NHL Game Night: 3/26/11 Lightning at Hurricanes

[BP Staff]

The tears of Tripp and Forslund sustain me.

TB-4
CAR-2

Mike Smith allowed 2 goals on 35 shots for the win. He might want that 2nd goal back, but on the balance he did what you want your backup to do in a back-to-back scenario: give the team a chance to pull out the win, which they did.

First Period
07:07 CAR Staal (31), Stillman (23), McBain (21)(PP)
13:56 TB St Louis (27), Lecavalier (25)
17:36 TB Gagne (15), unassisted
19:09 CAR Cole (23), Stillman (24), Allen (11)

Second Period
17:53 TB Moore (15), Lecavalier (26), St Louis (62)(PP)

Third Period
19:11 TB Gagne (16), unassisted(EN)

Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier were the game's first and second stars. Simon Gagne, all of a sudden, has 16 goals. It may still be a bridge too far for him to get to 20 like Vinny has, but he's making a go of it. He may need to if Stamkos keeps methodically choking away the Richard Trophy.

You know, I have a lot of respect for the Canes organization. I have a lot of respect for Cory Stillman, in particular, even with the way he popped off at the mouth when he left Tampa. But having to see several home broadcasts of the Canes' on Center Ice a year, I have a hard time with the broadcasting team of Tripp and Forslund. It's not just that they're homers, but to whine after the game about a second period call that led to the game winning goal after Carolina had the whole third period to tie the game up and they spent that whole period claiming that Carolina was playing so much better than the Lightning... whatever. Enjoy your tee times. The Canes are what their record says they are.

Box score and extended statistics from NHL.com.



http://www.boltprospects.com/content...ing-hurricanes

[CTLightning26]

What was wrong with the call? Cole didn't appear to be pushed and he ran into Smith...

Geez, can the Lightning get one power play?

[pete]

He was pushed in. It wasn't a great call. The point is they didn't say much about it until the game was over and then all of a sudden it became a grave injustice and the only reason they lost. Whatever. I have no respect for that.

[The Great Zo]

It was a bad call, but it's the exact same bad call that every ref makes against every team. I have never seen it called correctly.

[Avery86]

Originally Posted by The Great Zo

It was a bad call, but it's the exact same bad call that every ref makes against every team. I have never seen it called correctly.

Exactly. Every team has to deal with that adversity and kill the penalty. But once the game is over and the Canes lost, those jackholes start spouting off that there will be "harsh words" about the call from the team.

Tripp Tracy is one of the most annoying people in the world, period. I think the worst part was when Bowman got that boarding call against Clark, a textbook boarding call at that, and Tracy started going off saying it's the player's responsibility and blah blah .. basically blaming the victim of the penalty. Brilliant.

[pete]

Bottom line: they only scored 2 goals against Mike frickin' Smith, one of the worst goaltenders in the league, statistically. The refs didn't do that, the Canes did.

[Avery86]

Originally Posted by pete

Bottom line: they only scored 2 goals against Mike frickin' Smith, one of the worst goaltenders in the league, statistically. The refs didn't do that, the Canes did.

No doubt. And Cole's goal was the one that should have underlined the tactic of shooting high on Smith all day, every day. I've never seen a big goalie play so small in the net. Shoots himself in the foot every time by going down so early.

[CTLightning26]

It was 50-50 call to me... He was nudged a bit by Hedman, but not much...I see that called all the time..