Own it, Bolts fans: Post-game last night? Not our finest hour

I was watching the game on TV and when the fans started throwing stuff at the Bruins and it made me feel sick.

But.

Boston (not just the fans, but the whole Bruins scene) depends on — thrives on — intimidation. I have first-hand reports of fist fights in the stands in the Forum, started by Bruins fans.

We need to ask ourselves if we’re gonna do like the Lightning players are forced to do, and just take it (because the refs are not calling things like ignored blatant tripping calls that happen three feet in front of a linesman,) or are the fans in attendance going to give some back?

That’s a hard call. Personally, I was happy to see the complimentary hand drums bouncing off of the Bruins players.

The cheap-shot, sucker-punch Bruins and their bandwagon fans have negative-zero class. This “turn the other cheek” thing? The players are forced into it. Our fans are not.

Let ’em play.

I saw it as a sign of appreciation….like in that movie Gladiator when the Romans threw rose petals or at the very least like the octopus or catfish of the red wings and predators…and if you think people intentionally threw them at bruins players then ya maybe that happened but only a few out of probably a thousand plus….an over reaction in my view the real people to call out are the fights in the stadium which were entertaining but unnecessary none the less.

I was shocked when I saw them being tossed at the ice from almost every conceivable location in the Forum. They were everywhere, in the aisles, on the netting and some on the ice. I noticed that many were broken – beat to death I suppose.

BTW, they were given to ALL attendees – Lightning and Bruins fans alike. And don’t think the Bruins fans weren’t tossing them at the Lightning at center ice, they were.

As for the behavior of the Bruins fans in the crowds, up where I was they were fine, the 2 guys in front of us were sitting on the edge of their seats the whole game so we had to do the same else have a head obstructed view of the ice.

I think some of the fans were doing it in celebration of the win. What possessed them to do this for the first time tonight, I do not know. If I recall correctly, the drums were pretty well spread out evenly across the ice, which indicates that most were not directed at the Bruins, although a few obviously took the opportunity to take aim at the opponent.

I think some of it has to do with what Boston fans had done previously in throwing the rally towels and such onto the ice up there. This may in a way have been a response to, or a mocking of, the Boston fans’ actions.

That said, I think it was a poor move on the fans’ part. The only thing that should be thrown on the ice should be hats – and that goes for both teams. Although much of the drum-throwing was probably good natured and celebratory, it’s still not very classy. As you said, we are better than the Boston fans, and this is not expected out of the Tampa Bay fanbase.

Either way, I’m sure that this ups the tension and rivalry between these two teams even more for the last game. Don’t be surprised if, win or lose, the Boston fans retaliate in some way.

Deplorable actions by the attending fans. We owe our team better than our behavior last night.

Great post, Clark.

Anyone who threw paddles onto the ice is in the wrong, regardless of intent. People have to be smarter than that. Period.

As for the game, this is exactly why I knew this series was going 7 regardless of the outcome in 6. The two goals by Krejci bookending the St. Louis goal; each time a team needed to steal back momentum, a big player made a big play. Resilience and perseverance runs deep in the veins of each team. I’m going to be biting nails, ripping out hair, the whole nine yards. But whatever the outcome, it’s been a hell of a ride. If the Lightning win, I wish you luck. If they don’t, I want to do this again next year.

Just don’t bring any paddles.

I’ve attended several games where the paddles have been handed out and don’t think I’ve ever seen one hit the ice. Until what I saw on TV Wed. All I could say was ohh no, not good. Then saw them start bouncing off Bruin heads. Of course, I’ll admit their was part of me that found it a lil’ funny.

Did I wish it happened? Never. Just adds more fuel to the already burning fire between fanbases. I’m all for good mean competition.. but when it may involve fan/player safety, it’s never worth it. Didn’t hear about the Horton incident until today.. if it was even more justified, still shouldn’t have happened. I don’t think any give aways are handed out to visiting teams fans.. Had a Wings jersey on once and they wouldn’t give me a paddle.. even with a Bolts hat on.

We are in the process, especially now this season, of trying to build an even classier organization.. needless to say this does not help things..neither does the whole nation watching. Not to mention they may be forced to stop handing the “noise paddle/possible missile” …which if you’ve ever attended a game where theyre in use.. the noise can be deafening. Really gets the whole thunder sound across. Even had the potential to maybe become a Bolts trademark of sorts. Actually they might still, unfortunately just not in the way we had intended.

DISCLAIMER: Not making any excuses here, throwing anything on the ice is stupid and dangerous. One false movement of a skate on something on the ice surface can cause a freak accident in the ankle, knee, groin, and worst case scenario, the skull when it hits the ice.

1. Out of curiosity, and only curiosity, why didn’t we hear or see this type of outcry and debate from the media and blog-o-sphere after game 1 when the Lightning outplayed the Bruins heavily, were suckered punched, and then pelted with debris from the crowd? Again, just curios.

2. I was there, Lightning players had clackers hitting them too…I even had one land on me. It reminded me more of the hat toss you’d see in an 80’s movie about high school graduates than the stoning of a mid-east heretic some are making it out to be. Seriously, let’s call a spade a spade; it was stupid fanaticism gone awry, but let’s not make more out of it than it was.

3. This is how rivalries begin. REAL RIVALRIES. Not friendly rivalries. Dangerous rivalries. NOT GOOD RIVALRIES. Perhaps a few were thrown with ill intent, perhaps some of those thrown came from Boston fans (the guy in front of me tossed his and he was wearing a Thomas jersey)…. but trying to turn this into Tampa fans throwing rocks at Boston for ratings and hit counts is a mistake and is misreporting what happened, and worse the mis-reporting is dangerous.

There was no rape occurring in the Super Dome after Katrina; Tampa fans were not throwing things AT Boston. I was there, people were smiling and tossing their clackers, most with a high arc, on to the ice. Let’s hope this reporting that Tampa fans were throwing things at Boston players isn’t escalated tonight by the Boston fans as I fear it will be.

That picture (Clark? did you pick it out or did John?) of the dude in the gray spandex suit and black cowboy hat is kinda scary and creepy…..