Lightning at Panthers - Game 1 - 5/17 7PM ET

[Bolthed]

If Kucherov keeps playing with that kind of explosiveness and determination, we might just be able to win a round without Pointer. Thank goodness Kuch wasn’t injured, as many had speculated throughout Rd 1. He just had the flu. Whew!

Always nice to see the hockey world catch on to the fraudulence of Florida’s so-called fanbase. Nothing but empty seats in that mausoleum for the last couple of minutes.

[Pat664422]

Kucherov's play on Perry's goal really was incredible. At high speed he stickhandled Ekblad out of his skates at the blue line and then a perfect no look pass to Perry for the lay up. A play like that makes you instantly forget his previous 5 bad pass/one man efforts.

[Hoek]

That was textbook Lightning playoff hockey. The opponents are in big trouble if they can't get us to feed their fast break offense with more mistakes and Vasi keeps playing like this.

[aapbolt]

When we challenged the Turds second goal their fans were doing the Seminole chop, when we won the challenge they all got really angry because they did not understand the call. Excellent game by the Bolts and really hysterical the refs missed the puck hitting the net, we should send them new glasses and of course the stupid call on McD when he hit that guy trying to catch the puck…well he did catch it. I look forward to us maintaining our resolve and play great D.

[Puckhead]

Kucherov's play on Perry's goal really was incredible. At high speed he stickhandled Ekblad out of his skates at the blue line and then a perfect no look pass to Perry for the lay up. A play like that makes you instantly forget his previous 5 bad pass/one man efforts.

Ekblad's jock was hanging up in Kuch's locker. On the same hook as Weeger's. ..

[dmaxf9]

Out of nowhere Kucherov skating like a man possessed. He made their D look silly. Kucherov is always tricky with his passing and shooting but his edge work last nite was McDavid like. Lightning will definitely get Florida’s best Thursday nite. Wonder why the hitting, physical play and scrums less than expected? Lomberg and Hornqvist did very little agitation. Quenneville certainly would have increased the physical play.

[dmaxf9]

Point out for game 2. Cernak back for game 2.

[Puckhead]

I wish bolts 37205 was still around. He's pretty astute on the medical stuff. So I'm wondering if Point suffered a pulled groin or a sprained ankle? Based on his attempt to skate on that first shift, it looked like a groin to me. Many of us here have been there and suffered it. Thoughts?

[dmaxf9]

Looked more like Point injured his right knee.

[Puckhead]

An ortho doc can rule on an ACL tear or rupture quickly with a Lachman test. If it was not definitive, it could have been a meniscus tear. But even a small tear would not generally prevent a guy from skating. So, it looked to me like his stride was inhibited and painful--thus I'm guessing a groin. We'll find out at some point. (I've had all three situations..)

[Bolthed]

Yeah, what was that Seminole chop about??

I noticed the fans complaining about the disallowed goal too, and man do they look stupid. That call is not even the least bit subjective. They’re just a bunch of n00bs with crispy sweaters (they wouldn’t know to call them that tho).

I'm not thinkin groin or knee for Point. I could be wrong and we all know official injury news is more scarce than a Sasquatch in Saskatchewan, but I just doubt they’d tease us and say he’s day to day if it were something more serious than a sprain. So I’m hoping he just tweaked up his ankle and will be back in a week or so. 🤞🏼

ESPN side note: Holy schnikes is Buccigross ever bad at broadcasting. It’s so lame that he ruins everything by calling the action prematurely. (Side side note: nearly all hockey announcers use a one- or two-second delay so they can describe what’s happening and not sound rushed. But this moron consistently yells SCORE! before the puck is in the net.) Once you notice this, the annoyance becomes unbearable. Throw in super-fast-talking Leah Hextall, and this Flames-Oilers game is now muted.

[TexasBolt]

When we challenged the Turds second goal their fans were doing the Seminole chop, when we won the challenge they all got really angry because they did not understand the call.

On top of missing the call in the first place, the referee did a horrible job explaining it over the PA.

[Donnie D]

It was close enough that former referees were not in allignment. Action Dave Jackson and Tim Peal both said it was a good goal. Kerry Fraser said it wasn't.

[Top Shelf]

I just learned about the new rule at that moment, like probably a lot of people

Not a fan of calling off goals based on anything called after the fact - it destroys the emotion of goal celebrations. If I'm watching on TV and a goal is scored, I no longer jump out of my seat and yell (unless it was clearly onside). I've been conditioned. I run it back to check if it was offside or not. Then I celebrate. Takes a lot of the fun out of it, but that's how it goes. Thanks, NHL

It's totally illogical that it's only those three things, offside, goalie interference, puck out of play,...and you can't challenge a guy getting viciously cross-checked in the throat or slashed in the mouth before a goal, which should have been called a PENALTY - worse than a mere offside or puck out of play call.

Anywho, great job by the Bolts going 3/6 on the PP. Keep that up, and quit with the dopey backward and blind passing and breakouts that start by putting the puck gently into our own slot, and we'll be fine.

[TexasBolt]

It was close enough that former referees were not in allignment. Action Dave Jackson and Tim Peal both said it was a good goal. Kerry Fraser said it wasn't.

So the terrible former refs missed it and the really good former ref got it right.