lightning in 5?

Question

As long as the lightning don't give up any quick opening goals, they should be able to handle the devils. tampa has beaten nj 3 outta 4 times this year and should keep the dominance in this series starting tonight.

we happen to matchup with nj well, the leafs matchup well against us. we always seem to sneak a few by brodeur. and like i said if we start playing sloppy and give up a couple early goals this series could get away from tampa. My only concern really is that holmqvist (lightning goalie) has no playoff experience. he's a great goalie but in the playoffs u have to do it 5-6-7 games against 1 team, not easy.

Answer 1

NJ has always been insane in the playoffs, but times have changed. TB in 7. Vinny and St. Loius are looking for another Cup run and they will give Brodeur a run for his money. Homlqvist is the only problem for TB. If Holmy lets in more than 3 goals a game, Devils will slaughter the Lightning.

Answer 2

Your hopes of the Lighning going anywhere in the playoffs rely mostly on the goaltending of Johan Holmquist. If you are not worried now about this, you will be very, very soon. A team is only as good in the playoffs as their goaltending, which is proven by the fact that the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames are the last two Western Conference champions, who rode the winning ways of goaltenders Dwayne Rolosson and Miikka Kipprussoff all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals each year. Their opponents each year, the Carolina Hurricanes and the Tampa Bay Lightning, each had Cam Ward and Nikolai Khabibulin respectively. Johan Holmquist is not in the same category of goaltending as any of these 4 men. Also, his counterpart in net in this series is Martin Brodeur. No current goaltender in the NHL has as much postseason as well as regular season success as Martin Brodeur. Johan Holmquist will need some miracle work in order to keep his team in this series. They will do their part on offense in front of him, but they will not be able to defend as well as New Jersey will, so the Devils will get opportunities to score on him, and will probably make the most of their opportunities more times than not. The Devils will win the game tonight, and take this series in 5 games over the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Answer 3

This is an interesting and hard to pick series. It is defense versus offense. Traditionally, though, defense trumps offense. Holmqvist is a HUGE question mark. Truth is that he really wasn't all that great this year. He was just adequate all season. Lecavalier, Boyle, and St. Louis made all the difference. Can they do it against Brodeur? I wouldn't bet on it. The regular season doesn't mean squat at this point. Living in Florida, I hope you are right... but there is no way they are going to be "dominant." New Jersey is too good for that. Don't forget they finished second in the conference. This will be a tight series.

Answer 4

I see it going to 5, but not the way you want it. New Jersey is boring as Hell, but they're experienced and they have Brodeur. I firmly believe that Brodeur is the only reason the Sens didn't win a Stanley Cup a couple of years ago. I hope the Lightning win, but I doubt it.

Answer 5

The slate is clean. It's a good contest. Can the Bolts high powered O out do the best goalie in the game? Tampa couldn't beat the Leafs though, remember?

Answer 6

I think the Devils will take the series in 7, but I'll be rooting for TB for sure, not only because I hate the Devils, but that'd mean the Rangers would play the Sens/Pens in the second round and not Buffalo.

Answer 7

I think this is a good match-up as far as skaters, but Brodeur has the goal tending edge in this series. Devils in 5.

Answer 8

Lightning in 7

Answer 9

NJ is always a different club in the playoffs - Devils in 7. Keep this open so you can givce me best answer when it happens in 2 weeks.

Answer 10

Devils in 6 Brodeur will step up big time !