2004 NHL Playoffs: Round 1 (1 Viewer)

[nolesrule]

Ratings have been fine in Tampa Bay. But we're not large enough of a market to carry the rest of the country. And the people watching at the Forum or the Forum Plaza don't even count toward ratings.

 

[Shane Martin]

Regardless its been one heckuva series to watch. It reminds me of that series I watched some years ago with the Rangers and Canucks.

 

[Tony Whalen]

Great demo with the puck/tile pics Joe!

It was a HELL of a game. I'm greatly looking forward to tonight. Naturally, I want my Flames to kick some BoltButt, but before we get into it...I gotta say BRAVO to both teams. Great series!

 

[nolesrule]

Thanks Tony. I just wanted to make sure everyone could visually see how difficult it is to judge where the puck really is based on that god-awful camera angle.

Just under 6 hours till the game starts. I'm feeling the butterflies, and I'm not even playing. But I'll be there this evening in time for the warm-ups. And I'll be screaming my lungs off louder than I have for every previous Lightning game I have ever attended once the players come onto the ice for the game. This will be the biggest sporting event I have ever attended, and probably ever will attend.

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

Hopefully the series trend will continue, with each team winning every other game.

Go Calgary!

 

[Shane Martin]

So far Calgary hasn't bothered to show up yet.

2-0 after 2 periods. The 3rd period will get very interesting. Iginla hasn't had a shot in over 95 minutes straight.

 

[Shane Martin]

Game Over!!!
Congrats to Tampa! Calgary put the jets on a bit too late. Great 3rd period though

 

[Casey Trowbridg]

Congrats to the Lightning, but Calgary gave it all they had and in that there is nothing to be ashamed of.

 

[Christ Reynolds]

funny how the first two guys to hold the cup were ex-boston rejects

congrats lightning, you deserved it.

CJ

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

Yes, congrats to Tampa, those were some pretty goals.

I do have issues with the officiating, but that's the NHL for you. The folks in Calgary now know how we felt back in whatever year it was we lost the cup in game seven...

 

[Herb Kane]

Congrats Tampa fans...!! It was a great series. I was actually kinda hoping for TB - cheering for the hometown Captain!

 

[Jason GT]

Congrats to the Bolts on the victoly.

The Stanley cup continues its wayward journey south of the border ... :frowning:

 

[nolesrule]

OH MY GOD!!!!!!! That was the most exhilarating, exciting, nerve-racking, wonderful, awesome, amazing experience of my life. Only 13 Stanley Cup Game 7s ever. A once-in-a-lifetime event, and I was there to see it.

First, let me say hats off to the Calgary Flames and their fans. Sure, there were some moments where I objected to their style of “play” on the ice, but they put up a valiant effort of their own this year. They should all hold their heads high.

What a game. Taking the 2-0 lead into the 3rd period, I was feeling pretty good. But then the Flames scored the power play goal and we had a game again. The Flames really turned up the heat for the rest of the game, but Khabibulin made some unbelievable saves, especially the shot from the left and then the quick rebound shot from the right. But the Bolts put on some excellent pressure in the last couple minutes, not letting Kiprusoff get off the ice until there was only about 20 seconds left in the game. Then the final save by Khabibulin with 5 seconds left right in front of us and the clock ticked down to zero.

Congrats to Brad Richards for winning the Conn Smythe. He deserved it, setting the NHL record for post-season playoff wins and of course the awesome and oft-repeated stat that the Lightning wnet unbeaten in games where he scored a goal. He didn’t get one tonight, but he set up one of Fedotenko’s two goals. The defense played awesome, especially Sydor and Kubina, who shut down Iginla in games 6 and 7.

And then, a tear nearly came to my eye when Dave Andreychuk hoisted the Stanley Cup over his head. It was a touching moment, and one I am proud to say I saw in person. The sating of the Cup is by far the greatest celebratory gesture in sports. Just being there tops the Bucs winning the Super Bowl in my book.

These were some long playoffs. I was exhausted after the game. I can only imagine how the players felt. But they had the energy to lift the Stanley Cup over their heads as only champions can.

Thank you Phil Esposito, who brought hockey to Tampa Bay in 1992 when no one even thought about an NHL team here in Tampa Bay. It was a night early in October of 1992 that the Lightning won their first ever game, a 7-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. An unknown player named Kris Kontos scored 4 goals and became our first name. But Brian Bradley became our first star and led the team from 1992 until a concussion ended his career in 1997.

Thank you for the $99 season tickets at the ThunderDome, which allowed me to attend games while I was a senior in high school in 93-94. I fell in love with hockey that year and also went on my first date at a Lightning game with the girl I fell in love with who is now my wife.

Thank you Mr. Davidson for buying the Lightning, even when they were at their worst. While I didn’t like the Rob Zamuner for Rick Dudley trade. But Dudley was sent packing and Jay Feaster replaced him as GM.

Thank you Jay Feaster for bringing in the players like Brad Richards, Martin St. Louis and Nikolai Khabibulin, and especially the final piece this year in defenseman Darryl Sydor. He also elevated John Tortorella to the position of head coach, who taught this ragtag group of NHL rejects and potential stars to play an exciting brand of hockey. And finally, thank you Dave Andreychuk, “Super Dave” or “Captain Dave” as we affectionately call him, for turning this group of players into a team.

Thank you Tampa Bay Lightning for a wonderful season, a wonderful playoff run, and for a Stanley Cup finals comeback where they were all but written off after Game 5 by all the so-called experts. With your backs against the wall, you kicked it up a notch and won Games 6 and 7 to bring home the most coveted trophy in sports.

We are the champions! Go Bolts!!!!!!!!

 

[Micheal]

I just want to say congratulations to Tampa Bay on a great series! I'm glad that Andreychuk finally got to hoist the cup and kudos to Richard's for winning the Conn Smythe.

The penalties were a little lopsided but that's no excuse. You have to play through that sort of thing.

WTG Tampa Bay!! You deserve it.


At least the cup is full of Canadian names yet again this year. Have you looked at the TB roster? Over half the team is Canadian. Including the Captain, the top line, and Conn Smythe winner Brad Richard's. I think that Canada can stand tall here.

 

[GARY C]

Oh well, we got the cake, just no icing.

Congrats to Tampa.

And here's to the Flames, looking forward to (my) year 20 with them assuming there is a next year.

I hope the can keep most of the core players together. Another scoring forward and Reinprecht coming back healthy and they can have 2 good scoring lines (something that was a little lacking in the playoffs).

 

[Tony Whalen]

Well that was a helluva run!

Joe, I'm jealous that you were able to attend such a once-in-a-lifetime event. Must have been something else! Even if my team didn't win!

Those last few minutes were thrilling as hell. To bad my boys couldn't get past the "Bulin Wall".

Great great series! My home town went insane for two months, and I'm still seeing Flaming-C flags everywhere!

Congrats to Tampa! What a great series! See ya next year!

 

[AnthonyL]

Maybe off topic but during the hockey game there was a beer ad. where two girls switch bras? Can anyone tell me the name of the beer?

 

[ZacharyTait]

It was Labatt Blue Light.

"That's not what I meant."

"Does it matter?"

"No."

Congrats to the Tampa Bay Lightning on their Stanley Cup. Of course, next season, whenever that happens, it will return to it's rightful place in Hockeytown.

I hope Bill Davidson can pull off the trifecta of winning a world championship with the three teams he owns. First it was the Detroit Shock of the WNBA, now the Lightning, and hopefully in the next 12 days, the Detroit Pistons of the NBA.

 

[Mark Shannon]

I don't get the commercial though. When he orignally said only if they switch, what did he mean by that, other than switch bras.

 

[Micheal]

Who cares!? (Just kidding)

That's the whole point... it doesn't matter.