Stanley Cup Playoffs

[OHHS old timer]

Still 1 all after 40 minutes...

Tampa failed to score on back to back power plays. New York had the better of play in the second half of period 2..in my opinion.

Shots after 2...Tampa Bay 27 Islanders 12

Varlamov is seeing everything and his D are blocking shots. Tampa has to just keep on shooting on net and crash for a rebound. Also Vasilevskiy is covering his net very well, making up for mistakes the Lightning D has made.

Here we go....to the third period...

To Tampa's credit...they did hit the post and one shot hit Varlamov in the mask...another one off his shoulder.

[OHHS old timer]

60 minutes are not enough...extra hockey once again!!

Third period was all Islanders to me. Yes, Tampa got shots on goal but New York won the majority of both the face offs and the 50/50 battles. Both Vasilevskiy and Varlamov had to make excellent saves. An Islander clipped Kucherov on the nose...double minor just like game 5. Tampa will have 3:37 of power play time to start overtime.

Tampa was playing not to lose in that period. Islanders kept putting the pressure on.

Well.....lets play some bonus hockey. C'mon Lightning...pull your head out and win this darn game!! Shots after 3 periods...Tampa 42 New York 21. Islanders have also blocked alot of shots as have the Lightning.

If this goes into multiple OTs...I'll recap in the morning. Eyelids getting a little heavy...

[OHHS old timer]

60 minutes are not enough...extra hockey once again!!

Third period was all Islanders to me. Yes, Tampa got shots on goal but New York won the majority of both the face offs and the 50/50 battles. Both Vasilevskiy and Varlamov had to make excellent saves. An Islander clipped Kucherov on the nose...double minor just like game 5. Tampa will have 3:37 of power play time to start overtime.

Tampa was playing not to lose in that period. Islanders kept putting the pressure on.

Well.....lets play some bonus hockey. C'mon Lightning...pull your head out and win this darn game!! Shots after 3 periods...Tampa 42 New York 21. Islanders have also blocked alot of shots as have the Lightning.

If this goes into multiple OTs...I'll recap in the morning. Eyelids getting a little heavy...

Blocked shots after reg....New York 30 Tampa 24. Thought that was higher for New York.

[OHHS old timer]

Anthony Cerelli scores for the Lightning at 13:18 to win the game 2-1 and the series 4-2. Great pass from Barclay Goodrow to Cerelli...I think Varlamov didn't see the puck until it was too late.

Tampa squandered the 3:37 power play....and Vasilevskiy stonewalled Brock Nelson on a breakaway during the Tampa PP. Then Tampa had to kill an Islander power play.

My stars for the series...

3rd Star: Victor Hedman. Excellent defense and scored several goals in the series.

2nd Star: Semyon Varlamov. Take away game 1 and he played outstanding in a losing effort. Washington is shaking their heads for letting him go.

1st Star: Andrei Vasilevskiy. Played well when it was needed, especially when the Lightning made mistakes in their D zone.

On to play Dallas....yet another team who is strong defensively and a hot goalie in Khubodin.

Game 1 of the Final...Saturday at 7:30 PM. Good morning, good afternoon and good night from a soggy NW Fla. I'll do a little more recap in the AM.

[OHHS old timer]

Almost time for the puck to drop in the 2020 Stanley Cup Final. Tampa Bay Lightning vs Dallas Stars...Tampa was the number 2 seed; Dallas was the 3 seed in the West. This should be an exciting series...I'll take the Lightning in 6 but I would not be surprised if it goes 7 (sure hope not).

Looking ahead...games 4 and 5 are back to back (Fri and Sat). Dallas has had a couple of extra days rest. The Stars are a physical team with a hot goalie in Khubodin.

Let's play some hockey folks.....

[OHHS old timer]

We are tied at 1 after 1....

Dallas got scoring started when Joel Hanley got one past Vasilevskiy at the 5:40 mark. It's the sixth straight game that Tampa has allowed the first goal. The Stars were flying around, with their sticks deflecting alot of Tampa Bay passes. The Lightning just didn't get sea legs until the final 5 minutes of the period. But....Yanni Gourde gets a rebound off a Blake Coleman shot from the point and puts the puck by Khubodin at 12:32 to even the game.

Shots on goal...Dallas 5 Tampa Bay 4. Alot of shots went wide for both teams. Dallas had 25 hits while the Lightning had 23, according to NHL.com. Gonna be a physical series.

Time for the 2nd period...

[OHHS old timer]

We are tied at 1 after 1....

Dallas got scoring started when Joel Hanley got one past Vasilevskiy at the 5:40 mark. It's the sixth straight game that Tampa has allowed the first goal. The Stars were flying around, with their sticks deflecting alot of Tampa Bay passes. The Lightning just didn't get sea legs until the final 5 minutes of the period. But....Yanni Gourde gets a rebound off a Blake Coleman shot from the point and puts the puck by Khubodin at 12:32 to even the game.

Shots on goal...Dallas 5 Tampa Bay 4. Alot of shots went wide for both teams. Dallas had 25 hits while the Lightning had 23, according to NHL.com. Gonna be a physical series.

Time for the 2nd period...

BTW...the goal by Hanley was his first NHL goal.

[OHHS old timer]

Second period was all Dallas...

They were 0-2 on the power play but had their chances. This gave the advantage as the Stars kept the pressure on for most of the period. At the 12:30 mark, Oleksiak gets his own rebound and scores. Tampa had very few opportunities as Dallas just seems to be on top of their games. Point had a deflection hit the crossbar and Kiviranta gets a very late goal on another rebound (19:32 mark). 3-1 Dallas after 40 minutes.

Tampa has to wake up! They seem lost out there...credit to the Stars intensity which the Lightning have failed to match. Too many sloppy passes and fumbled pucks off their sticks. Shots after 2 periods...Dallas 19 Tampa 14

Well...there is always hope. On to the final period.

[OHHS old timer]

Tampa Bay finally played their game in the third but were stonewalled by Khudobin again and again. They outshot Dallas 22-2, helped by 3 penalties but went 0-3. An empty net goal by Jason Dickinson ended the scoring....

Dallas wins 4-1 to take the 1-0 lead. They were the fresher of the two teams and it showed. No excuses though.

Game 2 is Monday night....hopefully my Lightning can take the 3rd period forward. And score first!!!

[countywide35]

Tampa Bay finally played their game in the third but were stonewalled by Khudobin again and again. They outshot Dallas 22-2, helped by 3 penalties but went 0-3. An empty net goal by Jason Dickinson ended the scoring....

Dallas wins 4-1 to take the 1-0 lead. They were the fresher of the two teams and it showed. No excuses though.

Game 2 is Monday night....hopefully my Lightning can take the 3rd period forward. And score first!!!

I’ve been following for ya

[OHHS old timer]

Time for Game 2....

Dallas has no lineup changes.....Tampa Bay takes Bogosian and Schenn out from the D and add Rudda and Coburn. The latter two are older veterans. Rudda is coming back from a lower body injury. Also Carter Verhagge is in as a 12th front line player. Coach Jon Cooper going back to a 12 and 6 lineup as Verhagge goes to 4th line.

Rudda and Hedman have chemistry from the regular season.

Let's get it on Lightning!!!

[OHHS old timer]

Lightning on the power play at 11:48!!

Point scores....assist from Hedman and Kucherov. About time we score 1st!!

[OHHS old timer]

Lightning on the power play at 11:48!!

Point scores....assist from Hedman and Kucherov. About time we score 1st!!

Lightning on the power play again...at 14:31!!

Palat scores....from Kucherov and Hedman. Good passing.
Now 2-3 on power play.

[OHHS old timer]

Lightning on the power play at 11:48!!

Point scores....assist from Hedman and Kucherov. About time we score 1st!!

Lightning on the power play again...at 14:31!!

Palat scores....from Kucherov and Hedman. Good passing.
Now 2-3 on power play.

Kevin Shattenkirk with a seeing eye goal at 15:45. 3-0 Tampa!! Coleman and Cerelli with the assist

[OHHS old timer]

3-0 Lightning after 1 period.....what a difference 48 hours makes!

First 9 minutes was Dallas. They kept the Lightning from getting their flow going. That is until Dallas got their second penalty. From Brayden Point's goal....the Ligjtning just took over. Tampa was 2-3 on power play...Stars 0. Shots on goal...Tampa Bay 14 Dallas 6

NOTE: Jamie Benn elbowed Kucherov in the head early in the period...no call. Wonder if the league will look at that in morning. Might have been a forearm but...illegal anyway you look at it. Also, I misspelled Jan Rutta...2 t's...not d

Dallas will have 49 seconds of power play time to start the second.

Onward we go....

[OHHS old timer]

Now it's the Lightning's turn to visit the sin bin...Dallas on their 3rd power play in first 7 minutes. Sloppy play by both so far...

[OHHS old timer]

Forgot to mention earlier....

Rumours abound about Steven Stamkos. Folks are thinking he will return for game 3 after surgery to repair a core muscle injury. He has been skating everyday and has been taking hits in practice.

[OHHS old timer]

Dallas gets on the board during their 4th power play at 14:50.

Pavelski with a tip in...from Klingberg and Radulov. 3-1 Tampa.

[OHHS old timer]

3-1 Lightning after 2...

Sloppy play by Tampa leads to Dallas getting 5 power plays..YIKES! Gotta clean up the play. Dallas had 17 shots in period while limiting Tampa to only 5. Total after 2: shots are 23 Stars 19 Tampa. The Lightning got the first 3 power plays...Dalllas got 5 of the next 6. Some of the penalties called on both teams left me scratching my semi bald head.

Anywhoooo....on to the final period. C'mon Tampa...don't let them get under your skin.

[OHHS old timer]

Uh-oh....now 3-2 Tampa

Janmark scores for Dallas at 4:50....Klingberg and Radulov with the assists again.