Coaching Discussion: Jon Cooper - Part 2

[The Macho King]

Coop can never win this. It’s pretty much cup or bust.

After probably 4/5 years of having a contender-level roster, that's probably about right. I would say Cup Finals or bust.

 

[VinikToWinIt]

Well if Coop doesn’t survive the end of the year, a great coach with some Florida familiarity just hit the market....

Vegas fired Gallant.

 

[LightningStrikes]

So, Gerard Gallant just has become available.

He's a former Lightning player too.

 

[Todd1a]

Well if Coop doesn’t survive the end of the year, a great coach with some Florida familiarity just hit the market....

Vegas fired Gallant.

Good if cooper flames out go get gallant ! Hell go get gallant now! Lol

 

[Todd1a]

So, Gerard Gallant just has become available.

him or coach Q are the two coaches I’ve always wanted here!

 

[Five Alarm Fire]

Oh man. I know there's a few posters on here who have wanted Gallant for years.

 

[These Are The Days]

Win it all or don't come back.

I gladly defended Cooper in the 2 years prior to the Caps series because we were ravaged by injuries the year prior and Vasy went like 2 months where he couldn't stop a beach ball. Big shock we missed the playoffs. The year prior we had to play the Pens with Stamkos and Stralman at like 25% and Bishop getting hurt (we easily win that series with Bish being healthy) and the year before we had no business playing for a Stanley Cup when we had to do it with Bishop hurt (again) and Johnson with a broken wrist. We over-achieved like hell in those years when you consider the fact that our top 9 had 4 guys (Namestnikov, Filppula, Killorn and Callahan) who could all go 25 games without a goal without blinking and Palat and Johnson constantly getting hurt.

But after that? We reloaded. And we had pound for pound THE best team in the NHL with the arrival guys like Point, Gourde, Cernak, Cirelli, the emergence of Sergachev and Vasilsevskiy. It's not like it was this big secret and it's a tale of 2 eras for me with the latest one beginning after we missed the playoffs and reloaded. He has had no excuse to lose anymore. Well, all we've done is fail miserably. Twice. He'd have been gone after the sweep were it up to me.

I said we were winning it all this season in October and I stand by it until we no longer do. From a talent standpoint, this may not be the best roster Cooper has ever had. But I'll be damned if this team isn't the most capable and the most balanced he's ever had. We are not struggling to shoot from the blue line to create scoring chances anymore on a regular basis. That's so much why we couldn't beat the Caps and CBJ. So there really IS no excuse anymore. The only thing I fear more than not succeeding this year is that Kucherov and Stamkos are actually just chokers under pressure and it's not actually Coop's fault. God knows THAT more than anything is why we haven't won it all.

 

[Todd1a]

If cooper loses in the first round he needs to be gone period! And gallant needs to be hired!

 

[Todd1a]

So, Gerard Gallant just has become available.

He's a former Lightning player too.

gallant won’t be out there long some one will scoop him up before the season ends!

 

[CupsOverCash]

Gallant wont last long. Poor timing for people who want Gallant.

 

[The Macho King]

I don't think Gallant will still be available if we flop in the playoffs. I'd be shocked if he's unemployed by the end of the week.

 

[DFC]

Gallant wont last long. Poor timing for people who want Gallant.

Gallant will likely weigh his options though. He probably has an agent who realizes how in demand he'll be.

If the landscape doesn't change drastically, I think he'll end up in Detroit. I know, I know, bottom-feeder and all, but Yzerman has a way of bringing people onboard. And Gallant and Yzerman go back to the 80s when they both had their most productive seasons as linemates.

I agree with SCF or bust for Cooper. Unless we have a strong ECF showing and lose via bad bounces or something like that, but, all things being equal, if we're not in the finals, I don't know how you keep him for another season. And Gallant would make a lot of sense.

 

[Felonious Python]

I know we're meme'ing a bit about Gallant, but firing Coop right now would absolutely destroy the team's morale.

 

[CupsOverCash]

Gallant will likely weigh his options though. He probably has an agent who realizes how in demand he'll be.

If the landscape doesn't change drastically, I think he'll end up in Detroit. I know, I know, bottom-feeder and all, but Yzerman has a way of bringing people onboard. And Gallant and Yzerman go back to the 80s when they both had their most productive seasons as linemates.

I agree with SCF or bust for Cooper. Unless we have a strong ECF showing and lose via bad bounces or something like that, but, all things being equal, if we're not in the finals, I don't know how you keep him for another season. And Gallant would make a lot of sense.

I see him going to Detroit as well. Maybe he holds out until the offseason.

 

[CupsOverCash]

I know we're meme'ing a bit about Gallant, but firing Coop right now would absolutely destroy the team's morale.

Definitely not the right time. If we were experiencing a skid then yes. We are moving up the standings. We maybe might just pass Boston too...

 

[These Are The Days]

Holy absolute f*** I missed the Gallant news. JBB do not let this one slip bro

 

[These Are The Days]

I know we're meme'ing a bit about Gallant, but firing Coop right now would absolutely destroy the team's morale.

At least we still have the Fat Pope Lavi. Praised be his name

 

[Felonious Python]

I hope that (if the Lightning don't win the cup this year), at least it's a team that didn't fire their coach mid-season. Having it happen two years in a row strengthens a bad case for mid-season firings.

 

[Zwui21]

I really doubt that Gallant will still be without a contract come april/may if we fail the playoffs.

But yes, if Cooper fails and Gallant is still available I'd be super happy about the change. This is actually one of the few changes I could see us actually improving our coaching staff

 

[Stammertime91]

Should hire him as an assistant or advisor or something, that way is Cooper bottles it, we have him.

 

[Felonious Python]

Should hire him as an assistant or advisor or something, that way is Cooper bottles it, we have him.

He's still being paid by Vegas.

Also, there may be tension since it'd be like training your replacement.

 

[Stammertime91]

He's still being paid by Vegas.

Also, there may be tension since it'd be like training your replacement.

Great. Another idea ruined by Cooper.

 

[Zwui21]

Great. Another idea ruined by Cooper.

"Thanks Cooper" is the new "Thanks Obama"

 

[Hoek]

WTF why do teams ditch Gallant so fast? It's like they wait for the exact moment his team slips out of a playoff spot then fire him. Ridiculous.

Hopefully he doesn't hop right back in. Would like the option as a Cooper replacement.

 

[Sky04]

Vegas should've fired McCrimmon instead