Cooper

Palat playing “big-boy” hockey for the Lightning

June 10, 2015 general

Wednesday, 3:49 p.m. He is the last Triplet you can name. The last one whose jersey you will buy. He has the least amount of flash. The least amount of goals. He is Ondrej Palat. And he is the glue. If you wish, you can wax philosophic for days about Tyler Johnson, about the speed, […]

Tagged as: Blackhawks, Cooper, Lightning, NHL, Palat, playoffs, Stanley Cup

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For Tampa Bay, Chicago the key is desperation

June 9, 2015 general

Tuesday, 3:26 p.m. The biggest motivator they have is that hollowed out feeling of plummeting downward. It is then, in that moment of abject desperation, that the Tampa Bay Lightning is at its best. It is then, when there is nothing left to do but to fight, that they play the finest hockey of their […]

Tagged as: Blackhawks, Cooper, Desperation, Lightning, Morrow, Stamkos, Stanley Cup

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Is Vasilevskiy good enough to take Bolts to Cup?

June 7, 2015 general

Sunday, 8:15 p.m. Odds are, Andrei Vasilevskiy doesn’t have a clue about who Jeff Hostetler is. Old Hoss wasn’t quite the rage in Russia. He probably doesn’t know about Magic Johnson, either. Or Doug Williams. The lore of backup athletes who have stepped in on the way to a title is probably lost on Vasilevskiy, […]

Tagged as: Bishop, Blackhawks, Cooper, Lightning, Stamkos, Vasilevski

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Lightning face, oh, it-would-be-nice game

June 5, 2015 general

Friday, 2:53 p.m. Together, they make a face. Together, they shake their heads. Must win? No, say members of the Tampa Bay Lightning, this isn’t a must win. This is a gee-it-would-be-good-to-win. This is a wouldn’t-this-series-feel-better-if-you-win. This is a what’s-the-hurry-to-win. And sure, the Lightning could still be in marvelous shape if it won. Even after […]

Tagged as: Callahan, Carle, Cooper, Lightning, playoffs, Stamkos, Stanley Cup

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The Lightning is going to the Stanley Cup Finals!

May 30, 2015 general

Saturday, 12:07 a.m. Hello, Lord Stanley. It’s us again. You remember, don’t you? We’re the fans with suntans, the fans with mosquito bites. We’re the fans with lovebugs in the grill of the Zamboni. We’re the fans who yell “score, ya’ll.” We’re the fans of the Tampa Bay Lightning. And we’re back. How you’ve been, […]

Tagged as: Bishop, Cooper, Killorn, Lightning, Lord Stanley, Palat, Stanley Cup

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Rangers history doesn’t bother Lightning in Game 7

May 27, 2015 general

Wednesday, 4:07 p.m. Sure, you can talk about the Rangers in Game Sevens if you want. On the other hand, you can talk about the Ming Dynasty. You can talk about how well Henrik Lundqvist has played. And you can talk about the O.K. Corral. You can talk about how other teams wilted at the […]

Tagged as: Cooper, Hedman, Killorn, Lightning, playoffs, Rangers

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Bishop reflects his Lightning team in Game 6 loss

May 27, 2015 general

WEDNESDAY, 1:02 A.M. Tampa He is a man of his team. Everything you wish to think about the Tampa Bay Lightning, you may think of goaltender Ben Bishop. One day, he is a goat. The next, he is a guard dog. One day, he is everything wrong. The next, he is most things right. One […]

Tagged as: Bishop, Cooper, Game 6, Lightning, playoffs, Rangers, Stamkos

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Lightning wants to close out series now

May 26, 2015 general

Wednesday, 5:39 p.m. They have a game to play with. What’s the big deal? They can lose one and still win it. Isn’t that a great position to be in? They are playing with house money. Aren’t things great? Steven Stamkos doesn’t want to hear any of it. To him, this is the night, and […]

Tagged as: Cooper, Lightning, playoffs, Rangers, Stamkos

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Bishop rejects questions, pucks in big Bolts win

May 25, 2015 general

Monday, 12:38 a.m. Okay, are there any more questions for Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop? You in the front row. Do you want to ask him about how shaky he had looked in the previous game? No? You in the back? Do you want to ask him if the pressure of the playoffs is getting to […]

Tagged as: Bishop, Cooper, Filppula, Lightning, Palat, playoffs, Rangers, Stamkos

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Cooper on his way to being the Lightning’s best coach

May 21, 2015 general

Thursday, 11:10 a.m. As a group, they have been smart, committed, passionate. John Tortorella won a cup. Guy Bouchard got to the doorstep. Terry Crisp made the playoffs with impossible speed. Jacques Demers had to put up with both Takashi Okubo and Art Williams. But above all of them, Jon Cooper is the coach I’d […]

Tagged as: Bouchard, Coaches, Cooper, Crisp, Demers, Lightning, Melrose, Tortorella

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