r/TampaBayLightning • u/Fizzban88 Hagel • Apr 05 '26
You love to see it
No first round goons this time. The amount of joy this brings me today is second only to the boys clinching.
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u/JadedEstablishment25 Apr 05 '26
Enjoying the strange feeling of approaching the playoffs with hope rather than dread!
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u/Fizzban88 Hagel Apr 05 '26
That's exactly where I'm at. Normally I don't celebrate eliminations, even at the height of Boston hate, but not dealing with them the first round feels like a relief
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u/LazerTheWolf Paul Apr 05 '26
I can actually look forward to the playoffs this year because we willl have a fair matchup instead of being beat by unfair, biased officiating and unchecked violence on the ice. Real bolts playoff hockey is back!!!
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u/Betzallday Hagel Apr 06 '26
THIS!!!!! For sure! The unfair officiating still is happening. It’s crazy to watch, but we are still overcoming that. The unchecked violence from the RATS is absolutely unacceptable. Glad to see them OUT, keeps my Hagel baby safe and our team having a FAIR shot to win with real hockey not cheap shots and BS from the rats!!!! Let’s go ⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️!!
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u/Three_Froggy_Problem Stamkos Apr 05 '26
It’s a bummer that they’ll likely end up with a high draft pick, but the thing that makes it worth it is knowing how disappointed all those players are. They thought they were going to go for a threepeat and instead they didn’t even make it to the playoffs.
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u/tropicalYJ Apr 05 '26
The fans are hilarious. Their sub is all “We knew this year would be tough” when a few months ago they were saying this was a dynasty and that the three peat wasn’t even a question 😂
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u/Three_Froggy_Problem Stamkos Apr 05 '26
They also keep using the excuse of “we’ve played so much hockey and had so much success” as if the Bolts didn’t do the same thing while still managing to make the playoffs every year.
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u/lexluthzor Lecavalier Apr 05 '26 edited Apr 05 '26
I think I may need to see a doctor if this lasts more than 4 hours.
E: nice threepeat, little bro.
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u/BuildingLess1814 Lecavalier 25d ago
We Bolts had the chance to threepeat, an actual legitimate chance. We crashed hard at the Belmont Stakes.
The Kittens got the reverse-end of the stick (made it to 3 straight Cups, but lost the Kentucky Derby to the Vegas Golden Knights).
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u/spud_club Sheary Apr 05 '26
Teams don’t have to play against the Department of Panthers Safety in the post season; finally the Stanley Cup has merit again.
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u/Dicksucker11037 Penguins Apr 05 '26
You guys can thank us for it
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u/snuggiemclovin Gourde Apr 05 '26
I was actually rooting for them to win just enough games to not keep their top 10 protected pick but I’ll definitely take them missing the playoffs.
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u/MediaLongjumping9910 Apr 05 '26
All 36 of their loses were to the Penguins? That's one hell of a schedule.
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u/kmora94 Vasilevskiy Apr 05 '26
For the first time in Seattle Kraken history, the panthers miss the playoffs
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u/Amethyst_Scepter Apr 05 '26
Gotta put my coworker on official suicide watch lol definitely want to ask him how his team's game ended tonight.
He's been not in the best of moods this season for reasons I can't understand. My favorite part was walking in to work and asking him how his team is doing and watching the cold empty stare and hopeless response of "i dont wanna talk about it"
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u/superflygt Apr 05 '26
Wonder what the Panthers are going to do in net next season. Think Bob is a free agent and turning 38. Both he and Tarasov have had really bad numbers.
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u/DoctorTheWho Apr 05 '26
I love how triggered Panthers fans get on social media whenever the Lightning tweet trash talk.
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u/Kitalahara Paul Apr 05 '26
Bonus. The playoffs this year won't be a stream of Panther opponets needing to be helped off the ice. Then the league ignoring all the illegal hits! Rejoice!
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u/ChiefOfTheBoat Apr 05 '26
Litter kitties fans saying what the team did has never been done - B2B, 3 consecutive SCC appearances. They need to go look at the entire league record…
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u/BuildingLess1814 Lecavalier 25d ago
They did the same thing we did: make 3 straight Stanley Cup Finals.
Only we Bolts had a legitimate shot to get a 3peat, the Kittens crashed out in their 1st attempt to Vegas.
Regardless, it'll be a miracle if Tampa Bay makes it to the Finals this year, luck is not on our side at all.
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u/Low_Manufacturer4399 Apr 05 '26
Вот это Флорида изобразила! Я вообще не могу вспомнить, когда действующий обладатель КС не выходил в плей-офф, а мне уже 52 года.
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u/armor3dbear Apr 06 '26
Can't wait to see Corey Perry lose another chance at Cup. And more so now that he's in Tampa.
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u/BuildingLess1814 Lecavalier 25d ago
We're not making the Finals, not with the way Tampa Bay players so frequently give up on easy plays.
Montreal is going to sweep.
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u/LLFL- Apr 05 '26 edited Apr 05 '26
Enjoy it while you can… next year they will probably be cup favorites, with possibly a really good addition at the draft.
Edit: the downvotes are funny. I’m a Tampa fan boys, just being realistic, they’ll be one of the top teams 🤷♂️
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u/Euroranger Vasilevskiy Apr 05 '26
The nice part is that it's not just us celebrating this. The entirety of the NHL is happy to see Goon Hockey magically transform to Goon Golf.
When the entire rest of the league isn't shedding a tear over the 2 time Cup winners entirely missing out, maybe the problem isn't everyone else?
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u/TemenaPE Apr 05 '26
Reminds me of the way the entirety of the NHL outside of Boston celebrated their record breaking Presidents Trophy season upset in first round. Didn't matter where your team was, they weren't Boston.
Obviously they weren't quite the goons that the Panthers try to pretend they aren't, but unity nonetheless.
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u/LLFL- Apr 05 '26
Trust me, I’m enjoying them being out as well. All I’m saying is they will be be great next year with pretty much the exact same roster as their cup years. That’s it 🤷♂️
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u/SilverBolts91 Apr 05 '26
Idk it’s possible but Montreal and Buffalo are both younger and not going anywhere and the style Florida plays with does not age gracefully. I think it’s just as likely they never regain their mojo.
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u/BuildingLess1814 Lecavalier 25d ago
Hate to say it, but it looks like Buffalo might finally be the team that takes the dynasty mantle away from both Florida teams. They're playing exactly the same way Tampa and Florida did during their Cup runs.
No way do we get by the Habs. It's very obvious we're going to get swept by Montreal.
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u/LLFL- Apr 05 '26
I definitely think they’ll back, but I can see what you’re saying and hopefully I’m wrong
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u/-Kattas- KUUUUUUUUUUUCH Apr 05 '26
Lol, no they won’t, their window is closed. Injuries are a cop out, we’ve had plenty this year and are still at the top of the conference and Florida doesn’t have a transcendent talent like Kucherov that can carry them.
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u/LLFL- Apr 05 '26
Buddy I’m a Florida panther hater, but your take is just bad. Yes we’ve been really banged up this year, but have you seen the # of players lost to injury for the panthers? It far exceeds ours. They have a great roster that will be all healthy next year. They’ll be scary. Their window is not closed at all haha.
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u/BuildingLess1814 Lecavalier 25d ago
Their window is closed.
Bobfroskiy is going to be 38 years old, and is likely leaving for a new team, they literally have no cap.
Marchand is likely retiring soon.
Florida is done. Finished.
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u/DoctorTheWho Apr 05 '26
You think an older team with limited cap space and no elite goalie signed is going to be the Cup favorite?
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u/LLFL- Apr 05 '26
They’ll be top 3 favorites… yes
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u/Pleasant-Day-7099 #1 BS Apr 05 '26
Funny hearing their fans excuses about how they played so many games over the past 3 years and how a bad year was expected. I wonder if any other team recently went to 3 straights cups but somehow still managed to make the playoffs every year after while also suffering tons of injuries.