Lightning extend Jon Cooper

[God King Fudge]

Not that he doesn't deserve it but I would have waited after the playoffs.


Anything short of a Stanley Cup final would be disapointing.

That should be the case for 16 other teams making the playoffs, no? This idea that Tampa is going to be any more disappointed than any other playoff bound team that doesn't make it is weird.

You think the loser of Boston/Toronto isn't going to consider it disappointing when they don't make it to the finals?

 

[CraigsList]

Surprised the Lightning did this with such a mediocre season

 

[A1LeafNation]

And one is putting up numbers not seen in over 2 decades.

I don't even really care about Cooper being in or out of the discussion, but if you're dismissing what the team he's coaching is doing right now, I can't respect your opinions.

People seem to view the Adams like they do the Hart. It's not about actual performance, it's about performance against expectations.

Lol perhaps you should read my other posts in this thread.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

I think he won't win it for 1 of 2 reasons.

1: Trotz
2: Binnington

Any other year I'd agree with you but Tampa is putting up a historic season. Cooper definitely deserves it. Typically even elite teams have stretches of lack of focus or motivation but Tampa has managed to avoid that somehow.

 

[T REX]

Yea thought this would come. A lot were saying wait until after the playoffs but I think hes proven himself as a guy who can coach them to the playoffs at least. Get in you have a chance. They have gone far everytime too. Have just come up short. Hopefully this is the year all that hard work paid off.

A freaking statue could get this stacked to the playoffs. This is premature IMHO. Anything less than a finals run means it is time to move on. There's 3 HOF'ers on the team and an outstanding goalie. Are people gonna tell me there's no one else that could coach this team to the playoffs? That's a pretty low bar, IMHO.

 

[God King Fudge]

Lol perhaps you should read my other posts in this thread.

I did. I'm not referencing you specifically outside of the first sentence. I know you list Cooper in your candidates, but he's almost always left out of the discussion, and it's because his team is good.

 

[ESH]

not true necessarily, but coaching doesnt have as much to do with players like kucherov, stamkos and point absolutely destroy everyone offensively. you dont really coach that.

but what trotz is doing in new york, they are succeeding because of his system

Last season Barzal (and the rest of the team) was allowed much more freedom offensively, which resulted in better numbers for him but worse numbers for the team. This season his numbers have taken a hit, a sacrifice for team success. Cooper is coaching a team that is successful both offensively and defensively.

You can say “oh but his roster is so good”, but at what point are we allowed to attribute some of the success to coaching? What reason is there to say that the team’s success can’t be attributed to Cooper’s coaching? If the only answer you can think of is that “the Lightning are stacked”, then that leads right back to my original post.

 

[ESH]

A freaking statue could get this stacked to the playoffs. This is premature IMHO. Anything less than a finals run means it is time to move on. There's 3 HOF'ers on the team and an outstanding goalie. Are people gonna tell me there's no one else that could coach this team to the playoffs? That's a pretty low bar, IMHO.

It’s not about what other coaches “might” be able to do. It’s about what Cooper IS accomplishing with his team.

I’ll ask you this same question: is a coach only allowed to be considered good if the team’s roster looks weak on paper?

What would Cooper need to do with this Lightning team (besides coach them to potentially the best record in 20 years) to get your respect?

 

[LeafalCrusader]

How much $$$?

 

[DFC]

A freaking statue could get this stacked to the playoffs. This is premature IMHO. Anything less than a finals run means it is time to move on. There's 3 HOF'ers on the team and an outstanding goalie. Are people gonna tell me there's no one else that could coach this team to the playoffs? That's a pretty low bar, IMHO.

To the playoffs? Sure.

To 59 wins in 77 games... Well, at a certain point you have to admit things are going well, and, if Cooper gets blamed for things going poorly (and he sure does), he deserves credit when they go well.

 

[member 262271]

Well deserved, Tampa is a cartoon this year and if they don't win it all I'll be shocked.

 

[izzy]

Last season Barzal (and the rest of the team) was allowed much more freedom offensively, which resulted in better numbers for him but worse numbers for the team. This season his numbers have taken a hit, a sacrifice for team success. Cooper is coaching a team that is successful both offensively and defensively.

You can say “oh but his roster is so good”, but at what point are we allowed to attribute some of the success to coaching? What reason is there to say that the team’s success can’t be attributed to Cooper’s coaching? If the only answer you can think of is that “the Lightning are stacked”, then that leads right back to my original post.

i think its impossible to argue that cooper is having more impact on tampas roster than trotz is on the isles roster.

im not saying cooper isnt a good coach.

 

[T REX]

It’s not about what other coaches “might” be able to do. It’s about what Cooper IS accomplishing with his team.

I’ll ask you this same question: is a coach only allowed to be considered good if the team’s roster looks weak on paper?

What would Cooper need to do with this Lightning team (besides coach them to potentially the best record in 20 years) to get your respect?

He needs to win a cup. This year would've been his last chance with this group. Otherwise, I am getting someone else to push teh buttons.

 

[God King Fudge]

Last season Barzal (and the rest of the team) was allowed much more freedom offensively, which resulted in better numbers for him but worse numbers for the team. This season his numbers have taken a hit, a sacrifice for team success. Cooper is coaching a team that is successful both offensively and defensively.

You can say “oh but his roster is so good”, but at what point are we allowed to attribute some of the success to coaching? What reason is there to say that the team’s success can’t be attributed to Cooper’s coaching? If the only answer you can think of is that “the Lightning are stacked”, then that leads right back to my original post.

I'll start off by saying I think that this award is Trotz's to lose, but this post is 100% correct.

I think a lot of fans were frustrated with Cooper's lack of adaptation. A lot of us felt he was really outclassed last season by Trotz in the Washington series. When things weren't working out, there was very little adjustment. It just seemed like he didn't know what to do when things weren't going Tampa's way. This season we've seen adjustments. We've seen new looks. We've recently see him go to a Stamkos-Point-Kucherov line when they're behind and need a goal.

I think the Lightning turn around has much more to do with getting rid of Rick Bowness, though. That guy was a boulder on a chain for this team.

 

[DFC]

Weird to see him extended right before the Playoffs. It's well deserved for sure, but it will raise a big question mark if they don't have successful Playoff run this season. With a roster like that he pretty much has to win to keep the fans happy.

I think he has to win in the playoffs to keep a vocal minority of fans happy. Realistically, I don't know how you can't be happy with a team that wins every night. It's not like a bad playoff showing will adversely affect ticket sales next year.

We want to win a cup like everybody else. We realize that that's an incredibly tough thing to do, and there's a reason why nobody--nobody--is bigger than 30% vs. the field. I mean, if a key player gets injured (Vasy, mainly), we're cooked. And this kind of stuff can happen.

If you build a team properly, and Yzerman did, there's really no such thing as Cup or Bust. There's always next year. You just need to be in position every year and hope, in one of them, things go right. That was Yzerman's philosophy (and he stated as much), and it's also the philosophy that saw the Caps finally win a cup last year.

 

[T REX]

To the playoffs? Sure.

To 59 wins in 77 games... Well, at a certain point you have to admit things are going well, and, if Cooper gets blamed for things going poorly (and he sure does), he deserves credit when they go well.

I don't care about teh regular season. It means very little and no one remembers you unless you repeatedly can't finish.

 

[DFC]

I don't care about teh regular season. It means very little and no one remembers you unless you repeatedly can't finish.

I don't know. People remember that Wings team that won 62 games and lost in the WCF. It wasn't a coaching change that got them over the hump the next year.

 

[CartographerNo611]

Would of been insanely dumb to let him go. Q is probably the only coach available I would consider slightly better than Cooper.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

I mean Granted we have come up short in our playoff runs but still driven deep into them. Its honestly a no brainer to me. Who else is out there available who is as good? No one honestly

The guy who outcoached him in finals 4 years ago is available

You know the guy who has won 3 cups

I wouldn't have given him extension and if the Lightning don't at least make it to SCF he should not have been brought back

 

[Golden Puppers]

Not that he doesn't deserve it but I would have waited after the playoffs.


Anything short of a Stanley Cup final would be disapointing.

As good as they are, this isn't the no-parity NBA. I think I saw 15% as a projected probability they would win the cup, as good as they are. That same projection system had the Golden State Warriors at 51% shot at NBA Finals. So you're talking a less than 1/8 chance vs a greater than 1/2 chance.

 

[trick9]

I think he has to win in the playoffs to keep a vocal minority of fans happy. Realistically, I don't know how you can't be happy with a team that wins every night. It's not like a bad playoff showing will adversely affect ticket sales next year.

We want to win a cup like everybody else. We realize that that's an incredibly tough thing to do, and there's a reason why nobody--nobody--is bigger than 30% vs. the field. I mean, if a key player gets injured (Vasy, mainly), we're cooked. And this kind of stuff can happen.

If you build a team properly, and Yzerman did, there's really no such thing as Cup or Bust. There's always next year. You just need to be in position every year and hope, in one of them, things go right. That was Yzerman's philosophy (and he stated as much), and it's also the philosophy that saw the Caps finally win a cup last year.

Propably not, but if they flame out with non-existent effort and being badly out-coached again then the seat will start to get hot in a hurry.

 

[T REX]

I don't know. People remember that Wings team that won 62 games and lost in the WCF. It wasn't a coaching change that got them over the hump the next year.

Are you referring to the Great Scotty Bowman? LOL> Like Cooper has anything close to Bowman on his resume.

 

[T REX]

The guy who outcoached him in finals 4 years ago is available

You know the guy who has won 3 cups

I wouldn't have given him extension and if the Lightning don't at least make it to SCF he should not have been brought back

You are 100% on the money. Tell this to my fellow lightning fans. They are enamored with the regular season and have "next year" memorized.

 

[Burke the Legend]

Tampa is flirting with 130 points. That’s historic on a 100 year NHL level. There’s no other real option.

post shootout era maybe. 6 points are from that joke

 

[Mark Stones Spleen]

Good decision, good timing. He's pressing all the right buttons, he should be rewarded for it.

Anything can happen during the playoffs. One goalie stands on his head for a series, and bam Tampa's out, wouldn't necessarily be Cooper's fault.