Lightning extend Jon Cooper

General Disarray

Registered User
Jul 21, 2016
3,422
2,506
Toronto
I don't thik they need to trade anyone from the core. They should take the Washington approach and be patient with minor changes. The core is fine. A new coach wouldn't be a bad idea though.
 

haveandare

Registered User
Jul 2, 2009
18,889
7,398
New York
I think this is the biggest choke job in the history of the NHL perhaps - but that being said I don't think it's fair to label that roster of Tampa as chokers overall (before this year at least). ECF's and SCF i think in 3 of 4 or 5 years - that's really good. Not everyone can win the cup all the time and they've had some strong playoff performances in the past.
IMO it's not that they lost it's how absolutely lifeless they looked - both against the Caps last year in the final games and in the whole CBJ series. I don't think they're necessarily chokers overall, but they're definitely a team lacking leadership. If you can't come out in the biggest games of the entire year and look half competent, there's something very wrong and it's not just bad luck.
 
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Matty Sundin

Registered User
Jul 18, 2006
3,281
3,359
Hes almost always too calm it seems
His house would be on fire hed just stand there chew gum and say no big deal lol
 

VoluntaryDom

Formerly DominicBoltsFan / Ⓐ / ✞
Oct 31, 2016
23,285
5,532
Tampa FL
If your players can't put forth a good effort in a PO game and need to be "motivated" to play, then that says a lot more about the players on TB then the coach.
if coop isnt motivating the troops then what is he doing? certainly not making adjustments
 

Rebels57

Former Flyers fan
Sponsor
Sep 28, 2014
76,383
122,697
They do seem to need a little bit of a different mix up front. A lot of smart skilled players but it was often Cirelli, who was working his ass off and willing to go into dirty areas, that was most noticable and effective. There's no one perfect way to build a champion, but I do think they need to tweak it just a bit there, but at the same time, not panic.
 
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CupsOverCash

Registered User
Jun 16, 2009
16,353
7,092
As embarrassing as this playoffs were, they’d be dumb to let him go after just one flop like this

I think the voice can get stale. Their last 3 elimination games looked exactly the same. We have a coaching issue unfortunately. The question really is who do you replace him with?
 

Menzinger

Kessel4LadyByng
Apr 24, 2014
40,975
32,364
St. Paul, MN
I think the voice can get stale. Their last 3 elimination games looked exactly the same. We have a coaching issue unfortunately. The question really is who do you replace him with?

That’s a fair point, but I still wouldnt make such a bold move after just one playoff series. I think if they fail to advance deep next year then you have to seriously consider let him go.
 

CupsOverCash

Registered User
Jun 16, 2009
16,353
7,092
And replacing him with someone better than Cooper would be a lot harder then you think.

I think its similar to when Pitt fired their coaches. Good teams where the coach's message got old and needed a new one. I think TB could benefit from a similar type move.
 

CupsOverCash

Registered User
Jun 16, 2009
16,353
7,092
That’s a fair point, but I still wouldnt make such a bold move after just one playoff series. I think if they fail to advance deep next year then you have to seriously consider let him go.

That could be what happens honestly. I mean as much as he deserves to be fired after this playoffs, he has had success here. I honestly dont know what they will do. Wont be surprised either way.
 

Riptide

Registered User
Dec 29, 2011
38,887
6,520
Yukon
I think its similar to when Pitt fired their coaches. Good teams where the coach's message got old and needed a new one. I think TB could benefit from a similar type move.


I get what you're saying, but you're comparing vastly different circumstances. Bylsma was sacked after years of playoff failures where we only reached the ECFs once. Johnson was canned because the team was underperoforming so badly they were in risk of missing the POs and Crosby missed the All Star game playing to MJs style.

In comparison you have Cooper who's been to the SCFs once and to the ECFs a couple of times... and just came off of a record setting season (yeah I know, but given the league parity compared to Det in the 90s, I put this season well ahead of what they did). Was this a disaster? Absolutely. But reacting to it by sacking a good coach - especially when there's no clear cut better option available would be a really stupid move.
 
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cbj21

Registered User
Oct 2, 2005
2,959
23
Shampoo land
I think the GM has to rethink abit doing 0 addings at the trade deadline even if Hedberg was questionable and Stralman out.
 

KirkAlbuquerque

#WeNeverGetAGoodCoach
Mar 12, 2014
31,695
36,449
New York
I think the GM has to rethink abit doing 0 addings at the trade deadline even if Hedberg was questionable and Stralman out.
I was told they had the best trade deadline out of any team because they made no moves ? That’s what all the experts were saying back in February anyway
 

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