Jon Cooper, Tampa Bay Lightning Ahead of Leafs vs. Lightning on HNIC, Jon Cooper discussed the Leafs and Panthers’ fall from grace in the Atlantic Division, the Lightning’s consistency, and the addition of Corey Perry ahead of the playoffs.
Is it a little bizarre to see the Panthers and the Leafs at the bottom of the Atlantic Division?
Cooper: I’ve gone through what the Panthers have gone through. Going to three straight finals is trying. It is tough. We were fortunate to continue to make the playoffs. They had some massive injuries. They’ve made a run; let’s be honest, their run has been pretty special. Sometimes the stars align for you, and sometimes, they don’t. They didn’t align for them this year.
As for the Leafs, it’s probably a little bit of the same thing. They don’t have the fruits of their labour the way Florida does, so it is probably tougher to swallow for the Leafs in a way. But when there is roster change, it can affect things.
I am not here every day, so I don’t know. All I know is I haven’t beaten the Leafs in I-don’t-know-how-long. I know we beat them (last week), but I wasn’t on the bench. The Leafs are always hard for me. Literally, I haven’t beaten them in like a year and a half.
You are on your way to a ninth-straight playoff appearance. What has been the key to sustaining the success and never experiencing a true setback?
Cooper: We’ve got a great core. We have the centermen, the D, and the goalie. But there has been a little infusion of young guys who have come in.
D’Astous has come in and provided some big minutes when guys got hurt. I think there was development from Carlile, Crozier, and Lilleberg on the backend. These guys came in and really helped us win. Goncalves has taken a step. Dominic James is another one I don’t think anyone was anticipating coming in.
A lot of credit has to go to Julien (Gauthier) and his staff for finding some of these younger players who have not only given us a bump but can play. They’re all eager to play. That’s helped.
And then you’ve got a core group led by the Kucherovs, Points, Guentzels, Hedmans, Hagels, and Cirellis. They’ve been themselves. It’s really helped us.
What have you made of the Eastern Conference in general?
Cooper: That is why I don’t read things. Someone wrote that the East is weak. It said, “It is wide open in a weak Eastern Conference.” I couldn’t believe it. I am not sure who is writing that stuff.
This is as tough a conference as I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been in this league for a while. For instance, when we played Columbus, Columbus beat us (in 2019), but I think we were a massive betting favourite. One through eight in the East, you won’t see that. The teams are way too close.
This is anybody’s game, this one. It felt like in the West, there was a little bit of an arms race yesterday. Some of the top dogs made themselves better. Eastern teams made some moves, but it seemed to be a little more of, “We like what we have, and we’re going to go for it.”
What is it like to see Corey Perry back in a Lightning sweater?
Cooper: I thought he just stopped by for a quick skate on his way to somewhere else, haha.
No, he was a big part of our runs. I don’t think it is a coincidence that he has been to five finals in six years. That doesn’t just happen. He is a catalyst for a lot of the runs he has been on.
He transcends time. It is amazing what he can do. I don’t expect him to go in there and play 20 minutes a night, but I do feel we are a better team with him on our team.
I am really excited to have him back. It is much more than the stuff he does on the ice. It’s on the bench. He sees things. He says things. You are always like, “I wish I had thought of that.” He is great.
Why do you think he has been able to stave off Father Time so far?
Cooper: There are a couple of things: One, he has the right mentality for it. Two, he took care of himself.
I am probably going to butcher this story, but I think he learned from Teemu Selanne when he was getting around his 30s. He learned all about stretching and looking after your body. There is an art to it. Between 19 and 28-29, players can get away with it. They don’t have to worry about it; they feel untouchable. But if you want to really have longevity and extend your career, a lot goes into it.
He is constantly stretching. He is constantly doing things to look after himself. It allows him to play as long as he has. On the mental side of things, too, he is just built the right way.
After going 20-1-1, you’ve lost four in a row. Can a little bit of adversity be a good thing before the playoffs come around?
Cooper: When we got swept by Columbus in 2019, people always asked me, “Wow, did that adversity in 2019 catapult you to a Cup in 2021?” I don’t know. You can debate that.
When you have adversity, it doesn’t feel good. You don’t want it. You say it: “It’s great we went through that.” No, it is never great to go through that.
Do we like losing four in a row? I don’t. Who knows what is going to happen tonight? It is two teams going not the way we’d like to.
It does teach you a little bit about your team and how they respond at times like this. That is what I am looking at.
But adversity is a funny word. I don’t care what it is; you never want to face it. But when you do, how are the guys going to react? This will be interesting.