NHL Atlantic

Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron has won the 2021-22 Selke Trophy as the NHL's best defensive forward, it was announced Sunday.

Taking the throne. 🤴

Patrice Bergeron has won his record-breaking fifth Selke Trophy. Congratulations to the #SelkeKing!

📰: https://t.co/bUgJ8PY8gV pic.twitter.com/D7WAW5ghJd

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) June 5, 2022

He beat out Aleksander Barkov of the Florida Panthers and Elias Lindholm of the Calgary Flames for the honor.

This marks the fifth time Bergeron has won the award, which is the most in NHL history. He was previously tied with former Montreal Canadiens forward Bob Gainey at four wins apiece.

This is also the 11th straight season in which the 36-year-old has been named a finalist for the award, which he last won in 2016-17.

Bergeron finished the 2021-22 season with 25 goals and 40 assists for 65 points in 73 games. He also led the NHL with 991 face-off wins and a 61.9 face-off win percentage, per Natural Stat Trick.

In addition, the Canadian led all forwards in puck possession (65.58). He also finished the season with 78 hits, 45 blocked shots and 37 takeaways.

Selke nominees are out. Let's dig into the three players chosen.

Bergeron should win, and I don't think it's that close. 1.6 on-ice expected goals against per 60 minutes; next-lowest was 1.85. Guy shut everyone down while creating offence at a high-end rate as well. #NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/TBmjbXAVhT

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) May 17, 2022

Bergeron has been a staple in Boston's lineup since being selected in the second round of the 2003 NHL draft. He has tallied 400 goals and 582 assists for 982 points in 1,216 games across his 18-year career.

Besides being a five-time Selke winner, he also won the King Clancy Trophy in 2012-13 and the Mark Messier Trophy 2020-21, on top of leading the Bruins to a Stanley Cup victory in 2010-11.

Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point, who has been out with a lower-body injury since May 14, will not play Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final against the New York Rangers on Sunday.

Joe Smith of The Athletic relayed the news from Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper.

Jon Cooper said Brayden Point won’t play in Game 3. Likely same lineup.

— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithNHL) June 4, 2022

Point has dominated in each of Tampa Bay's previous two runs to the Stanley Cup. He posted 14 goals and 19 assists in 23 games in 2020 before recording 14 goals and nine assists in 23 games in 2021.

Point had 28 goals and 30 assists in 66 regular-season games before adding two goals and two assists in the Lightning's seven-game first-round series win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

However, Point hasn't played since. ESPN provided more information May 18:

Point, a first-line center and staple on the Tampa Bay power play, did not play in the Lightning's Game 1 victory [against the Florida Panthers] on [May 17] after going hard into the boards in [the May 14] Game 7 vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs. He left that game with what was called a lower-body injury, briefly returned in the second period, but couldn't put any weight on his right leg and sat out the remainder of his team's victory."

Point skated with the team Friday for the third day in a row, though Cooper acknowledged he isn't necessarily expected back, per Tom Gulitti of NHL.com: "He's continuing to progress, but we're not sitting here saying, 'Oh, he's going to miraculously come out for Game 3.' No."

Cooper said something similar Wednesday.

"We're planning to play without him," he said, per Lightning beat writer Chris Krenn. "If he gets to play in this series, that's a bonus for everybody."

The Lightning could certainly use him after falling behind 2-0. New York has outscored the two-time defending champions 9-4.

Tampa Bay will host Game 3 at 3 p.m. ET.

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price has won the 2021-22 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy as the player "who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey," the NHL announced Friday.

"There's obstacles in life that will always challenge you, and I think having the ability to overcome those and keep things in perspective and keep moving forward is something that we should all be teaching our children and loved ones," Price said in his acceptance speech.

The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is given to the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.

Carey Price took the opportunity to thank the many people in his life that supported him this season. #NHLAwards pic.twitter.com/LxVdtwYws0

— NHL (@NHL) June 3, 2022

Price finished ahead of New York Islanders defenseman Zdeno Chara and Philadelphia Flyers forward Kevin Hayes for the honor. He received 50 first-place votes and finished with 343 points to win the award.

Here is the tabulation for the 2022 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, voted on by 183 @ThePHWA members.

We take a lot of pride in telling these @NHL and @NHLPA stories each year in our local markets. The proof is in 31 of the 32 deserving nominees receiving at least one vote. ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/bSklcDT0lc

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) June 4, 2022

Price is the sixth player in Canadiens history to claim the honor, joining Max Pacioretty (2011-12), Saku Koivu (2001-02), Serge Savard (1978-79), Henri Richard (1973-74) and Claude Provost (1967-68).

Price missed most of the 2021-22 season after undergoing offseason knee surgery. He also voluntarily entered the NHL's players assistance program, which helps players and their families with mental health, substance abuse and other issues, in October.

The 34-year-old didn't make his season debut until April 15 against the Islanders. In five games, he posted a 3.63 goals-against average and an .878 save percentage.

Price has been a staple in the Montreal crease since the 2007-08 season after the team selected him fifth overall in the 2005 NHL draft. He is 361-261-79 with 49 shutouts, a 2.51 GAA and a .917 save percentage in 712 games across 15 seasons.

Price has also won the Vezina Trophy (2014-15), Hart Memorial Trophy (2014-15), Ted Lindsay Award (2014-15) and the William M. Jennings Trophy (2014-15).

Price has four years remaining on the eight-year, $84 million deal he signed with the Canadiens in July 2017. He'll be a free agent after the 2025-26 campaign. 

Calgary Flames head coach Darryl Sutter has won the 2021-22 Jack Adams Award as the coach "adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success," it was announced Thursday.

He beat out New York Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant and Florida Panthers head coach Andrew Brunette for the honor.

Darryl Sutter is your 2021-22 Jack Adams Award winner after leading the @NHLFlames to their second-ever 50-win season! #NHLAwards pic.twitter.com/aN7KehVfyk

— NHL (@NHL) June 2, 2022

Here are the final Jack Adams Award voting results: pic.twitter.com/rIpexLzwrc

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) June 3, 2022

Sutter accepted the award from his brother, Brian Sutter, who won the honor in 1991 as head coach of the St. Louis Blues.

The Jack Adams Award is given to the NHL coach adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success in the regular season.

Darryl Sutter got the chance to accept the award from his brother Brian, a former Jack Adams Award winner himself. #NHLAwards pic.twitter.com/UWcZBLLFrs

— NHL (@NHL) June 2, 2022

Sutter was also up for the award during his first stint coaching the Flames in 2003-04. This is his first time winning the award.

The 2021-22 season was Sutter's first full season back behind an NHL bench since the 2016-17 campaign when he was head coach of the Los Angeles Kings. The 63-year-old replaced Geoff Ward as head coach of the Flames during the 2020-21 season.

Sutter guided the Flames to a 50-21-11 record this season, good for first place in the Pacific Division. It was a significant improvement from the 2020-21 campaign, in which Calgary missed the postseason after finishing 26-27-3.

The Flames also improved from 2.77 goals per game during the 2020-21 season to 3.55 goals per game during the 2021-22 campaign. They also allowed just 2.51 goals-against per game, a drop from the 2.86 per game they allowed the season prior.

Sutter is just the second Flames head coach to win the Jack Adams Award, joining Bob Hartley, who won in 2014-15.

The Montreal Canadiens announced Wednesday they've promoted Martin St. Louis to full-time head coach and signed him to a three-year contract extension.

St. Louis, a Hall of Fame player who retired in 2015, compiled a 14-19-4 record to finish the 2021-22 season after taking over the staff on an interim basis in February.

"We are happy to officially appoint Martin as head coach of the Montreal Canadiens," general manager Kent Hughes said. "Martin is a proven leader, a great communicator with a deep understanding of and passion for the game of hockey. His arrival brought a renewed energy to our group, and we look forward to him returning behind the bench to continue guiding our team for the foreseeable future."

The Habs entered the campaign with high expectations after reaching the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, where they lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

A combination of key absences, including just five appearances from goalie Carey Price and none from defenseman Shea Weber, who's expected to retire because of injuries, and general underperformance caused a major drop off for the Canadiens.

Montreal finished with the NHL's worst record at 22-49-11, though the silver lining was winning the draft lottery to obtain the No. 1 overall pick. It'll get to decide between center Shane Wright or winger Juraj Slafkovsky with the top choice.

While it was a mostly forgettable season for the Canadiens, the most promising sign from St. Louis' tenure was the emergence of Cole Caufield.

The 2021 Hobey Baker Award winner as college hockey's top player struggled mightily throughout the season's first half, scoring just one goal in 30 games. After St. Louis took over, the 21-year-old winger tallied 35 points (22 goals and 13 assists) in 37 contests.

Like St. Louis (5'8"), the biggest questions about Caufield (5'7") aren't related to skill or compete level but rather size.

In March, the Habs' new coach explained he encouraged players to enjoy more free-flowing hockey with less emphasis on a system, which tends to benefit talented scorers like Caufield.

"In systems I feel like you box players in to be in a certain spot, and sometimes you don't allow them to make reads because of it," St. Louis said. "A concept is more playing with a little more instinct with ideas of how we want to be as a team. Now, there is structure inside concepts."

Montreal has a chance to bounce back next season if they deal with less season-altering injuries, and there was enough progress under 46-year-old Quebec native to believe he can lead the turnaround as the full-time coach.

Boston Bruins star Brad Marchand will be sidelined for around six months after undergoing successful surgery on both of his hips, the team announced Friday. 

The six-month recovery timeline means he will not be ready for the start of the 2022-23 season. 

The news comes as no surprise after Bruins general manager Don Sweeney told reporters this week that Marchand was undergoing a hip evaluation. Marchand also noted that he was going to need a procedure done either this summer or the next.

"Potentially, yeah," Marchand said when asked if he needed any procedures, per 98.5 The Sports Hub's Ty Anderson. "I’m gonna need something done this summer or next summer, but we’ll take a look at that [with the doctors]."

Marchand has been a staple in Boston's lineup since the 2010-11 season and has only gotten better with age. He recorded a 100-point 2018-19 season and has two seasons with at least 80 points since. 

During the 2021-22 season, the 34-year-old tallied 32 goals and 48 assists in 70 games. 

The news of Marchand's surgery is a significant blow for the Bruins, who could also be without Patrice Bergeron next season. Bergeron is an unrestricted free agent and has not decided whether he will return for another year or retire.

The six-month recovery timeline would have Marchand returning to the Bruins in late November. He would then likely have to undergo a ramping up period before suiting up for a game. 

The Bruins will have to rely on their depth early in the 2022-23 campaign, and players like Taylor Hall, David Pastrnak and Jake DeBrusk will be heavily leaned upon. Pastrnak tallied 40 goals and 37 assists in 72 games during the 2021-22 season, while Hall finished with 20 goals and 41 assists in 81 games. 

DeBrusk, meanwhile, notched 25 goals and 17 assists in 77 games. 

That said, the Bruins could look to make some offseason additions in free agency to help lighten the burden on those players. However, the team will have just $4.3 million in cap space and won't be able to do much unless it makes some trades. 

Joe Thornton and the Florida Panthers fell short in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a second-round sweep to the Tampa Bay Lightning, and now it's unclear if "Jumbo Joe" will get another shot at a Stanley Cup.

The Ontario native, who will turn 43 on July 2, told reporters Wednesday that he hasn't decided whether to return to the NHL for a 25th season in 2022-23.

"My wife was kind of asking me last night," Thornton said. "And really, I have no plans. It's kind of exciting that way. I came here to win a championship, and we fell short of that. But I think the Florida Panthers are going to be good for a long time. It's exciting around here now."

Thornton signed a one-year deal with the Panthers ahead of the 2021-22 campaign because he thought the team would give him his best shot to win a Stanley Cup. 

Thornton told reporters at the time:

Well, I watched the playoffs last year, Florida-Tampa, and it was a great series and I love their team and it left a big impression on me. I talked to [Panthers general manager] Bill [Zito], I talked to 'Lou' [special adviser Roberto Luongo], I talked to [coach] Joel Quenneville, and they were just so excited about their team, what they're building down there and just thought I'd be a great fit with this group. My family was behind me. I have two young kids who are on board in meeting the players and they're excited. But talking with Bill, Lou and Joel, it was an easy decision after that." 

During the regular season, the Panthers were the best team in the NHL, finishing with a 58-18-6 record to earn the Presidents' Trophy with 122 points. They set franchise records in goals, wins and points and looked primed to make a deep run in the playoffs. 

The Panthers eliminated the Washington Capitals in the first round but had an incredibly disappointing performance against the Lightning. 

Thornton appeared in only one playoff game—the Game 4 loss to the Lightning. He was a minus-one in 6:18 and didn't record a shot. 

He appeared in just 34 regular-season games, tallying five goals and five assists. 

That said, Thornton could be a solid locker room presence for a Stanley Cup contender next season. In 1,714 games with the Panthers, Toronto Maple Leafs, San Jose Sharks and Boston Bruins, the centerman tallied 430 goals and 1,109 assists. 

Thornton is also a four-time All-Star and won the Hart Memorial Trophy and Art Ross Trophy during the 2005-06 campaign, when he tallied 29 goals and 96 assists in 81 games for the Bruins and Sharks. 

Thornton is sixth in regular-season history in games played and seventh in assists. He also ranks 12th with 1,539 points.

When Thornton does decide to retire, there's little doubt he will be enshrined into the Hockey Hall of Fame. 

Rule 69.1 in the official NHL rulebook, "Interference on the Goalkeeper," is one of the most difficult rules to understand and one of the most difficult to determine as an official.

It's 381 words, and that doesn't even include rules 69.2-69.8, which are supposed to provide clarity and context for every situation involving goalie's interference.

No wonder it seems like no one knows what the rule actually entails. 

Each year, the Stanley Cup Playoffs cast a shadow on the officials who are tasked with determining what is and is not goalie interference. And it's not just the officials on the ice—fans might love to yell, "Ref, you suck!" but often times, it's the league officials in the situation room in Toronto making the final calls when a challenge is initiated for goalie interference.

Perhaps "official in the situation room in Toronto, you suck!" is too wordy of a chant. Fair enough.

We know that the NHL has been in the midst of an officiating crisis for a few years now, but this one set of standards, in particular, can have more of a direct effect on the outcome of games than maybe something like a missed crosscheck or an errant hook. 

The New York Rangers might have won the first game of their opening-round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins in regulation had a goal not been disallowed. Instead, they played a triple-overtime thriller, and backup goalie Louis Domingue stole the game for Pittsburgh.

Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour would have "bet [his] life" on Jake DeBrusk's goal in Game 4 of the series against the Boston Bruins being overturned, but the NHL said the incidental contact was allowable. 

Good goal.

Jake DeBrusk ties it on the power play. pic.twitter.com/pUxdsAI0Yk

— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) May 8, 2022

In Game 1 of the Lightning-Panthers series, Anthony Cirelli clipped Florida Panthers netminder Sergei Bobrovsky in the head, but the goal was upheld after review.

Cirelli made contact with Bobrovsky's head in the blue paint. Panthers challenged for goalie interference, but it was still ruled a good goal. pic.twitter.com/kVL3ILjZCL

— Ryan Gilbert (@RGilbertSOP) May 18, 2022

Confused? So are we.

Let's take a deeper look at the rule and the process in which goalie interference is determined to see if we can figure out why it's so difficult to properly assess.

---

What Is Goaltender Interference?

The rule was introduced for the 1991-92 season with a pretty simple philosophy: A penalty is issued when an attacking skater makes contact with the goaltender, impeding, limiting or altogether eliminating his ability to protect the net and stop the puck.

The rule has evolved as technology has evolved, and in 2015-16, coaches were allowed to challenge for goaltender interference. In 2018, the NHL announced that the situation room would have the final say in an attempt to have more consistent rulings.

Here is how the most crucial part of the rule reads this season:

Goals should be disallowed only if: (1) an attacking player, either by his positioning or by contact, impairs the goalkeeper’s ability to move freely within his crease or defend his goal; or (2) an attacking player initiates intentional or deliberate contact with a goalkeeper, inside or outside of his goal crease. Incidental contact with a goalkeeper will be permitted, and resulting goals allowed, when such contact is initiated outside of the goal crease, provided the attacking player has made a reasonable effort to avoid such contact.

If you're having trouble following, it's a way to keep things fair for the goalies, who have more limited movement in their pads and are restricted to certain areas where they can and cannot play the puck. The onus is on the skater to prevent contact that would keep a goalie from being unable to protect the net.

Meanwhile, the challenge mechanism is in place to allow coaches to get a final ruling on the play by league using all available video feeds.

---

How Is Goalie Interference Determined?

Let's use the aforementioned disallowed goal from Game 1 of that Rangers-Penguins series as an example. The Penguins turned the puck over in the neutral zone, and Rangers forward Kaapo Kakko took it down to the offensive zone, coming down the wing and curling in front of the crease with speed.

With Penguins defenseman Brian Dumoulin on the backcheck, there was a collision in front of the net that knocked goalie Casey DeSmith out of it completely. The play was kept alive, and Kakko flicked the puck to Filip Chytil, who shot the puck into an open net.

Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan challenged for goalie interference and won, stating after the game that the Penguins had been a perfect 8-for-8 in those challenge calls on the season. 

New York fans were livid, saying the officials were biased toward the Penguins. After all, Dumoulin clearly leaned into Kakko right before the collision.

But Sullivan's video team saw that Kakko failed to make an effort to avoid crashing into DeSmith, so the contact by Dumoulin was immaterial.

The success rate of the Pittsburgh video personnel shows that they are adept at quickly determining whether or not their goalies were interfered with. 

The decision-making process, which has to work at lightning speed, often starts with the video replay teams. Video coordinators have less than a minute to issue a recommendation to the bench, and there has to be "indisputable evidence" to overturn a call.

The replay teams have a set of criteria they have to be able to quickly identify:

• Was the contact inside or outside of the crease?

• Was it initiated by the goalie's own defenseman, or was it by an attacking skater?

• Was that contact avoidable, and did the skater make an effort to avoid the contact?

• Did the goalie have enough time to get back into position before the goal was scored?

• Did the contact have a material impact on the goalie's ability to make a save?

There are other variables that go into these decisions as well, like where the puck was, the score in the game, how much time is left on the clock and whether or not the goalie fought for his ice or just remained on the ground when he was able to regain his position (i.e., did he flop). 

There are times when even goaltenders don't immediately realize they have been interfered with, which is why teams rely on replay personnel. They issue a recommendation to the coach on whether or not to challenge. 

Then, the officials put on the headset and dial up the Situation Room, where the feeds are analyzed. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Otk7FZGrKDY

It's important to note that the officials in Toronto have more available angles than the teams. They have more overhead angles and net camera feeds, which is often why it takes them longer than the 15-30 seconds it takes the video coordinators.

---

Why Is It So Hard to Determine?

There is a lot of gray area, and it leaves a lot of room for interpretation.

At the end of the day, it's a judgment call, and those are never 100 percent correct. Getting calls wrong can be embarrassing for the officials on the ice.

The league will issue explanations for the rulings but aren't allowed to be questioned. Many have suggested allowing a pool reporter from the media to ask for clarification, which is a common practice in the three other major North American professional sports leagues.

A direct line from the video booths to Toronto might help clarify things as well since the video coordinators from each team can relay the angles and time codes they are looking at.

Every other major North American pro sports league has a policy in place for a crew chief or representative of officials to be made available to reporters, except the NHL. https://t.co/EyvoVH6jWV

— Stephen Whyno (@SWhyno) March 24, 2021

But while the inconsistent outcomes can be maddening, the priority is getting the call right, especially during the postseason. This can be extremely difficult given just how quickly goals are scored. The speed should not be understated. The game is fast out there. 

What you see on Twitter might not be what they're seeing in Toronto. So the next time you're ready to get fired up thinking it was a blown call, ask yourself, do you really know what goalie interference is? Do any of us really know what it is? 

The Tampa Bay Lightning eliminated the Florida Panthers from the postseason with a 2-0 win Monday to complete the second-round series sweep.

The star was Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, who stopped 49 shots. The 27-year-old continued a stellar playoff run in which he hasn't allowed a third-period goal in six straight games.

Florida won the Presidents' Trophy this year as the team that scored the most points during the regular season. But against Vasilevskiy, the Panthers looked pedestrian, managing just three goals.

Much of the discussion online about the Lightning's win centered around Vasilevskiy and his place in NHL history after yet another special performance.

Yeah, I'm ready to place Andrei Vasilevskiy on my Mount Rushmore of all-time #NHL goaltenders.

— Nick Alberga (@thegoldenmuzzy) May 24, 2022

Andrei Vasilevskiy is making a case as one of the top goalies to ever play the game - right in front of our eyes.

Plante, Sawchuk, Dryden, Parent, Fuhr few other strong candidates. https://t.co/ZGYapPuJYU

— Chris Meaney (@chrismeaney) May 24, 2022

What a game from Andrei Vasilevski. My goodness that was an all time performance.

— The #1 Basketball Recruiting Agency. (@TheScoutology) May 24, 2022

Wow. Andrei Vasilevskiy. 3 goals allowed all series. He’s not human.

— Paul Bissonnette (@BizNasty2point0) May 24, 2022

Florida Panthers had a two man advantage with the goalie off the ice and still couldn’t score. Andrei Vasilevskiy has been incredible tonight

— Antwan V. Staley (@antwanstaley) May 24, 2022

Florida was the highest scoring team in 27 years, and Andrei Vasilevskiy eliminated them with a casual 49-save shutout.

Monster

— Jesse Granger (@JesseGranger_) May 24, 2022

You play your best game, get 49 shots on net, and can’t bury one. Honestly how can you even be mad at that?

Vasy is just DIFFERENT.

— Nasher (@TheNasher61) May 24, 2022

Going back to the start of the third period in the #Bolts Game 6 OT win over Toronto, Andrei Vasilevskiy has stopped 179 of the last 183 shots he's faced for a ridiculous .978 save percentage. #FLAvsTBL

— Chris Krenn (@Chris_Krenn) May 24, 2022

Fewest goals in a playoff series of 4+ games by team that led league in scoring in regular season in NHL history:
2022 Panthers: 3 in 4-game sweep by Lightning in 2nd round
2013 Penguins: 2 in 4-game sweep by Bruins in ECF

— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) May 24, 2022

The run the Tampa Bay Lightning have been on is simply incredible. They're going for three Cups in a row, which in this era of hockey is just borderline unbelievable.

Andrei Vasilevskiy is still the best goaltender in the world. I'm riding with them until proven otherwise.

— Robby Stanley (@RStanleyNHL) May 24, 2022

The 2018-19 Vezina Trophy winner, Vasilevskiy had already made a strong case to go down as one of the best goalies ever to play in the NHL. He's helped lead Tampa Bay to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in the last two years, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2021 as the MVP of the postseason.

Vasilevskiy is also riding a streak of five straight seasons as the league leader in wins. He set the record for most victories in a single postseason with 18 in 2020.

The Lightning are attempting to continue a historic run as they chase their third consecutive Cup. With Vasilevskiy in the net, Tampa Bay will have a great chance to stop the Carolina Hurricanes or New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Final.

The Florida Panthers were lambasted Sunday on Twitter for a perceived lack of effort in a 5-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 3 of their second-round playoff series.

Florida looked listless at times in getting outplayed and outworked by the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions, and the Panthers now find themselves in a 3-0 series hole, one loss away from elimination.

The teams were tied 1-1 after one period Sunday, but after the Panthers were unable to beat Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy in the second period despite a bevy of scoring chances, the Bolts took over.

David Lang of WPLG-TV in Miami offered perhaps the most worrisome and brutally honest assessment of the Panthers' performance:

This Lightning dismantling of the Panthers feels surgical. It's like everyone on the ice knows who the better team is. Where's the fight? Where's the emotion? It's as if everyone has just accepted the result. Go down swinging at least

— David Lang (@Dukielang) May 22, 2022

Lang was joined by several observers who made fun of the Panthers' play and effort level in the playoffs compared to what they did in the regular season en route to winning the Presidents' Trophy:

https://twitter.com/animalsofhockey/status/1528450838217334787

https://twitter.com/animalsofhockey/status/1528456626449039360

panthers in the regular season vs ploffs pic.twitter.com/OiXpQf9m6R

— stanley panther fan account (@panther_stanley) May 22, 2022

Twitter users also questioned why the Panthers have looked so different against the Lightning than they did in the regular season, plus TNT NHL analyst Paul Bissonnette had some strong words regarding Florida's lack of grit:

How the hell did the Florida Panthers finish with the most points in the NHL???? A team that gives no effort in the playoffs. Almost taken out by the caps and the bolts are toying with them #TBLvsFLA

— Bob son of Stan (@Sofunus) May 22, 2022

have the florida panthers considered scoring more than one goal per game

— dom 📈 (@domluszczyszyn) May 22, 2022

“The Panthers won the Presidents trophy, and they’re not putting bodies on the line. They’re being taken to class by the world champs” @BizNasty2point0 on TNT

— David (@David954FLA) May 22, 2022

Another popular reaction on social media was comparing the Panthers' uninspired effort to what the Miami Heat have accomplished thus far in the NBA playoffs, reaching the Eastern Conference Finals and going up 2-1 in the series on the Boston Celtics:

Panthers foldin under pressure.

Complete opposite of the heat.

— 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙨🐬 (@FinsPhanatics) May 22, 2022

This seems to be the difference between the Heat and Panthers. The Heat won’t allow themselves to think anyone is better. https://t.co/gl9y9zCIbX

— Five Reasons Sports 🏀🏈⚾️🏒⚽️ (@5ReasonsSports) May 22, 2022

Despite the fact that the Panthers finished with the best record in the NHL this season and made the playoffs for a third consecutive year, Sportsnet's Nick Alberga even suggested that a coaching change should be considered:

The Florida Panthers should start courting Barry Trotz now.

— Nick Alberga (@thegoldenmuzzy) May 22, 2022

Andrew Brunette took over as head coach of the Panthers this season after they parted ways with Joel Quenneville in October, and he did a remarkable job in the regular season.

It seems unlikely that the Panthers would fire him after a second-round playoff exit, but it is fair to wonder if a coach like Barry Trotz would be able to get more out of the team.

The season isn't over quite yet for the Panthers, but given all the Lightning have accomplished in recent years and how thoroughly they have outplayed the Panthers during this series, coming back from a 3-0 deficit seems nearly impossible.