'The 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning Are The Best Hockey Team Ever Assembled' 🏒

[Hman]

when i think of football, i picture chicago/pittsburgh/kansas city/new england/ etc......not miami for the dolphins

True

But I'm taking about where the best Players originate.

Hman likes Alabama

It's no secret the best athletes come from the South

But I'm a Florida fan

[goduke]

Teams in their own Eastern conference is all that stands in their way.

When and if they reach the finals they will walk (or skate) all over any team From West.

Teams with the best regular season record in the nhl don’t win the cup. Doesn’t matter who beats them someone will. Nhl playoffs are totally a different game

[Hman]

Teams with the best regular season record in the nhl don’t win the cup. Doesn’t matter who beats them someone will. Nhl playoffs are totally a different game

Well it's easy to take the field bet.

Guess we'll see if this year is an exception.

[Mike Huntertz]

They looked like it this afternoon. A nothing game and couldn't help but beat a good Boston team.

[spider]

seems you bypassed the Great Edmonton 80's teams --- Gretzky, Messier, Kurri, Coffey.

[sweethook]

these guys are under paid

[ikid2groove415]

They have good regular season almost every year when healthy

[navyblue81]

Teams with the best regular season record in the nhl don’t win the cup. Doesn’t matter who beats them someone will. Nhl playoffs are totally a different game

Huh? Chicago had the best record a few years back and won the Cup. It’s happened quite a few times before. Even the Detroit team that TB tied today won the Cup that year.

[eaglesfan371]

Boston will be their biggest challenge. They'll steamroll through everyone else. Boston, however, can skate with them. They have the type of team to frustrate Tampa. Playoffs are different, I get it, but their roster is so loaded with talent, unless an injury comes up or Stamkos chokes again, I can't see them tripping up to anyone but Boston.

East, I agree. West, obviously flames but I also think Blues could beat them. Shocking to say yes, but their new goalie is lights out. They're my dark horse.

[goduke]

Huh? Chicago had the best record a few years back and won the Cup. It’s happened quite a few times before. Even the Detroit team that TB tied today won the Cup that year.

Chicago was a shortened season. So 1 full season nhl team won the presidents trophy and cup since 2001-2002

[swordsandtequila]

Chicago was a shortened season. So 1 full season nhl team won the presidents trophy and cup since 2001-2002

Wrong. Detroit 2007-08. Convenient you stopped at 2001-02 (again Detroit), the season before Colorado won. And two years before that Dallas won. All of which means diddly. What happened last year or 10 years ago has nothing to do with now. Trends are good until they're not. Doesn't mean Tampa wins, but it doesn't mean they don't.

[goduke]

Wrong. Detroit 2007-08. Convenient you stopped at 2001-02 (again Detroit), the season before Colorado won. And two years before that Dallas won. All of which means diddly. What happened last year or 10 years ago has nothing to do with now. Trends are good until they're not. Doesn't mean Tampa wins, but it doesn't mean they don't.

I said 1 full season since 2001-2002 which was Detroit. I stopped there because that’s kind of the point where the most dominate regular season teams stopped winning it all. My bad that when I made the reference I was talking about the last 15 years. I should of been more clear.
And normally I would say trends don’t mean much but this is one that I think shows teams going too hard in the season and not being as fresh at the end. I’m completely confident they aren’t winning the cup but good luck to you

[KingJD31]

[swordsandtequila]

I said 1 full season since 2001-2002 which was Detroit. I stopped there because that’s kind of the point where the most dominate regular season teams stopped winning it all. My bad that when I made the reference I was talking about the last 15 years. I should of been more clear.
And normally I would say trends don’t mean much but this is one that I think shows teams going too hard in the season and not being as fresh at the end. I’m completely confident they aren’t winning the cup but good luck to you

I get that, I'm not concerned with the team going too hard. Vasilevskiy played fewer games this year, in part due to injury earlier in the season but nevertheless he's good to go. And they're deep, everywhere, all 4 lines score as does the defense. Nothing's guaranteed, a hot goaltender can beat anyone. But if the Lightning play their game they should win.

[lakerboy]

I get that, I'm not concerned with the team going too hard. Vasilevskiy played fewer games this year, in part due to injury earlier in the season but nevertheless he's good to go. And they're deep, everywhere, all 4 lines score as does the defense. Nothing's guaranteed, a hot goaltender can beat anyone. But if the Lightning play their game they should win.

I agree. My question is can they handle a physical team in a long series?

[swordsandtequila]

I agree. My question is can they handle a physical team in a long series?

They've been a lot more physical this year, the stats back that up. Washington is the one team (in the East anyway) that's had some success pinning the Lightning in their own zone, at times the Bolts get pass happy instead of making the simple play. Move it quick and get it out. Blasting a few past Holtby cures that ill.

[navyblue81]

Stamkos hasn’t shown up in past playoffs, either because he’s been hurt or just hasn’t played well. He needs to show up this year. If he does, I really don’t see the Lightning losing. They’re just too stacked and have great goaltending.

[BigdaddyQH]

The 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning are the best hockey team ever assembled

Yahoo Sports
4/3/19


We knew coming into this season that the Lightning had a chance to be special. Just a dazzling collection of talent at every position and, despite a few clunky contracts, very little to be nervous about.

They lost in the Conference Finals last year, because it happens, and they even missed the playoffs two seasons ago, mainly because of injuries. But there was little doubt that this wouldn’t be one of the best teams in the league. Probably the favorite for the Presidents’ Trophy, if we’re being honest.

Instead, they ended up becoming the best of all time. They won 60 games in an era where they couldn’t spend more than any other team and where the league’s much-talked-about parity means that even great teams usually lose like 40 percent of their games. Much like baseball, where no one ever wins more than 105 games or so, you can usually say NHL teams are going to win 30, lose 30, and have the rest of the season shake out because of what you do with the other 22.

The Lightning aren’t going to come close to losing 30. Last night was their 79th game and, somehow, only their 14th regulation loss. And that’s with this group really not having much to play for over the last month other than, I guess, a shot at history. They’re now the first team since the almighty Detroit Red Wings of 1995-96 — with a galaxy of future Hall of Famers — and the 1976-77 Canadiens as the only teams to ever clear 60 wins.

Those who do not think this is the best team of all time (largely made up of those over 40) will say, “Well, they had the benefit of the shootout and 3-on-3 overtime.” As though the Wings and Habs of earlier eras didn’t enjoy immense advantages that were likely just as impactful on their win-loss totals as Tampa’s 7-3 OT record and 6-1 shootout run.

Those Red Wings teams had the benefit of not playing in a salary-capped league — and also playing some really underfunded clubs, recent expansion teams, etc., a lot more than they do now, since there were five fewer teams. Five clubs that year finished with fewer than 27 wins. The Wings played them a combined 18 times, going 14-2-2 with a plus-36 goal difference. And as to the point above about all those HHOF types on the roster: That didn’t come cheap. They had several of the highest-paid players in the league, including three of the top 13 (Fedorov eighth, Yzerman 12th, Coffey 13th), and one imagines the Little Caesar’s money faucet didn’t shut off after they got done paying Mike Vernon his seventh-highest salary among goalies either.

Not that they should have been shy about spending like this, because if the rules let you do what you want in that way, do what you want. But let’s not pretend things were on anything resembling a level playing field just because games ended in ties sometimes.

Similarly, that 60-win Habs team that knocked down the Presidents’ Trophy and the Stanley Cup (while those 62-win Wings only did the former), had it even easier. Sure, only 80 games in those days, but also only 17 other teams, 10 of which finished below .500. God, this team got to play the Cleveland Barons at a time when the league was expanding rapidly and free agency effectively didn’t exist. They also had the benefit of being able to crib from the Soviet style of play that dominated the world but was often a mystery to teams of the time unless you saw it up close, which the Habs got to because of scheduled exhibitions.

This was an era when dynasties didn’t just exist; they were the norm. Apart from Bobby Orr’s Bruins in 1970 and ’72, every team that won the Cup between 1954 and ’86 won it more than once in a row. This was the opposite of parity, and you could put the best players on one team and control them until they all retired at 32 because they smoked 14 packs a day. So yeah they only lost eight games, but they had right of first refusal on every French Canadian player coming into the league and had hoovered up talent through an unfair system for decades.

As for the Lightning, well, they can still tie Detroit’s record of 62 wins, and at a time when there’s more talent being distributed more evenly than ever throughout the league. There’s more travel than ever. Everyone’s smarter, in better shape, all that stuff. Teams actively play to get to overtime and the shootout just to get the loser point. Even the absolute worst teams in the league aren’t as bad as the worst the Red Wings or Canadiens would have faced. It hasn’t much mattered.

They can’t hit 132, and whether they hit or miss 62 wins, this Lightning team is the best ever assembled. They just gotta win a Cup, I guess.

Nice write up, but to say that they are the best team ever is pure unadulterated Bull S**t.

[navyblue81]

Several people going to have egg on their face one way or the other here. We’ll see what happens. I do think they will win, but I worry about them if they play Boston.

[Big Bear]

I dont watch hockey but I keep hearing how great they are

it’s gotta drive hockey fans nuts that the best team plays in Florida where its hot as penetrate and no one likes or watches hockey.

it would be more fitting for a team like Toronto or Buffalo to be good where they actually play hockey on frozen ponds

[swordsandtequila]

I dont watch hockey but I keep hearing how great they are

it’s gotta drive hockey fans nuts that the best team plays in Florida where its hot as penetrate and no one likes or watches hockey.

it would be more fitting for a team like Toronto or Buffalo to be good where they actually play hockey on frozen ponds

Dumb dumb dumb. Go to a game at Amalie and tell me people here don't watch or like hockey. Home games have sold out the last 5 years and running, the last 9 close to capacity. Sixth in attendance in the league and that's only because the top 5 have slightly larger facilities. Stop posting about things you know nothing about.

[navyblue81]

I dont watch hockey but I keep hearing how great they are

it’s gotta drive hockey fans nuts that the best team plays in Florida where its hot as penetrate and no one likes or watches hockey.

it would be more fitting for a team like Toronto or Buffalo to be good where they actually play hockey on frozen ponds

Damn this is kinda mean and a slap in the face at them. It shouldn’t matter where a team is located. Most people from Tampa actually come from the north. Hockey is played indoors not outdoors and this time of year it’s almost hot everywhere so who the frick cares.

[MC PICKS]

Edmonton Oilers of the 1980s greatest dynasty in hockey, 5 cups (1990 included) and should have won in 86 too and won 5 in a row if puck wasnt shot in their own net off Fuhrs backskate.

[unlearn]

Teams with the best regular season record in the nhl don’t win the cup. Doesn’t matter who beats them someone will. Nhl playoffs are totally a different game

caps won the president's trophy and the cup just last year

[swordsandtequila]

caps won the president's trophy and the cup just last year

Nashville won Pres. Trophy last year; Caps were year before.

[goduke]

Not a good look

[navyblue81]

Not a good look

Dude it’s one game. Jesus.

[goduke]

Dude it’s one game. Jesus.

Yes and it wasn’t a good look. I didn’t say they were finished. But so called best team should not be blowing a 3-0 lead against the last team in. Not at home in game 1.

[JIBBBY]

I wonder what the LIVE BET was when Columbus was down 3-0 after one period of play? Anyone, Bueler, Bueler?

I bet those odds were FAT!!! I would have never touched them down that much.. https://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/columbu...ng-2019041020/

[kingdom]

Edmonton Oilers of the 1980s greatest dynasty in hockey, 5 cups (1990 included) and should have won in 86 too and won 5 in a row if puck wasnt shot in their own net off Fuhrs backskate.

truth.

[advantageU]

This was incredible. Bet the over every game of the series.

[JIBBBY]

This was incredible. Bet the over every game of the series.

I could see that hitting for sure.

[goduke]

And again this is why nhl playoffs are the best postseason there is. No one dominates no matter how good their regular season was

[lakerboy]

And again this is why nhl playoffs are the best postseason there is. No one dominates no matter how good their regular season was

Come on man you know the clippers will beat the warriors

[DOM-Ganador]

And again this is why nhl playoffs are the best postseason there is. No one dominates no matter how good their regular season was

For puck heads, sure.
For the average sports fan, the NHL only matters if you are at the game, live. THEN it is the TITS.
On TV, no.