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Forums :: Blog World :: Sam Hitchcock: Lightning's Special Teams Spur Victory
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Sam Hitchcock
Joined: 10.13.2017

Apr 15 @ 1:12 PM ET
Sam Hitchcock: Lightning's Special Teams Spur Victory
tpd11
Tampa Bay Lightning
Location: FL
Joined: 05.22.2008

Apr 16 @ 8:14 AM ET

Game day. Time to take a stranglehold on the series. I expect the Devils will come out flying and put a big push to put one away at home. Keep checking the Devils are soft as sh*t and don’t like being hit. Please start Cory as they all pray for a comeback but 0-10-2 in his last 12 and sub .900 SP has to have the Bolts looking to light the lamp often.
headyhedman77
Tampa Bay Lightning
Location: Tampa, FL
Joined: 05.19.2017

Apr 16 @ 8:22 AM ET
Game day. Time to take a stranglehold on the series. I expect the Devils will come out flying and put a big push to put one away at home. Keep checking the Devils are soft as sh*t and don’t like being hit. Please start Cory as they all pray for a comeback but 0-10-2 in his last 12 and sub .900 SP has to have the Bolts looking to light the lamp often.
- tpd11

Its funny because normally that is what teams say about us. I think we have to weather the first 10 min of the game because they will come out with something to prove but after that we will be able to dictate play like we have in the first 2 games. I dont think there issue is just goal tending, we have all day with the puck below the dots and have been converting on the chances. Cory isnt gonna fix the fact that there Dman arent clearing the crease or canceling out our players in scoring areas of the ice. Hoping we can get the first one tonight and take the air out of the rock. Lets go Bolts.
Cloud
Tampa Bay Lightning
Location: Stockholm
Joined: 06.20.2012

Apr 16 @ 10:07 AM ET
Its going to be interesting so see how Hall's line will look now when NJ has last change. I think we have 4 solid lines who all can contain Hall to some degree, but its the 18-21-9 line who has been matched up regularly against them. Still Hall has gotten some points this series, so hopefully our other lines can limit his impact.

Also to bad Callahan seems to be injured. The only time a year you want him and his 5.8m cap hit is during the playoffs. Hopefully its not to serious.

Also, big ups for Killer. He has produced in the playoffs before and he is doing it again. He is really good to create his own space and open lanes when other players are under heavy pressure. Hopefully he can keep it up.

And as a answer to the poster above: Im not to sure that Schneider we be a swiss cheese from now on. It would be ludacris not to start him tonight and he played really well when he came in on saturday. Lots of cold goaltenders has gotten some confidence and elevated their play in the playoffs. But i agree that the goals primarly comes from Devils defense (an issue that Tampa still has problems with aswell).

Go bolts!
ryant601
New Jersey Devils
Location: NJ
Joined: 03.02.2018

Apr 16 @ 10:21 AM ET
Game day. Time to take a stranglehold on the series. I expect the Devils will come out flying and put a big push to put one away at home. Keep checking the Devils are soft as sh*t and don’t like being hit. Please start Cory as they all pray for a comeback but 0-10-2 in his last 12 and sub .900 SP has to have the Bolts looking to light the lamp often.
- tpd11


Vasy had a sub .900 in games since February, the issue is less goaltending and more the fact we're giving you gifts and you're converting them. Props to you, opportunism will probably send you forward.
tpd11
Tampa Bay Lightning
Location: FL
Joined: 05.22.2008

Apr 16 @ 10:54 AM ET
Vasy had a sub .900 in games since February, the issue is less goaltending and more the fact we're giving you gifts and you're converting them. Props to you, opportunism will probably send you forward.
- ryant601

We’ve given each other gifts, Halls goal and Nicos were gifts as were Kuchs
tpd11
Tampa Bay Lightning
Location: FL
Joined: 05.22.2008

Apr 16 @ 10:59 AM ET
Its going to be interesting so see how Hall's line will look now when NJ has last change. I think we have 4 solid lines who all can contain Hall to some degree, but its the 18-21-9 line who has been matched up regularly against them. Still Hall has gotten some points this series, so hopefully our other lines can limit his impact.

Also to bad Callahan seems to be injured. The only time a year you want him and his 5.8m cap hit is during the playoffs. Hopefully its not to serious.

Also, big ups for Killer. He has produced in the playoffs before and he is doing it again. He is really good to create his own space and open lanes when other players are under heavy pressure. Hopefully he can keep it up.

And as a answer to the poster above: Im not to sure that Schneider we be a swiss cheese from now on. It would be ludacris not to start him tonight and he played really well when he came in on saturday. Lots of cold goaltenders has gotten some confidence and elevated their play in the playoffs. But i agree that the goals primarly comes from Devils defense (an issue that Tampa still has problems with aswell).

Go bolts!

- Cloud


No Cory won’t be Swiss cheese he’s much too good and experienced for that but I’d rather have a look look at him with no confidence and not having a win in 2018 A third period down with 5 already on the sheet and stopping a few good shots isn’t a whole game under pressure. We’ve all seen the Bolts this year to take the foot off the gas when up a couple and let the other team back in, a flaw that could be their downfall in any series including this one.
GalacticStone
Tampa Bay Lightning
Location: U Jealous of my Meteor
Joined: 01.29.2013

Apr 16 @ 12:35 PM ET
Last half the regular season Lightning would lose this game easily. But now we get to see if they are for real - if the Bolts don't put the Devils on the brink of elimination tonight, then something is wrong.

The Devils are a solid team, but they are not quite ready for primetime yet. I think they hit the playoffs a season too early.

2018 Schneider is not the same Schneider.

If this was a Bolts home game, it would practically be in the bag. The Devils having the last change will make things more interesting.

If the Bolts lose game 3, Vasi will become a wall and lock it down in game 4.

Girardi being hurt is a blessing - as long as it doesn't bring Sustr in from the pressbox. Please let it be Koekkoek instead (or anyone else).

And just think - Stamkos or Kucherov have not exploded yet. Wait till they do.

Speaking of Stamkos, we all know he will never be the 100% he was before the knee surgery, but I wonder how hurt he is right now? I suspect he is still a little tweaked from whatever that last injury was at the end of the regular season.
headyhedman77
Tampa Bay Lightning
Location: Tampa, FL
Joined: 05.19.2017

Apr 16 @ 1:40 PM ET
Last half the regular season Lightning would lose this game easily. But now we get to see if they are for real - if the Bolts don't put the Devils on the brink of elimination tonight, then something is wrong.

The Devils are a solid team, but they are not quite ready for primetime yet. I think they hit the playoffs a season too early.

2018 Schneider is not the same Schneider.

If this was a Bolts home game, it would practically be in the bag. The Devils having the last change will make things more interesting.

If the Bolts lose game 3, Vasi will become a wall and lock it down in game 4.

Girardi being hurt is a blessing - as long as it doesn't bring Sustr in from the pressbox. Please let it be Koekkoek instead (or anyone else).

And just think - Stamkos or Kucherov have not exploded yet. Wait till they do.

Speaking of Stamkos, we all know he will never be the 100% he was before the knee surgery, but I wonder how hurt he is right now? I suspect he is still a little tweaked from whatever that last injury was at the end of the regular season.

- GalacticStone

Recall that Zach Parise had a similar injury to his knee and it took him till late this year to really find his speed and skill with the puck again. stammer is looking to be way ahead of that and to me that means maybe by the following season stammer will have all his skating ability back. Everyone plays hurt in the playoffs so speculating is kinda pointless IMO. stammer/kuch/miller line hasnt been crazy effective due to the fact that they lost a lot of the momentum when stammer was out. As the post season continues i expect for that line to get better and better.
stammerman
Tampa Bay Lightning
Location: Tampa, FL
Joined: 07.05.2013

Apr 16 @ 3:11 PM ET
Vasy had a sub .900 in games since February, the issue is less goaltending and more the fact we're giving you gifts and you're converting them. Props to you, opportunism will probably send you forward.
- ryant601

Maybe the Lighting are creating the chances that you say are gifts because they have more skilled scoring lines. Sometimes its not that the Devil's gave it to them but more the Lightning's style of play created the opportunity. So far this series when the games have been tight the Lightning have dictated play - once they got out to leads they kind of go into a more defensive posture.

This series is far from over, a lot can happen. I feel the Devil's are going to push hard this game, its going to be on the Lightning to withstand that push and try to sneak a road victory out. If the Devil's get the lead this game will be completely different and it will be interesting to see how each team responds to that scenario.

Looking forward to the game.
headyhedman77
Tampa Bay Lightning
Location: Tampa, FL
Joined: 05.19.2017

Apr 16 @ 3:19 PM ET
Maybe the Lighting are creating the chances that you say are gifts because they have more skilled scoring lines. Sometimes its not that the Devil's gave it to them but more the Lightning's style of play created the opportunity. So far this series when the games have been tight the Lightning have dictated play - once they got out to leads they kind of go into a more defensive posture.

This series is far from over, a lot can happen. I feel the Devil's are going to push hard this game, its going to be on the Lightning to withstand that push and try to sneak a road victory out. If the Devil's get the lead this game will be completely different and it will be interesting to see how each team responds to that scenario.

Looking forward to the game.

- stammerman

I cant agree with this enough, kinda sick of hearing devils fans say that all of the lightning goals are them "giving us gifts". No they forechecked hard, trapped them in the corners in their zone, created a turnover and capitalized on the chance. Thats not a gift thats a hard earned scoring chance that was generated by playing playoff hockey. Taking away their time and space when trying to get out of the dzone. For some reason it seems that they are reluctant to give credit to the lightning for winning these games but thats fine by me so long as we keep winning.
stammerman
Tampa Bay Lightning
Location: Tampa, FL
Joined: 07.05.2013

Apr 16 @ 3:30 PM ET
I cant agree with this enough, kinda sick of hearing devils fans say that all of the lightning goals are them "giving us gifts". No they forechecked hard, trapped them in the corners in their zone, created a turnover and capitalized on the chance. Thats not a gift thats a hard earned scoring chance that was generated by playing playoff hockey. Taking away their time and space when trying to get out of the dzone. For some reason it seems that they are reluctant to give credit to the lightning for winning these games but thats fine by me so long as we keep winning.
- headyhedman77

headyhedman77
Tampa Bay Lightning
Location: Tampa, FL
Joined: 05.19.2017

Apr 16 @ 3:41 PM ET

- stammerman

have to say the line up changes they made dont make much sense to me, stafford is slower, johansson will likely be very rusty, and Sverson has been straight up bad. Even with that i am nervous about tonights game for the soul fact that the feeling is if this game is lost its over. That kinda desperation can go a long way in playoff hockey so it should be a very high intensity game.
tpd11
Tampa Bay Lightning
Location: FL
Joined: 05.22.2008

Apr 17 @ 6:42 AM ET
That was one great way to screw up a good road game. Penalties will kill you sooner than later and they did, Devils took the opportunity and take a game not by scoring a few on the PP but the momentum from the 5-3 goal. Game on. Cory played good for his first win in 18 but will he be able to go on Wednesday, that looked to be an injury that can be limiting going forward.
tpd11
Tampa Bay Lightning
Location: FL
Joined: 05.22.2008

Apr 17 @ 6:52 AM ET
Heddy not cool, that’s a big fine but more important Nicos left nut may help them gain a full set in this series.