swamprat

Last night's Philly/Tampa Bay game was supposed to be a Lightning home game. I thought it was neat how the NHL transported the boards around the ice up to Toronto. The ads for TGH, Advent Health, Lakewood Ranch, Hard Rock Tampa, and USF-Health were all there. Also, the Lightning had a section of plexiglass that was signed by hundreds of fans. They transported and installed that section in Toronto as well. It was there during the Boston game, as well. The players all went up to it and touched it before the games. I understand the Tesla coil was also installed in Scotiabank Arena, though the broadcast never showed it and I don't watch with the sound up.

Flyers 4 Lightning 1 Philadelphia 4 points (4-0-0) (.645 PP) Tampa Bay 4 points (2-1-0) (.657 PP) Washington 1 point (0-1-1) (.652) Boston 0 points (0-2-0) (.714) I think Philly gets Montreal and the Lightning gets the winner of tomorrows Toronto/Columbus game.

Golden Knights 4 Avalanche 3 OT Vegas 6 points (4-0-0) (.606 PP) Colorado 4 points (2-1-0) (.657 PP) St. Louis 0 points(0-2-0) (.662 PP) Dallas 0 points(0-2-0) (.594 PP) Vegas is the #1 seed in the West.

UC is now down to 9 games.

Notre Dame, Pitt, and Boston College just lost their OOC games. UC lost another as well.

Maple Leafs 4 Blue Jackets 3 OT (Series is tied 2-2.) After Boone Jenner made it 3-0 Columbus with 4:52 to go in the game, Toronto went empty net and scored 3 times to tie it up in regulation. Austin Matthews scored 13:10 into overtime to give the Leafs the win. I've seen 2 leads blown in the final 4 minutes, before. I've never seen a 3 goal lead lost like that. I wonder if the rookie goalie, Elvis Merzlikins, can recover from that. It should be interesting to see who Torts starts in goal next game. The all or nothing game 5 is on Sunday.

Blackhawks 3 Oilers 2 (Chicago wins the series 3-1.) That last penalty kill by Chicago, midway through the third period, was a thing of beauty.

Who would have thought that trading Phil Kessel to Arizona would hurt Pittsburgh that much and help Arizona that much. It just seems kind of crazy that Pittsburgh has not been Pittsburgh without Phil.

Canadians 2 Penguins 0 (Montreal wins the series 3-1.) Artturi Lehkonen scored the game winner with just 4:11 left in the game and Shea Weber added an empty netter with 32 seconds left. I didn't think Pittsburgh looked right the whole series. They seemed slow and their timing was off. Not the Pittsburgh I've come to expect.

Coyotes 4 Predators 3 (Arizona wins the series 3-1.) Filip Forsberg scored with 32 seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime, but 5 mintues and 27 seconds into the extra period, Brad Richardson scored the series winner. Nashville is heading home.

Islanders 5 Panthers 1 (New York wins the series 3-1.) Miami goes home.

Flames 4 Jets 0 (Calgary wins the series 3-1) Calgary is the first playoff qualifier in the West.

Blue Jacket 4 Maple Leafs 3 OT (Columbus leads the series 2-1) Pierre-Luc Dubois scores on a 2 on 1 break away with 1:36 in OT for the win. The game winner completed a hat trick for Dubois. The Toronto must do or die tomorrow night at 8.

Golden Knights 6 Blues 4 Colorado 4 points (2-0-0) (.657 PP) Vegas 4 points (2-0-0) (.606 PP) St. Louis 0 points(0-2-0) (.662 PP) Dallas 0 points(0-2-0) (.594 PP) Pretty much the same situation as the East. The Avs and Knights meet on Saturday to determine the 1 and 2 seeds and the Blues and Stars meet on Sunday for the to determine the 3 and 4 seeds.

Flyers 3 Capitals 1 Philadelphia looks overpowering. Tampa Bay 4 points (2-0-0) (.657 PP) Philadelphia 4 points (2-0-0) (.645 PP) Washington 1 point (0-1-1) (.652) Boston 0 points (0-2-0) (.714) Everything comes down to Saturday and Sunday. The winner of the Tampa Bay/Philly game on Saturday wins the #1 seed and home ice through the conference finals. The loser is the 2 seed. The winner of the Boston/Washington game, Sunday, gets the 3 seed. Even if the Caps earn a point by forcing OT, Boston has the tie breaker.

Canucks 3 Wild 0 (Vancouver leads the series 2-1) Sink or swim for Minnesota tomorrow night.

The MAC is the only FBS conference that has not announce a plan for the upcoming season. The presidents of the member schools delayed a decision on their plans, today, scheduling another meeting on Saturday. The ACC schedule announcement has Miami at Pittsburgh, Western Michigan at Notre Dame, and Ohio playing at Boston College. Miami and Ohio plan to start classes online.

For what it is worth, USF is actively seeking games to fill openings in their schedule regardless of what happens with the Nevada game.

If UC-Davis does not play, then the Nevada @ USF game is back on. USF beat BYU in Tampa, last season. They are scheduled to play in Provo in 2021. However, USF still wants games so BYU may still be an option for this season. Depending on what the MAC does, UC may be looking for games, too.

The Mountain West Conference has gone to a 8 conference game 2 OOC game format for this upcoming season. I would this will affect other G5 conferences. If I am Nevada, who lost Arkansas due to the SEC changes, I have UTEP and FCS member UC-Davis scheduled for home OOC games, and USF on the road, who do I ditch? I suspect USF will now be now down to 9 games.

Boston went to the finals as a 3 seed in the east last season and the team that beat them, St. Louis, was the 5 seed in the west. Pittsburgh won back to back titles as 3 seeds in 2016 and 2017. Having the best regular season record in the league (winning the Presidents Trophy) and getting the "easiest" 1st round opponent does not insure success in the playoffs. Of the 33 President Trophy winners only 11 have made the Stanley Cup Finals and only 8 of those have won the Stanley Cup, the last being Chicago in 2012/13. Also, this last game with Tampa Bay was Tuukka Rask's first for Boston since the stoppage. The Bruins are a different team without him. Boston is probably better off where they are. Brad Marshand will have plenty games in which to get his licks in. 😀

Blackhawks 4 Oilers 3 (Chicago leads the series 2-1) Edmonton faces elimination Friday night.

Canadians 4 Penguins 3 (Montreal leads the series 2-1) Pittsburgh faces elimination on Friday.night.