Rutherford - “Thomas might be the only thing Armstrong can get anything for at this point”

[BalotelliMassive]

I’d argue the 128 Point 2018/19 Tampa Bay Lightning getting swept out of the First Round by the revered Columbus Blue Jackets was a far greater collapse,

Really? That Columbus team had Panarin, Duchene, Jones, Atkinson, Werenski with Bobrovsky in goal. They were hungry to get their first taste of success in the playoffs. Everybody saw that one coming from what I can remember.

[Jeff Goldblum]

I’d argue the 128 Point 2018/19 Tampa Bay Lightning getting swept out of the First Round by the revered Columbus Blue Jackets was a far greater collapse,

Really? That Columbus team had Panarin, Duchene, Jones, Atkinson, Werenski with Bobrovsky in goal. They were hungry to get their first taste of success in the playoffs. Everybody saw that one coming from what I can remember.

You remember wrong

[theograce]

It’s still so raw

[DawgDad]

I’d argue the 128 Point 2018/19 Tampa Bay Lightning getting swept out of the First Round by the revered Columbus Blue Jackets was a far greater collapse,

Really? That Columbus team had Panarin, Duchene, Jones, Atkinson, Werenski with Bobrovsky in goal. They were hungry to get their first taste of success in the playoffs. Everybody saw that one coming from what I can remember.

You remember wrong

Yeah, my eyes rolled when I read that post. My recollection is many of the pundits were predicting a TB sweep!

[BleedingBleu]

I’d argue the 128 Point 2018/19 Tampa Bay Lightning getting swept out of the First Round by the revered Columbus Blue Jackets was a far greater collapse,

Really? That Columbus team had Panarin, Duchene, Jones, Atkinson, Werenski with Bobrovsky in goal. They were hungry to get their first taste of success in the playoffs. Everybody saw that one coming from what I can remember.

You remember wrong

Yeah, my eyes rolled when I read that post. My recollection is many of the pundits were predicting a TB sweep!

You’d be 100% correct.

Tampa Bay Lightning by the numbers: How bonkers was the 2018-19 season?
Greg Wyshynski
Apr 6, 2019, 01:50 PM ET

With 62 wins, the Tampa Bay Lightning tied the 1995-96 Red Wings for the most by a team in the regular season in NHL history.

Their 30 road wins are second all-time in the NHL, behind the 2005-06 Detroit Red Wings (31).

With a points percentage of .780, the Lightning have the second-highest rate in NHL history for an 82-game season behind the 1995-95 Detroit Red Wings (.799). It's the fifth-best in NHL history for a team with at least 80 games played.

The Lightning are 21 points ahead of the second-place Calgary Flames and Boston Bruins, the widest gap between first- and second-place overall teams since the 1995-96 Red Wings finished 27 points ahead of the Colorado Avalanche.

Tampa Bay is only the second team in NHL history to post four different winning streaks of seven games or more in a single season. The other team? The 1983-84 Wayne Gretzky-led Edmonton Oilers.

The Lightning finished with a goal differential of plus-103, the second-highest mark in the past 20 years. The only team with a higher rate was the 2005-06 Senators (+107).

Their 3.96 goals per game is the highest in the NHL since 1996.

There have been 37 games this season in which they have scored five or more goals, the most by a team since the 1995-96 Pittsburgh Penguins had 41.

There have been 19 games this season in which they have scored six or more goals, the most by a team since 1995-96, when the Penguins did it 26 times.

The Lightning have trailed going into the third period 21 times this season, the fewest in the NHL and the fewest times since the 2008-09 Boston Bruins (17).

The Lightning could never be counted out. They had 29 come-from-behind wins this season, which set a new record previously held by the 2015-16 Washington Capitals, who had 28 such victories.

They had a .600 points percentage when trailing after one period (15-10-0), which led the league, and were the only team over .500 in that situation this season. That's the highest percentage in 20 years.

They had a .429 points percentage when trailing after two periods this season (9-12-0). That's the best in the history of the NHL for an 82-game season. The next-best points percentage this season were the Flames, at .250.

Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy has a career high in save percentage (.925) and goals-against average (2.40) this season in 53 games. He's in a near-statistical tie with Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens in goalie point shares, or the amount of points the goalie has added to his team's record, at 12.4.

In Steven Stamkos (45), Nikita Kucherov (41) and Brayden Point (41), the Lightning are the first team since the 1995-96 Pittsburgh Penguins (Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Petr Nedved) to have three 40-goal scorers.

Is the 2018-19 Lightning the best hockey team ever assembled?

Lightning becomes the disappointment all others will be measured against

Tampa Bay follows a historic regular season with a historic failure, becoming the NHL’s first Presidents’ Trophy winner ever swept in the first round.

We went from the most dominant regular season in Tampa Bay sports history to the most devastating postseason we’ll likely ever see.

ESPN Prediction: Lightning in FIVE

First Line: Advantage: Lightning
Depth: Advantage: Lightning
Defense: Advantage: Lightning
Goaltending: Advantage: Lightning
Coaching: Advantage: Lightning
Health: Advantage: Lightning
Special Teams: Advantage: Lightning

Prediction: Lightning in five. As previously stated, the Lightning have made it a habit of rolling through teams in the first two rounds, usually with one hiccup. The play of Bobrovsky in previous postseasons does nothing to dissuade that thinking.

Yeah, I’m not seeing it… must be what happens when you’re desperate from getting spanked.

Oh, one last tidbit… Betting odds were -425

The Lightning were -425 series favorites to defeat the Blue Jackets in the first round, the largest odds to win a playoff series since the 2010 Pittsburgh Penguins.

[TBone]

Assets aside, he would be fun to watch on montreal next to demidov

Remember how the trolls were hamming off to Bolduc early this year?

He has 1 goal, 1 assist and is a -7 in his last 15. Ooooops!

Laughing

[theograce]

What were the betting odds when the blues were up 3-1 in a game 7 when a couple minutes left?

How many times has that happened in playoff history?

[AtillaTheBlue1]

jeremy rutherford, lol

a guy who traveled with the team, and knew nothing when it came to guys in dog house, players being shopped, anything actual of substance.

[theograce]

lol

Lots of people are reporting the Blues are having issues finding partners/interest and Armstrong himself said Thomas is available

Lol is right

[Younghopp1991]

At this point i hope they arent passing up offers just because army doesnt want picks or futures.

[theograce]

Remember when Rutherford accurately reported the players didnt like Tarasenko and everyone here burst into tears and denial?

That was epic lol

[theograce]

At this point i hope they arent passing up offers just because army doesnt want picks or futures.

The only real return would be for Parayko or Thomas. Everything else the Blues have is low fruit.

Doug is not in a position of power. He must be very frustrated

[butsir01]

I’d argue the 128 Point 2018/19 Tampa Bay Lightning getting swept out of the First Round by the revered Columbus Blue Jackets was a far greater collapse,

Really? That Columbus team had Panarin, Duchene, Jones, Atkinson, Werenski with Bobrovsky in goal. They were hungry to get their first taste of success in the playoffs. Everybody saw that one coming from what I can remember.

You remember wrong

Yeah, my eyes rolled when I read that post. My recollection is many of the pundits were predicting a TB sweep!

Tampa in 3?

[theograce]

I guess people confuse upset with collapse/choke

Whatever helps you cope

Laughing

[dhsux]

hahaha

He has risen!

Full blown manic attack!

Somebody get to the dispensary and quick!

[crookedfeeder]

Binnington to the Oil.

3gls in 37seconds.... Pens on Jarry tonight. 6gls on 20sog.