An incredible run in the playoffs has seen us make the Eastern Conference Finals, where the dangerous Tampa Bay Lightning await. I'm going to be honest, I did not expect this series to even be close. The Lightning are an amazing team on the game and in real life, and it was going to take an amazing performance to dethrone the kings of the east. Could we pull it out?
PREVIEW
Tampa Bay came into the playoffs with one of the last seeds in the East, but have been on a tear thus far, beating the Senators in six games and blowing past Buffalo in five. They narrowly lost out to the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Finals last year, and are two years removed from lifting the Stanley Cup. Their regular season record was 45-27-10, good for 100 points, just two points worse than us. The Lightning are led by the incomparable Steven Stamkos, who partners with Jonathan Drouin on the first line for one of the best pairings in the NHL. The entire team is stacked with talent, and features the 6'7" giant Ben Bishop in goal. Here are their lines.
Forwards
Kucherov(87)-Stamkos(95)-Drouin(91)
Palat(85)-Filppula(87)-Callahan(86)
Gilmour(82)-Boyle(82)-Connolly(84)
Haula(81)-Namestnikov(81)-Brown(79)
Defensemen
Hedman(88)-Gudas(85)
Carle(85)-Dotchin(82)
Garrison(82)-Stralman(82)
Goalies
Bishop(88)
Makarov(83)
SERIES
We had the higher seed, so Game 1 was in Philly for the third time. The game itself followed almost exactly what I thought, as we struggled to get quality shots and solve Ben Bishop, and Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos scored to give Tampa Bay a 2-0 win and the series lead. Game 2 continued to go in the wrong direction, with Jonathan Drouin opening the scoring, but we answered back through Andre Burakovsky and Zach Phillips. In the third, Valteri Filppula and Drouin again gave the Lightning the lead before Matt Dumba scored late to force overtime. Just minutes into the extra period, Brett Connolly beat Jack Campbell for the winner and a 2-0 Lightning lead.
Our backs were up against the wall as we traveled to Tampa Bay for the next two games. Game 3 opened with a flurry, as Namestnikov and Filppula scored for the Lightning and Brooks Laich and Burakovsky answered for us. In the second, fourth liner Brendan Lemiuex scored for us, and we held on for a hard fought 3-2 victory and our first win of the series. Jack Campbell was determined to give us the advantage, and stopped all 36 shots he faced in Game 4 to earn his third shutout of the playoffs. A second period goal from Jakub Voracek, his first of the series, was enough to give us a 1-0 victory and level the series at 2 games apiece.
As we returned home for Game 5, neither team had won at home yet. Voracek opened the scoring for the good guys before Kucherov and Boyle put the Lightning in the driver's seat. A third period goal from Bo Horvat forced overtime, but for the second time in the series, the Lightning found an overtime winner, coming from Justin Gilmour, giving the Lightning a 3-2 series lead and a chance to finish us off in Tampa.
With our season on the line, we knew we needed a performance away from home in Tampa Bay. The first period was a stalemate, with Voracek and Boyle scoring for their teams. The team came alive from that point, though, as Lemieux, Phillips and Fosberg all beat Bishop in the second period. Campbell held the lead and Voracek added an empty-netter to give us a 5-1 win to give us new life and our second consecutive Game 7.
With Game 7 looming, we knew we were going to have to play our hearts out, and Game 7 quickly turned into a gritty defensive affair. Both teams took tons of penalties, and neither goalie was beaten during three periods of play. Heading into overtime for the third time, both fanbases were praying for a winner, and with just a few minutes left in the first overtime, Sean Courturier came through for his second game-winner of the playoffs and a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Series MVP: Jack Campbell, Philidelphia Flyers
Honorable Mention: Jonathan Drouin, Tampa Bay Lightning
ANALYSIS
We're going to the Stanley Cup!!! What an accomplishment, and a great performance against the Lightning see us through. When the games counted and the season was on the line, we played that gritty Flyers defense that we're know for and pulled out the victory. Even more impressive was the fact that we limited Steven Stamkos to just three points in the series, as it was the depth that showed for the Lightning. Jack Campbell played outstanding for his second series MVP, and gives us a chance to lift the Cup. I couldn't be more proud.
Unbelievable. In our first year in the playoffs in this GM mode, we're heading to the Stanley Cup Finals and have a chance to lift the Cup for the first time since 1975. Tune in for a special posting, as we look to lift Lord Stanley's Cup. The post will be out on Friday, be sure not to miss it!
-Henry
PREVIEW
Tampa Bay came into the playoffs with one of the last seeds in the East, but have been on a tear thus far, beating the Senators in six games and blowing past Buffalo in five. They narrowly lost out to the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Finals last year, and are two years removed from lifting the Stanley Cup. Their regular season record was 45-27-10, good for 100 points, just two points worse than us. The Lightning are led by the incomparable Steven Stamkos, who partners with Jonathan Drouin on the first line for one of the best pairings in the NHL. The entire team is stacked with talent, and features the 6'7" giant Ben Bishop in goal. Here are their lines.
Forwards
Kucherov(87)-Stamkos(95)-Drouin(91)
Palat(85)-Filppula(87)-Callahan(86)
Gilmour(82)-Boyle(82)-Connolly(84)
Haula(81)-Namestnikov(81)-Brown(79)
Defensemen
Hedman(88)-Gudas(85)
Carle(85)-Dotchin(82)
Garrison(82)-Stralman(82)
Goalies
Bishop(88)
Makarov(83)
SERIES
We had the higher seed, so Game 1 was in Philly for the third time. The game itself followed almost exactly what I thought, as we struggled to get quality shots and solve Ben Bishop, and Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos scored to give Tampa Bay a 2-0 win and the series lead. Game 2 continued to go in the wrong direction, with Jonathan Drouin opening the scoring, but we answered back through Andre Burakovsky and Zach Phillips. In the third, Valteri Filppula and Drouin again gave the Lightning the lead before Matt Dumba scored late to force overtime. Just minutes into the extra period, Brett Connolly beat Jack Campbell for the winner and a 2-0 Lightning lead.
Our backs were up against the wall as we traveled to Tampa Bay for the next two games. Game 3 opened with a flurry, as Namestnikov and Filppula scored for the Lightning and Brooks Laich and Burakovsky answered for us. In the second, fourth liner Brendan Lemiuex scored for us, and we held on for a hard fought 3-2 victory and our first win of the series. Jack Campbell was determined to give us the advantage, and stopped all 36 shots he faced in Game 4 to earn his third shutout of the playoffs. A second period goal from Jakub Voracek, his first of the series, was enough to give us a 1-0 victory and level the series at 2 games apiece.
As we returned home for Game 5, neither team had won at home yet. Voracek opened the scoring for the good guys before Kucherov and Boyle put the Lightning in the driver's seat. A third period goal from Bo Horvat forced overtime, but for the second time in the series, the Lightning found an overtime winner, coming from Justin Gilmour, giving the Lightning a 3-2 series lead and a chance to finish us off in Tampa.
With our season on the line, we knew we needed a performance away from home in Tampa Bay. The first period was a stalemate, with Voracek and Boyle scoring for their teams. The team came alive from that point, though, as Lemieux, Phillips and Fosberg all beat Bishop in the second period. Campbell held the lead and Voracek added an empty-netter to give us a 5-1 win to give us new life and our second consecutive Game 7.
With Game 7 looming, we knew we were going to have to play our hearts out, and Game 7 quickly turned into a gritty defensive affair. Both teams took tons of penalties, and neither goalie was beaten during three periods of play. Heading into overtime for the third time, both fanbases were praying for a winner, and with just a few minutes left in the first overtime, Sean Courturier came through for his second game-winner of the playoffs and a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Series MVP: Jack Campbell, Philidelphia Flyers
Honorable Mention: Jonathan Drouin, Tampa Bay Lightning
ANALYSIS
We're going to the Stanley Cup!!! What an accomplishment, and a great performance against the Lightning see us through. When the games counted and the season was on the line, we played that gritty Flyers defense that we're know for and pulled out the victory. Even more impressive was the fact that we limited Steven Stamkos to just three points in the series, as it was the depth that showed for the Lightning. Jack Campbell played outstanding for his second series MVP, and gives us a chance to lift the Cup. I couldn't be more proud.
Unbelievable. In our first year in the playoffs in this GM mode, we're heading to the Stanley Cup Finals and have a chance to lift the Cup for the first time since 1975. Tune in for a special posting, as we look to lift Lord Stanley's Cup. The post will be out on Friday, be sure not to miss it!
-Henry
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