2021 Stanley Cup playoffs skating thread

Habs have been barely playing their 5-6 D and the top 4 are gassed, with Petry likely being injured. The other three aren't great with the puck and they are making mental errors.

 

Trotz has done wonders (hi Moddy!) getting that team to maximize its strengths, play above its paygrade and be the toughest sons of bitches on the ice. Any other opponent in that semifinal and they're probably playing for the Cup, but the Lightning are loaded and Cooper is as good as it gets as a coach. The shame for the Islanders is that might have been their window. They're not the most talented team, they're gonna lose some pieces via the expansion draft and a tight cap situation and all those playoff games in nine months are going to take a toll next year.

 

That "ton histoire est une epopee des plus brilliants exploits" part is a little shakier than usual these days.

 

I hate to say it’s over five minutes into the second period but …

 

Boy Lightning are going to make this interesting

 

Or not

 

Only way this gets interesting now is if half the Lightning go on benders with two days off between games. And even then, they still might close it out Monday.

 

Canadian government probably won't even let them leave the hotel. I hope someone is bringing in Montreal smoked meat for them, though.

 

If Vasilevskiy we’re to get Canada’s version of Montezuma’s Revenge, would that be enough to get Montreal back into this or is Tampa way too good top to bottom?

 

As the Canadiens defense take turns with the oxygen tank it's another reminder that Marc Bergevin traded Mikhail Sergachev for Jonathan Drouin.

 

TB just looks faster, they get to the puck quicker and they pass better. Teams like that usually win.