Habs VS Lightning - your official stop
 

Game 1 is about to be underway Habs and Lightning fans!

Is it just me, or does Hulk Hogan's son look VERY unimpressed, and bored?

haha

Im so excited for this series, two extremely fast, finesse teams are colliding head to head... GO HABS!!

Jose lost his stick, and on the result tb scored goal number one...I sure hope this doesn't rattle Theodore.

I got 20 on Habs...

bah

disappointing.. perhaps they are just tired?

we'll pick it up in game 2

Wow. Maybe it's the speed of the Lightning, but the Habs are looking really sad out there.

I'm not worried...yet. They let go of their first game against Boston, and managed to come back. I'm hoping they'll be able to do the same here.

I have (shaky) faith that they can come back

Just wait till marty starts scoring..

You owe someone 20...

Damn Lightning :(

Well than. Lightning take game two as well. This isn't looking good. The Canadiens need a miracle, and it is a must that they win both games at home.

bah, curse you lightning!

And now the Lightning have game three....This will take more than a miracle for Montreal to come back 4 straight. :(

Ugh, can't say that Montreal can come back. They just won't. Tampa Bay is just not a team where u can win the next four in a row. Somewhere in the next possible 4 games I just have a feeling that TB will win atleast one.

Well, from what I understand, only two teams in Playoff history have ever managed to come back from a 3-0 series deficit. I'm thinking one miracle might not cut it. It's going to take two miracles for the Canadiens to get out of this series alive.

I hope the Habs can comeback, but like Quadraton said only two teams have pulled it off in the playoffs, and although I want the Habs to do it, I just don't know if they can.

Very disappointing loss. I thought the Habs had it in the bag.

Talk around here is that the Lightning will lose the last game in Montreal to be able to come home and have another home game.

The owners need the money. Not having another game is a huge monetary loss. Tickets, parking, concessions, etc. Money that will never be made up.


If I was a betting man.....

I don't think any coach would ever do that. It does seem like the smart thing to do, but I really can not think that the players would throw a game away.

Winning one more game against Montreal ensures Tampa of getting at least 2 more home games in the next round though.
Throwing a playoff game is stupid, even if you're up 3-0.

Plus they want the time to rest before the next series. No team would do this. If Montreal wins which I think they might do, don't come telling me they threw it away either, because Montreal could come in with some energy.

They'd make the money up easier by charging more money for the tickets for the next round..

If this is the Tampa plan, I hope the whole thing blows up in their faces, and the Habs comeback, of course I hope the Habs comeback anyways, so I'm a little biased.

Did you guys see the Leafs / Flyers game last night?

The hitting was awesome. I hope it goes seven games so whoever the Lightning play (:)) will be severely beat up.

Ya, watched the game, Tampa is going to need more than a tired team, to get past the next round.hehehe

Poor Habs, I guess they used up all the gas to beat Boston, Tampa sure will have a long time off before the next series, and that isn't good for a team

It's either really good, or really bad...

Crap. Couldn't watch the game tonight, so I had to come home only to find out they got swept (just the fourth time in their Playoff history, mind you).

Oh well. They made some good strides this year under Claude Julien and Bob Gainey. Hopefully they can build on that, and become an even better team for next year.

As for a rested team, it can be both a good thing, and a bad thing. It's good, because it gives a team time to rest, heal, and recuperate. It's bad because hockey is as mental a game, as it is physical. If you aren't playing hockey, your wits begin to dull. Fortunately for Tampa, their coach likes to run them through drills to keep their minds awake. I don't think they have much to worry about.

Running drills no matter how game-like you try to make them, doesn't compensate for a real game, plus they are a fairly young team, so hopefully they can keep their heads about them, not that I want them to win or anything

Definitely, nothing is better than the real thing, but drills can still be effective so some extent, and Tampa didn't seem to be any worst for wear the last time they had a big break.

Jesus...now if only I could turn to something else but the Expos are worst everyday.

At least, we saw good things for years to come. But 4 game in a row, it hurt.

It won't be to long of a wait I don't think. It could hypothetically be over as soon as sunday. Or could be exactly seven more days. The Lightning are a good team, and they should have no problem coming back in a week to play. I think it will be better for them. If the phi. tor. series goes to seven, the winner will be quite tired, and this could benefit the lightning, as they are a fast team. But they could come out flat too...

True

Man, I'd love to talk some smack but everybody here is just too nice. :)

Can you believe that we've won 7 in a row? In the playoffs?

Is it just me or do we get no respect from the ESPN announcers either. I know Barry Melrose gives us no love but the announcers we almost homers for Montreal. EX: Down 2-1, third period, Theodor makes a decent save and they say '...if Montreal comes back to win, that will be the turning point....' WTF??? Meanwhile Khabibulin is standing on his head and is in perfect position everytime you turn around, the Lightning are actually winning the game and they don't say a thing.

The media in general is always quick to make a story, why don't they get behind the Lightning and talk about how they have done it the right way with draft picks, goaltending, cagey veterans, timely play, etc. I don't get it.

But there will be lot's more games to talk about now, so we'll see.

I am kind of dissapointed that they won Thurs. cause I had tickets for Sat. night at the Forum. Oh well. Good news, bad news. I'll take the good news anytime.

Even though I'm a huge Habs fan...I have to agree with DDDDave. No matter how great the Lightning have done this year, it's like everyone is waiting for the bottom to fall out so they can all say "I told ya so" when they don't give Lightning the credit they deserve.

Plus, everyone still has it stuck on their mind just how shitty a team the Lightning used to be.

But jeez, fucking Montreal could have at least won one fucking game for my birthday. :mad:

/end rant