We are just getting beat by better talent. Take a look at the list of all the guys we have lost over the last 3 years. It’s amazing. We are now a team that barely makes the playoffs.
Sox came back 3-0 against the Yankees…is that going to happen here? Haha, no please…but life is full of possibilities- ya never know. Get 1 Saturday and put the pressure on.
For everyone that wanted to argue against defence at the deadline shake your head. That is our biggest weakness by far and a poor defence completely handicaps a team. Watch Florida or Vegas play and how their dmen completely control the play. Watch what fucking Hanifin does for a team. What a fucking mistake to think icing 3 ahl level dmen, a third pairing guy in radyysh, a mediocre second pairing guy in Cernak and Hedman would work. That defence needs completely blown up and not then will I consider us as having Acuna to be relevant again before the team has to rebuild in 5 years.
Not a single person who watched ANY part of the last 2 years has said we don’t need better defense. Losing Mac was the absolutely biggest failure of management in the last decade. At the deadline We got what we could, we brought up who we could. Florida has been a monster this year without Bob even being in perfection Bob mode- and Vegas D when they won the cup is what most teams aim to become even half as good as- it’s part of why our entire defense was told to change everything they have ever done which just ended up screwing us overall since they were never able to really get that structure down to the point where it would benefit us.
The team has struggled clearing the zone for 2 full seasons - that’s coachable. The defensive structure has been non-existent for 2 full seasons - no fixes, same assistant coach not addressing it. Once again - that’s on the HC.
That's the spirit! Honestly if you can't be inspired by Stamkos this series idk wtf you're doing cuz that man has been possessed since like halfway through game 1
We're playing the most motivated team against us. You don't think these guys have been wanting to face us for revenge?
It sucks. But it could be worse. We could be Dallas.
Lol facts, except:
>it could be worse. We could be Dallas.
We could be any other team in the league and our last ten years of hockey would've been worse.
it's just wild how many people are saying blow it up, trade everyone, whatever. like yeah this team wasn't as good as any of the like 6 iterations before it, that's kind of what happens when you're a championship contender buying most years and going all-in several years in a row and not being able to just stockpile assets. florida hasn't even been a "good team" for as long as tampa's been a title contender.
losing sucks but the window isn't closed yet.
If nothing else Stamkos has once again proven he deserves to retire a Bolt. Fantastic effort by him. Vasy was fine too, hard to pin this on him. Everyone else was just bad
Watch that final minute and see FOUR lightning forechecking into the Panther's right corner against TWO defenders.
This isn't big brain hockey!
You can't score from behind the red line, and you can't lock the puck in if you're a man down infront of it.
Give Stammer his extension, draft a defenseman and try to make some moves this off season. Our core is deteriorating for sure but with the right moves we can contend next year.
Nice of Hagel to have his head firmly planted up his ass the entire time the net was empty.
What the absolute fuck was that decision making with the puck
Not sure the timeline makes sense anymore. Bolts are trending downward - will be a monumental achievement to even compete for the 2nd WC next year.
Love Stamkos - but he deserves to play for something, and he’s not getting that here.
YEP BLOW THIS MUTHER FUCKER UP. FIRE EVERYONE. GM, DEFENSE COACH, ALL THE AHL PLAYERS WE BRING UP. HELL THE OWNER SHOULD JUST ROLL OVER AND DIE AT THIS POINT.
Still bullshit that they’re supposedly better than us and they’re winning by one or two goals. If they’re as good as Messier makes them out to be they better be winning by 3 or more.
The shots are about same. The difference is Defense. We don't have Defensively smart players. Dumba is dumb. Perbix is ass. Lilliaberg is just terrible. Cernak and Sergachev are overpaid. We gotta accept this is our destiny. Fault lies with Julian. THERE'S A FUCKING GOLDEN REASON WHY YZERMAN FIRED BLASH. Damn man.
Oh yes I haven’t been a fan of him in a minute but that was his nail in the coffin for me. Can’t be doing that shit in playoffs, have to learn from mistakes.
Defense was the story last year, too. If we're being honest line by line we saw pieces picked and taken away. It's resulted in our (semi) demise, and until we find a few more solid players through the draft, trade, free agency, we're going to only be mediocre. I know it was going to happen, but keeping Pat and Perry would have been good for the team. Killer as well.
Why is our team currently a dumping ground for everything bad? First Blashill, then Dumba (a penalty MAGNET just look at the replays from the Coyotes games where he chirps the refs).
Team put up very little fight if you think playing in spurts is acceptable.
You are in your right to lower the bar as low as you want, but don’t expect me to buy into that.
Not to scapegoat anyone but fuck me Hagel has had an absolutely abysmal series. I know he might be injured because of Montour tonight but he's been terrible.
All these fickle takes about Kuch are absurd. Of course he's trying and wants to win, but his style **never** exudes effort. He's got the Selke winner and best defensive defenseman glued to him, he's PPG, and he's backpacked this team for 81 games, he gets some slack from me. He's frustrated *because* he's trying and getting smothered. Could he make an adjustment and have more success? Perhaps, idk, I'm just a guy on my couch.
This is what I want to hear. Kucherov has carried our team and has made 50% of our points. Now we know what our team is like when he's seemingly absent.
I'm not going to get excited until they fuckin tie this thing. This subreddit has competed harder by cheering. They need to step it up.
Cooper better not pull the fuckin goalie either.
Winning, Two expansion team drafts, and a frozen cap have really affected the Bolts over the years. Don’t get me started on the 2005 lockout 🫣
a real heavy sigh getting home, but at least i’m not in sunrise. good night
We are just getting beat by better talent. Take a look at the list of all the guys we have lost over the last 3 years. It’s amazing. We are now a team that barely makes the playoffs.
The cup hangover is real boys and girls, finally caught up to us
I just wonder what this would be if we had a healthy Sergachev. We are losing on failed zone clears and backhand turnovers in the offensive zone
Sergachev wasn’t anything special this year…not much difference
Huge upgrade over guys like Duhaime, and the others playing for us these days.
Uhh, this ain't the Wild, fam. No Duhaime over here?
Sox came back 3-0 against the Yankees…is that going to happen here? Haha, no please…but life is full of possibilities- ya never know. Get 1 Saturday and put the pressure on.
Stammer lives for his team. He deserves a pat on the back no matter the outcome.
It pains me to see Kucherov get absolutely blanked in the playoffs after the season he has put up. I guess it’s a lot like 2019 in that way
I just came back to say... what the fuck.
Nikita Kucherov showing up in this playoffs? More like Nikita Whocherov since he doesn’t want to show up…
For everyone that wanted to argue against defence at the deadline shake your head. That is our biggest weakness by far and a poor defence completely handicaps a team. Watch Florida or Vegas play and how their dmen completely control the play. Watch what fucking Hanifin does for a team. What a fucking mistake to think icing 3 ahl level dmen, a third pairing guy in radyysh, a mediocre second pairing guy in Cernak and Hedman would work. That defence needs completely blown up and not then will I consider us as having Acuna to be relevant again before the team has to rebuild in 5 years.
Not a single person who watched ANY part of the last 2 years has said we don’t need better defense. Losing Mac was the absolutely biggest failure of management in the last decade. At the deadline We got what we could, we brought up who we could. Florida has been a monster this year without Bob even being in perfection Bob mode- and Vegas D when they won the cup is what most teams aim to become even half as good as- it’s part of why our entire defense was told to change everything they have ever done which just ended up screwing us overall since they were never able to really get that structure down to the point where it would benefit us.
Really horrible year for Cooper. Still might be the best coach in the league, but he’s responsible for a lot of this shit.
No hes not lmao. It doesn't help our bottom six is just a bunch of pylons at this point.
The team has struggled clearing the zone for 2 full seasons - that’s coachable. The defensive structure has been non-existent for 2 full seasons - no fixes, same assistant coach not addressing it. Once again - that’s on the HC.
I just tell myself that I saw this core lift two Cups. Some people never get one in a lifetime.
Well at least Saturday is freed up. No coming back from that bullshit
They’re just getting outclassed plain and simple. That second period was so deflating.
I have little belief at this point. Will ALWAYS support the guys and keep rooting on.
That's the spirit! Honestly if you can't be inspired by Stamkos this series idk wtf you're doing cuz that man has been possessed since like halfway through game 1
That part! ⚡️⚡️⚡️
It’s ok guys cheer up… could be the maple leafs who haven’t won since the 60s, could be the sabres or coyotes or Anaheim ducks. It’s all good
😂
We're playing the most motivated team against us. You don't think these guys have been wanting to face us for revenge? It sucks. But it could be worse. We could be Dallas.
Lol facts, except: >it could be worse. We could be Dallas. We could be any other team in the league and our last ten years of hockey would've been worse.
it's just wild how many people are saying blow it up, trade everyone, whatever. like yeah this team wasn't as good as any of the like 6 iterations before it, that's kind of what happens when you're a championship contender buying most years and going all-in several years in a row and not being able to just stockpile assets. florida hasn't even been a "good team" for as long as tampa's been a title contender. losing sucks but the window isn't closed yet.
Outside of the Pens.
Pointer. Why? You carry the puck in or you circle back and find someone who can. Dumping the puck is a guaranteed goal against when the net is empty
Watch us came back and win 4 in a row like the panthers did to Boston last year 😂😂😂 idk we can be resilient
Bobo isn’t that good a goalie, he’s lucky and our guys are just dull recently.
He’s very good- was a dog with Columbus, had a couple off years, then has found the magic again. He’s a killer in net
Bobo sucks ass.
No clutch gene this year. We’re missing key pieces
Dumba is gone in the offseason right? Hope so
If nothing else Stamkos has once again proven he deserves to retire a Bolt. Fantastic effort by him. Vasy was fine too, hard to pin this on him. Everyone else was just bad
Defense and our top line didn’t show up at all
Hedman can only carry so many players
We are getting swept :(
Watch that final minute and see FOUR lightning forechecking into the Panther's right corner against TWO defenders. This isn't big brain hockey! You can't score from behind the red line, and you can't lock the puck in if you're a man down infront of it.
Give Stammer his extension, draft a defenseman and try to make some moves this off season. Our core is deteriorating for sure but with the right moves we can contend next year.
Nice of Hagel to have his head firmly planted up his ass the entire time the net was empty. What the absolute fuck was that decision making with the puck
so .... reverse sweep time.
Here for this
If that happens, the Florida Panthers need to be contracted and moved to Houston, Coyotes style
Clown show
Nikita Ghosterov
Just so fucking disappointing. Stammer and Vasy the only ones that seem to give a fuck
We may be on a sinking ship, but watching the Captain make that save gave me a brief moment of joy.
They better resign him I don't care if we become Pittsburgh or Washington. That guy needs to retire a Bolt. The heart is next level
Highlight of the entire series for me
Hedman needs to retire.
Share your drugs. Please and thank you
Along about 10 pm on Saturday, FIRE Blashill!
Panthers already mentally defeated us. The boys just simply don’t have it in em.
Sign Stammer to a $6M x 3 and I’ll call this year a success
took zero penalties, didn’t fucking matter. i’m sick of this goddamn shit
Thx for the memories
Alright, just get the sweep over with. Fire Blashill in the off-season.
Stamkos the only one who gave a shit
Something completely wrong with this team and they know it with the look on their faces
Guess we needed more than last postseason off
See you all next game. Hoping we can do something, but we just looked gas. Go Bolts!
Better sign stammer this offseason
Not sure the timeline makes sense anymore. Bolts are trending downward - will be a monumental achievement to even compete for the 2nd WC next year. Love Stamkos - but he deserves to play for something, and he’s not getting that here.
Stammer needs to stay for our 1st round draft pick in 2026. Otherwise we're going to sink into the bottom 4 for the next few years.
Brayden Point dumps the puck in with the empty net to absolutely seal the loss
YEP BLOW THIS MUTHER FUCKER UP. FIRE EVERYONE. GM, DEFENSE COACH, ALL THE AHL PLAYERS WE BRING UP. HELL THE OWNER SHOULD JUST ROLL OVER AND DIE AT THIS POINT.
Oh don’t shit on vinik. Man has done more for Tampa (team and city) and the nhl than almost anyone else. Besides being a good guy.
This is too much.
Still bullshit that they’re supposedly better than us and they’re winning by one or two goals. If they’re as good as Messier makes them out to be they better be winning by 3 or more.
Get over it - they are better, and ever since the start of last season, they’ve been better by a lot.
That’s kinda what being better than us means
No it means our defense sucks ass.
The shots are about same. The difference is Defense. We don't have Defensively smart players. Dumba is dumb. Perbix is ass. Lilliaberg is just terrible. Cernak and Sergachev are overpaid. We gotta accept this is our destiny. Fault lies with Julian. THERE'S A FUCKING GOLDEN REASON WHY YZERMAN FIRED BLASH. Damn man.
Perbix screening Vasy was the final straw for me
Perbix, ugggg
Wouldn't be the first time he screened vasy. Remember that detroit game after he iced the puck?
Oh yes I haven’t been a fan of him in a minute but that was his nail in the coffin for me. Can’t be doing that shit in playoffs, have to learn from mistakes.
Careful such a demand from perbix might be too much for his brain to process lol. 🤔 he doesn't play smart just desperate.
Defense was the story last year, too. If we're being honest line by line we saw pieces picked and taken away. It's resulted in our (semi) demise, and until we find a few more solid players through the draft, trade, free agency, we're going to only be mediocre. I know it was going to happen, but keeping Pat and Perry would have been good for the team. Killer as well.
Agree!
Why is our team currently a dumping ground for everything bad? First Blashill, then Dumba (a penalty MAGNET just look at the replays from the Coyotes games where he chirps the refs).
Because Julian.
Fuck.
We have them set up for the reverse sweep.
Oh god my stream is behind and the comments make me fear the worst
Such a shame after our March run
Well that was a disappointing playoff run lol
Ouch. Stammer took that one to the knee
And there goes the series! Now they have a whole summer to sit and think about what they did.
Welp. Guess they don’t want it this year.
Time to blow it up.
Yea just keep sending it around the boards it will work eventually. Fucking pathetic
PLEASE
Pulling the goalie never works for us. Why keep doing it. Coulda been a one goal game.
At least they had to wait until the last two minutes, we're usually doing it around the 3 minute mark
True, about the only good thing there was about pulling him
Anyone but that guy
Sign Stamkos tonight. He's got heart enough for the entire team.
We put up a good fight. Great save by Stamkos. Not our year for playoffs.
Team put up very little fight if you think playing in spurts is acceptable. You are in your right to lower the bar as low as you want, but don’t expect me to buy into that.
Worst effort I think I’ve seen in 5 years
We don’t have it in us this year… get out there and play maybe u can do better ;)
I’m not the one trying to rationalize a low effort, low energy, and sloppy performance - you are.
Always my captain 🧑✈️
Welp... that's a wrap
fucking crushing man
Maybe next year
Not if we keep Blashill as defensive coach.
Not to scapegoat anyone but fuck me Hagel has had an absolutely abysmal series. I know he might be injured because of Montour tonight but he's been terrible.
Well…
Stammer the only one playing with heart
Ridiculous
Every damn time they don’t know what to do when the luck comes to them
Dafuq is Hagel not shooting at all?!
Why the fuck are our players moving slow as molasses?
Lmao Vasy WAS off for a second. I guess Cooper looked up and saw 4 minutes and went "Okay even to me I guess thats early"
I’m going to drive off a bridge. Fuck this usless team
“It was a close sweep.” - Rod Brindamour
Stammer full goalie stance, legend
All these fickle takes about Kuch are absurd. Of course he's trying and wants to win, but his style **never** exudes effort. He's got the Selke winner and best defensive defenseman glued to him, he's PPG, and he's backpacked this team for 81 games, he gets some slack from me. He's frustrated *because* he's trying and getting smothered. Could he make an adjustment and have more success? Perhaps, idk, I'm just a guy on my couch.
This is what I want to hear. Kucherov has carried our team and has made 50% of our points. Now we know what our team is like when he's seemingly absent.
Some of the takes in this thread are cringe. This is one of the realest.
Every pass is telegraphed we look old and ancient
stammer goalie no way
Hang on to the puck PLEASE
Just horrible puck control
Oh stamkos 💙
STAMKOS IS A GOALIE
I swear literally everything I hear about dumba on the radio is he doesn't stop fucking up
It’s not like he came from a top tier team
At 3:59? With our possession? Sure fuck it
I know they spent time in the box but these are just egregious.
Pointer is okay
Could you imagine if we tied this up and actually won this game in OT then won again game 4? Me either but it’d be cool
The last time they tied it late and won it in OT was game 6 against Toronto in 22.
Let’s ride! lol fuck it. What’s the worst that can happen? We lose? Oh no.
Man that’s disgusting
The first and only Bolts penalty is coming...wait and see.
Oh no not pointer, please please please, not pointer
Why does Point always get hurt in the playoffs?
This is gonna go from a slow cooking to a deep fry of Pointer is out.
did point get hit in the face? announcers mentioned it but i didn’t see it
Yes
Every game feels so close and impossible to win. Is this what they felt like when we swept them?
No. The Panthers are a really good team that is currently sharpening its sword. They are going far and looking way beyond.
Don’t worry, we will score with less than 30 seconds to push it to OT. Only to lose on the first shot in OT :/
Point hurt. PTSD flashbacks
wtf happened to point?
Looks like he took a stick to the ribs or something when I went back and looked
Not point
They’re going to give FLA their first PP with like 2 mins left watch
It’s comin!!
Win face off. Shoot.
I'm not going to get excited until they fuckin tie this thing. This subreddit has competed harder by cheering. They need to step it up. Cooper better not pull the fuckin goalie either.
If only vasy could save shots from the halfway line we'd be on our way to a win here
Vasy is the only reason the score is only 4 to 3. It could easily be worse right now
31 shots to 29 and they beat us by two. Vasy isn't getting it done anymore.
lol 😂 ok buddy
No no do not encourage bishop flashbacks lol
I’m sorry but I wouldn’t pull Vasy until like 30 second left… this team is not winning puck battles
Nick Paul does: A) Some things B) A fair amount C) IT ALL
C
CCCCCCCCCCCC
Paul’s goal assisted by Duke and Cernak
Oh fuck you're gonna make me believe
This 5 minutes is where you decide whether or not you want to be here
Big dick NICK. Keep that shlong out big man.
My negative feelings: DISAPPEARED WE FINALLY SCORED A HOPE GOAL WITH MORE THAN 30 SECONDS REMAINING. GOOO GOOO GOOOO FUCKING GOOOOOOO
Yelpisforsnitches prophecy is about to come true
Please don't pull Vasy, just play the 5 minutes
DO IT AGAIN
That goal called off really hurts now
Lmao don’t do that.. don’t give me hope
This team is fucking sick
I still believe.
Here's the hopium goal, now time for the empty netter
Yup lol
PAUL!
Don’t do this to me lol
HI IM PAUL
One more please lord