ECF Game 2 preview: Tampa Bay Lightning (5) at Boston Bruins (3)

by John Fontana on May 17, 2011 11:07 AM EDT in Game Previews

WHERE: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
WHEN: 8 PM EDT | | TICKETS: Check Availability
MEDIA: Versus, CBC, RDS (cable), 970 WFLA (radio)
OPPONENT COVERAGE: Stanley Cup of Chowder, Something's Bruin, Days of Y'Orr

It hasn't been said, specifically, but it feels like the Boston Bruins are trying to rattle the Tampa Bay Lightning's cage off-ice as well as on.

You all remember the way Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals ended, right? Nathan Horton's shot on Dominic Moore, Victor Hedman motions toward Horton and then -- boom! -- sucker punch by Milan Lucic:

Of course, that scrum just led to a 5-on-3 power play to end the game, and Lucic under scrutiny from the league for his actions.

Brad Marchand thought Hedman got what was coming to him:

"(He) had it coming," Bruins C Brad Marchand said of Milan Lucic's punch to Hedman's face late in the third period of Game 1. Marchand didn't elaborate...."(Hedman) was acting like he wanted to go back at (Lucic)," Marchand said. "I don't think that would be advised."

At what point was Hedman getting ready to go back at Lucic, Brad? When he was crawling ont he ice or skating to the bench?

My point is this: The Bruins key to game 2 is to be physical and rattle off an emotional reaction from the Lightning, and thus throw off the Bolts game. Verbal jabs can help the process along.

How accepting are you of the fact that game 1's performance by Bruins netminder was an anomaly? Three goals, 85 seconds... It just doesn't happen on Tim's watch, and it certainly won't happen again. I'm not saying this to prop up Thomas as-so-much lower expectations by fans who think the Lightning offense can and will score at will.

There's not much else to point that hasn't been repeated umpteen times since Saturday: The Lightning have won 8 in-a-row, the Lightning penalty kill has allowed all of 3 goals in 58 short-handed situations (94.8% effective). They have yet to allow a power play goal while on the road during the playoffs. The Bolts own power play was 1-for-7 on the power play against the Bruins on Saturday night (the power play goal was scored by Marc-Andre Bergeron).

Don't forget that tonight the Lightning host a watch party outside the St. Pete Times Forum

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Comments

Looking forward to tonight.

I believed the teams would split the first 4. Each going 1-1 in it’s on building.

So, still on track for that right now.

Agreed, I don’t see Thomas having another such meltdown. That Kaberle one was unforgivable, but that’s in the past.

Heh, Brad being Brad. He called Montreal greasy during the regular season too.

by 13_Legion on May 17, 2011 12:41 PM EDT reply actions

Hedman crawling on the groud

Does not look right.

by 13_Legion on May 17, 2011 12:44 PM EDT reply actions

LET'S GO BOLTS!!!!!

Keep up the great work heading into tonight. As far as the above story… this is just another area where good coaching and stand-up players come into play.

Basically.. let ‘em talk. Good teams who are playing well don’t need to pull crap like that. From The way I’ve seen Boucher coach so far, I’d be very surprised if anyone on the team even knows about this other than when it actually happened. Seems to be that we might already be under their skin. That’s the first thing that comes to mind when you see a team start to act that way and say those type of things.Looks like Yzerman and Boucher really are trying to follow the Red Wing outline, starting first and foremost with class. Wouldn’t expect anything less.Everyone just needs to remain cool and don’t feed into the bullcrap. Keep playing our game, our way and we’ll be fine. And I guess keep the eyes in the back of your head wide open… for BS cheap shots and anything else we “have coming”. One might think, if we had even a bit of stability when it comes to those issues in our league.. this wouldn’t be as big of a problem.

A.K.A.- "DetroitALLtheWay09" ...Was time for a new name, to better represent BOTH my teams!! Plus that was my OG name from the '09 Play-Off run.. which didn't end so well. IN YZERMAN WE TRUST!! LET'S DO THIS!!

by Let's JOE WINGS-BOLTS on May 17, 2011 12:59 PM EDT reply actions

??

Why the hell did it repeat a bunch of paragraphs?? Weird. Wish SB would let you delete your own posts.

by Let's JOE WINGS-BOLTS on May 17, 2011 1:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Weird – looks like the last one was your complete thought.

As for the Lightning, they’ve been cool, calm and collected this whole offseason, I don’t see a few comments from a Bruins player changing that. The Lightning has been so composed and controlled in their media and on the ice, Boucher, Yzerman and the team as a whole have done an excellent job in being a united front against such things.

A proud Panthers season ticket holder since 1994 and Lightning ticket holder since 2011! Go Florida Hockey!

by coasterg on May 17, 2011 1:08 PM EDT up reply actions

You can always email John or I and we can delete them for you. Just a thought. ;o)

Win or lose, I'm proud of these guys.
Raw Charge, an SBN Tampa Bay Lightning community. Follow me on Twitter: @dagmar27.

by Cassie McClellan on May 17, 2011 1:21 PM EDT up reply actions

This...This...This

I agree with all your paragraphs.

by eamon17 on May 17, 2011 1:06 PM EDT up reply actions

brad

im pretty sure he meant horton. that hedman was going after horton wen he hooked at hortons leg a little thats wen lucic came in. but its still complete crap they dont get suspended. cheap shots at the end of the game were wat they were trying to get out of the game…. a 5 on 3 with 40 seconds left does us no good.

by TomK91 on May 17, 2011 1:06 PM EDT reply actions

yeah, 1 for 7 is deflated by those last 2 "chances"

was really 1 for 5 on the PP, but the 1 was big, and the only stat that matters is the final score.

Anomoly for Thomas? Yeah, I buy that, but he’s not God either. They play Chara so much I got to wonder when he starts to run out of gas. And while I don’t expect the Bolts to score at will, it is not the first time that impression has been made this post season.

At this point to harp on the PK as sheer luck is ignoring a body of work. 95% is sickly high, and maybe there’s an adjustment, but I don’t expect it to crash to 70%.

The goonishness, and further words I suspect will work against the Bruins. The refs are going to have to keep an eye on them, and if they get a little over the line they are going to face a tough PP. And I don’t think the Lightning are going to fall into the retaliation trap. But Marchman’s words (and don’t forget, this a ROOKIE talking trash) seem like rationalizing.

We’ll see where this goes. But I have a calm feeling that the Lightning can keep this up a little longer. Bruins looked sloppy, and sound sordid – I expect better from them. But I kept expecting better from the Caps, and I’d venture that the Caps have/had more pure talent.

Any word on Patrice Bergeron yet?

by tampa_edski on May 17, 2011 1:29 PM EDT up reply actions

They weren't suspendable

To call them as such minimalises all the legitimate suspendable penalties. They were only reviewed in NY because all misconducts are reviewed by the league (as far as I remember).

"[The Lightning] are uncanny. When they want to get a goal, it's like they just snap their fingers or hit a button. They just dial it up. You can see it. It's like they flip a switch. When they are down, it's just like they think, 'we know we are going to score.' I don't know what it is, it leaves [the opposition] flabbergasted." - Mike Knuble, 3 May 2011

by MTBoltFan on May 17, 2011 1:35 PM EDT up reply actions

one thing I heard

was that a game misconduct in the last minute of play is an automatic suspension…not sure that the infractions warranted games…

still they were punk plays, and a punch to the face (especially guys wearing visors) is not “intent to injure”.

but it won’t take much for the Bruins to cross that line. I also heard the Yzerman had a long talk Sunday with the league, so I can’t expect that the Bruins are going to get any free passes. They can play physical, but they won’t be allowed to cross the “intent to injure” line, and that line might be pushed back just a little bit due to the end of game 1.

by tampa_edski on May 17, 2011 1:39 PM EDT up reply actions

That rule was instated to prevent coaches from putting in their goons at the end of a game.

It really depends upon the referees on the ice, I think. In the case of Game 1, I think they got it right.

by MTBoltFan on May 17, 2011 1:41 PM EDT up reply actions

Agreed

and Horton/Lucic are far from “goons”, although Lucic has some history…

but it was clear what the Bruins were trying to do, and the fact that they did not get a big brawl, and the comments from the Lightning were not buying into the taunt, probably have gotten under their skin.

And the fans throwing crap on the ice – what is that? As if the Bolts got any breaks? The Bolts took advantage of mistakes, and shut the Bruins down. I understand frustration, but man…

by tampa_edski on May 17, 2011 1:45 PM EDT up reply actions

Boston fans are awful

Things that aren’t shocking

I'm an F18, Bro

by Sveet on May 17, 2011 1:48 PM EDT up reply actions

I like to think I’m not.

Hockey Blog Adventure: New Post: Round 1: NO HABS NO (I'm also on Twitter.) GO BRUINS! (and Wild!)

by Cornelius Hardenbergh on May 17, 2011 4:35 PM EDT up reply actions

YEAH!

What the heck happened to this rule? I can distinctly remember reading that a Game Misconduct penalty in the final minutes of a game would carry over to the next game. I read it not at the beginning of this season, but the beginning of last season. Did they get rid of the rule or something? Did it not involve the playoffs? I thought I heard them announce the misconducts over the PA, was the announcer mistaken? Just really baffled that this didn’t get any coverage.

"System Trumps Chumps" - Tampa t

by tankerkevo on May 17, 2011 5:39 PM EDT up reply actions

Lucic and Horton did not get game misconducts

they got 10 minute misconducts. They were not technically ejected. Only the fact that it was a 3 goal game with 37 seconds left made it an effective ejection.

my point is there might have been some deliberate thought NOT to issue game MC’s.

by tampa_edski on May 17, 2011 5:42 PM EDT up reply actions

You have to be lawyer to read through all of these rules, but I found the rule I was thinking of:

46.22 Fines and Suspensions – Instigator in Final Five Minutes of Regulation Time (or Anytime in Overtime) – A player who is deemed to be the instigator of an altercation in the final five (5) minutes of regulation time or at anytime in overtime (see 46.12) hall be suspended for one game, pending a review of the incident.
When the one-game suspension is imposed, the Coach shall be fined $10,000 – a fine that will double for each subsequent incident.
The suspension shall be served unless, upon review of the incident, the Director of Hockey Operations, at his discretion, deems the incident is not related to the score, previous incidents in the game or prior games, retaliatory in nature, "message sending", etc. The length of suspension will double for each subsequent offense. This suspension shall be served in addition to any other automatic suspensions a player may incur for an accumulation of three or more instigator penalties.

"System Trumps Chumps" - Tampa t

by tankerkevo on May 17, 2011 5:50 PM EDT up reply actions

That said...

I think you might see us extra chippy tonight. Maybe we can get Horton and Lucic to lose their heads:

23.3 Fines and Suspensions – General Category: In Playoff games, any player who incurs a total of two game misconduct penalties in the "General Category" shall be suspended automatically for the next Playoff game of his team. For each subsequent game misconduct penalty during the Playoffs, the automatic suspension shall be increased by one game. For each suspension of a player during Playoffs, his club shall be fined one thousand dollars ($1,000).

"System Trumps Chumps" - Tampa t

by tankerkevo on May 17, 2011 5:53 PM EDT up reply actions

If we are, that's bad

Games 1, 3 and 4 vs Pittsburgh showed us why the Lightning can’t play a physical game. Being “extra chippy” in my opinion is a first step toward defeat for Our Team.

by MTBoltFan on May 17, 2011 7:19 PM EDT up reply actions

If Downie's hit is a game suspension

Then how is sucker punching a guy in the face not one?

I'm an F18, Bro

by Sveet on May 17, 2011 1:46 PM EDT up reply actions

Downie had an elbow to the head

And that is being cracked down upon. Kunitz got a game too for the same thing.

Plus Downie has a reputation. And the Bruins have “family” in the league offices…

by tampa_edski on May 17, 2011 1:51 PM EDT up reply actions

So an elbow to the head is worse then sucker punching a player in the face?

I'm an F18, Bro

by Sveet on May 17, 2011 1:55 PM EDT up reply actions

in the league's eyes, right now, yes

by tampa_edski on May 17, 2011 4:09 PM EDT up reply actions

Didn’t see the hit, but if it was from behind/the side/anywhere besides straight-ahead of an elbow to the head, then yes. It’s a blindside hit to the head.

Not saying the punching was good, but it is probably a different rule. That and Downie’s spent his career building a reputation.

Hockey Blog Adventure: New Post: Round 1: NO HABS NO (I'm also on Twitter.) GO BRUINS! (and Wild!)

by Cornelius Hardenbergh on May 17, 2011 4:37 PM EDT up reply actions

Downie gets calls for just standing around with no one around him because he’s Steve Downie. It’s unfortunate, really. Particularly since he’s come a long way from where he was.

Win or lose, I'm proud of these guys.
Raw Charge, an SBN Tampa Bay Lightning community. Follow me on Twitter: @dagmar27.

by Cassie McClellan on May 17, 2011 6:29 PM EDT up reply actions

he may not be matt cooke or in the league news every couple weeks but he’s still Steve Downie.

Hockey Blog Adventure: New Post: Round 1: NO HABS NO (I'm also on Twitter.) GO BRUINS! (and Wild!)

by Cornelius Hardenbergh on May 18, 2011 3:16 PM EDT up reply actions

New Guy in My Office

Yesterday, an Army Reservist came to my office to start his annual two-week tour. Happens that he’s a volunteer scout for the Bruins.

He told me this morning, the plan for the Bruins is to amp the physical play. He said, “I wouldn’t want to be any of the Lightning players that touch the puck in the first couple of shifts.”

If that’s how they want to play it, fine; Boucher’s got them buying into the “no retaliation” mantra, and we all know how good our PP’s been of late.

I still think Boston wins this one.

by MTBoltFan on May 17, 2011 1:30 PM EDT reply actions

And you don't think

The Lightning expect that? Sounds like Mr. Volunteer Scout has as much apparent class as the Bruins players and fans…

I have found in my nearly 40 years of playing team and individual sports that agression based on anger is seldom productive. Agression based on carefully laid plans. “amp up the physical play” is fine, but if the other team is unfazed it’ll work against you in a few ways – the PP you mentioned and general fatigue.

by tampa_edski on May 17, 2011 1:34 PM EDT up reply actions

I get it

Really, I do get it. Look at Boston’s team, though. They play physical because they feed of the crowd. When players work too hard for checks they put themselves out of position—and that will open up chances for Our Team.

I was merely relaying the information; how you process it or claim it as factual or fictional is personal to each reader.

by MTBoltFan on May 17, 2011 1:37 PM EDT up reply actions

no disrespct intended to you at all, MTBF!

I just don’t think that getting really physical is going to cause the Lightning to waver. And that guys comments about “not wanting to be on the first shifts” is cheesy. It almost rises to the level of a “threat”.

:-)

by tampa_edski on May 17, 2011 1:41 PM EDT up reply actions

No offense taken.

He did seem confident, and you’re correct on the tone with which it was told to me. I disregarded that and took it at face value.

I’m already nervous about the game.

by MTBoltFan on May 17, 2011 1:43 PM EDT up reply actions

Re-read that Knuble quote whenever you start feeling nervous about the Bs.

by vlac4 on May 17, 2011 1:47 PM EDT up reply actions

Thanks for trying to make me feel better.

On a positive note, the Lightning are 8-2 when I think they’re not going to win…

by MTBoltFan on May 17, 2011 2:55 PM EDT up reply actions

The Penguins tried that, and it didn’t get them very far.

Win or lose, I'm proud of these guys.
Raw Charge, an SBN Tampa Bay Lightning community. Follow me on Twitter: @dagmar27.

by Cassie McClellan on May 17, 2011 2:50 PM EDT up reply actions

Go Bolts!

@DigDeepNYR
"I like a man who grins when he fights." -Sir Winston Churchill
"It's just pain." -Brandon Prust | "In Prust we Trust."

Blueshirt Banter

by Dig Deep on May 17, 2011 3:07 PM EDT reply actions

yea.... i hear u say thomas is a good goalie...

but wasnt fleury? and we torched him more than once. personally i thought both the last two teams we played were better than boston. i thought the only way wed lose to boston cuz they play so much more physical that theyd just ware us down if it went long

by TomK91 on May 17, 2011 3:16 PM EDT reply actions

Don’t get over-confident, now.

Win or lose, I'm proud of these guys.
Raw Charge, an SBN Tampa Bay Lightning community. Follow me on Twitter: @dagmar27.

by Cassie McClellan on May 17, 2011 3:26 PM EDT up reply actions

we can do whatever we want as fans

I just hope that the Lightning don’t get over-confident.

Something tells me they won’t.

by tampa_edski on May 17, 2011 4:43 PM EDT up reply actions

Nice point Edski - Definition of Fanatic:

reference.com: a person with an extreme and uncritical enthusiasm or zeal, as in religion or politics.

merriam-webster.com: marked by excessive enthusiasm and often intense uncritical devotion

thefreedictionary.com: A person marked or motivated by an extreme, unreasoning enthusiasm, as for a cause.

Yes, as fans (fanatics) of the Bolts, we can say what we want. But, at the same time, many fanatics also believe in superstition:

merriam-webster.com:

a : a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of causation
b : an irrational abject attitude of mind toward the supernatural, nature, or God resulting from superstition

: a notion maintained despite evidence to the contrary

Hockey Fanatic Superstition #3: Saying it’s going to be easy before it’s easy only makes it hard before it’s done.

"System Trumps Chumps" - Tampa t

by tankerkevo on May 17, 2011 5:32 PM EDT up reply actions

I don't like superstition

but I understand there can be a fine line between it and being anal retentive regarding preparation for athletes. but crap like thinking wearing the same unwashed article of clothing durring a winning streak is low percentage in my mind.

as fans, well, there is little we can do to affect a game. If you are actually there, supporting (or not supporting) the team can have an effect, but nothing I think or do affected tonights game. I just have to enjoy it…

And “saying it’s going to be easy…”, well, that’s because winning ANY playoff series in ANY pro sport just is not easy. Even when it looks that way.

Just MHO. :-)

by tampa_edski on May 17, 2011 5:50 PM EDT up reply actions

I’m amped for the game…I say boston comes out flying, but only to fly right out of position allowing us to strike early!

by Outrfaz on May 17, 2011 5:21 PM EDT reply actions

possible

I won’t go so far to say “probable”, but as I stated upthread, agreeion based on anger is often unproductive. If Boston is “lookin to put on a hurtin”, there are several pitfalls they can fall into that way. A disciplined, skilled team might end up with better opportunities than if the opponent just tried to “play within their game”.

Yeah, I’m getting stoked! DROP THE PUCK!

by tampa_edski on May 17, 2011 5:45 PM EDT up reply actions