The Bolts
The Tampa Bay Lightning lost again to the Washington Capitals. [Raw Charge]
The Tampa Bay Lightning came into game two with plans to tie the series as it shifts to the nation’s capital on Tuesday. There was one problem. They were outplayed by a Washington Capitals team that is clicking on all cylinders. The Lightning lost their second straight game 6-2 and now trail the best of seven series 2-0. The defensively sound Lightning team that was on display for the first two rounds mysteriously disappeared again as Washington capitalized on odd-man rushes, deflections, and power-plays.
Good but not good enough. [Tampa Bay Times]
At least the Lightning came at the Capitals to start the night. But the Caps came back and suddenly the Lightning was under siege again. And the home team passed up too many shots when they were in Washington’s end. Also: No Yanni Gourde, no Tyler Johnson, no Victor Hedman (zero playoff goals). Too many guys didn’t show up.
It’s ‘gut-check time’ for frustrated + “tentative” #TBLightning, now facing an 0-2 hole. “Let’s see who we really are.” https://t.co/MSQMGvAUsv
— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithTB) May 14, 2018
But, there’s hope. [NHL dot com]
The Lightning have rallied from an 0-2 hole in the postseason before. Against the same Washington franchise, Tampa Bay lost both home games in the 2003 Eastern Conference Quarterfinal, getting outscored 9-3 in the process, before reeling off four-consecutive victories to take the series in six games and win their first playoff series in team history.
Final numbers. Caps clearly the better team again. Bolts have work to do if they want back in this series. pic.twitter.com/1Gzyp0pOnK
— Grant McCagg’s Colleague (@loserpoints) May 14, 2018
The Prospects
The season also ended for the last three Lightning prospects who were still in the playoffs. Taylor Raddysh and Boris Katchouk lost the OHL Championship in six games to Hamilton. Alex Barre-Boulet lost the QMJHL Championship to Acadie-Bathurst, also in six games. [Bolt Prospects]
The Hamilton Bulldogs erased a 2-0 Greyhounds lead in a 5-4 victory to win the J. Ross Robertson Cup at the FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton on Sunday evening. Prior to Sunday, the Greyhounds had won all 49 games (regular season and playoffs) in which they led through 40 minutes.
The win means Hamilton will represent the Ontario Hockey League at the 2018 MasterCard Memorial Cup in Regina, which begins next weekend.
For the first time since their inaugural season in Bathurst, N.B., the Acadie-Bathurst Titan are the QMJHL President Cup champions.
The Titan defeated the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada 2-1 Sunday afternoon to clinch the league title in six games. It is Bathurst’s second QMJHL banner. The first came in 1999, the year after the franchise moved from Laval, Que., to the northern New Brunswick city.
🚨GOAL!🚨@RussianRocket13 🤫 the crowd. 2-0 HOUNDS! #IgniteTheNorth pic.twitter.com/Q1F99cD82V
— xyz Soo Greyhounds (@OHLHoundPower) May 13, 2018
The Game
The mothers of the Humboldt Broncos team got an unexpected bit of love on Mother’s Day yesterday. [CBC]
So Team Hockey Moms, a group with members from Canada, U.S., and other parts of the world, delivered 55 bouquets to those impacted by the crash, and virtual hugs with a social media campaign that saw several women sending messages of love and support to their fellow mothers.
Jets fans, Hawks fans, hockey fans, and the NHL needs to stop celebrating Bobby Hull. [Arctic Ice Hockey]
The NHL should disassociate themselves with Bobby Hull. There is enough evidence that he has abused his wives when they were married. His kids had a tough relationship with him because of this and it was an open secret within the NHL. The NHL and the Winnipeg Jets cannot erase what Hull has done on the ice nor should they. Instead, they should stop parading him out for the NHL and allow him to be a footnote in history.
Honestly, Bob Hull is the worst humanity has to offer and yet hockey fans are too thick to move past their guilt. https://t.co/3ZhoTpqlqB
— Hardev Lad (@HardevLad) May 13, 2018
Highlight of the Night: Sidney Crosby passing to Nikita Malkin. MALKIN? [Pensburgh]
