shynes57

Thanks spell check

You almost have to cheer for not getting a ppg now its getting so comical...

You suck barkov. You suck ekblad. You suck huberdeau. Your suck giroux. Sweep us and get it over with

Zito must be fuming. Has any coach ever got fired mid playoff round? Brunette needs to go. He has zero energy and emotion. Just keeps trying the same crap