Question for Lightning fans

[Archijerej]

Hello Lightning fans! Habs fan here.

For several years now I've been impressed by the way your team plays in the offensive zone against set up defenses. It's certainly a result of having great players, but the clever movement to create passing lanes reminds me of how the Soviets played the game.

All of this made me interested in Jon Cooper and his tactical inspirations. I thought this would be the best place to ask for sources regarding how your teams' playing style came to be. Could you help me with that?

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[OurlordAndSaviorKuch]

Cooper has had to evolve his “Style” choking away a few series and then getting swept will either force you to change up your shit or get shit canned. I don’t think we play any one style anymore we can adapt to any style another team wants to play and that’s what makes this team so good. You want a heavy hitting game? We can do it You want a fast paced high scoring game? We can do that as well. Want a boring grind it out game? We can play that as well.

 

[LightningStrikes]

^ This sums it up perfectly. He’s learned from his mistakes, taken notes and turned this team from a one trick pony (talented but soft) into the perfect Swiss army knife. High octane offense game? Oh we can do that all day! Defensive grind fest? Let’s go! Rough it up? Drop your gloves brah! We can do it all. Credit to SY and JBB who constantly injected missing pieces and play styles into the roster.

 

[Archijerej]

I understand where you are coming from. Your team has certainly become much more versatile than it's been before.

What I'm interested in though is this specific aspect of the system, when you try to displace opponents and create space by coordinated movement of your five players in the offensive zone. It's really quite a stark contrast with what some other teams are playing, including my Habs. That's not freelancing. It requires a philosophy behind it and years of work. And good players, of course.

 

[Ducati Boy]

There are a couple of things involved. One is that they have four players shifting regularly between passing, shooting, and receiving postures — body language which causes the defense to swivel constantly. You’ll also notice that the ideal pass across the seam as about one inch out of any oppositions reach, meaning they may lunge for it or be off-balance just for a second - enough time to put it in the back of the net.

 

[Archijerej]

There are a couple of things involved. One is that they have four players shifting regularly between passing, shooting, and receiving postures — body language which causes the defense to swivel constantly. You’ll also notice that the ideal pass across the seam as about one inch out of any oppositions reach, meaning they may lunge for it or be off-balance just for a second - enough time to put it in the back of the net.

Why four guys? Because the fifth one is parking in front of the net?

 

[Ducati Boy]

Why four guys? Because the fifth one is parking in front of the net?

Exactly. Killorn (usually) doesn’t get into active shooting or passing position until the Bolts lose their set configuration.

 

[SeaChaser]

Good take on the Soviet style of play. I give a lot of credit to Steve Yzerman's time here at Tampa. He played with the Russian Five, at Detroit. Learned from the best, and adapted it. I'm taking nothing away from Cooper of JBB, but the ground work started with Yzerman, IMO.

 

[Hoek]

Hello Lightning fans! Habs fan here.

For several years now I've been impressed by the way your team plays in the offensive zone against set up defenses. It's certainly a result of having great players, but the clever movement to create passing lanes reminds me of how the Soviets played the game.

All of this made me interested in Jon Cooper and his tactical inspirations. I thought this would be the best place to ask for sources regarding how your teams' playing style came to be. Could you help me with that?

This recent article might be a good indicator of some of his influences. I wonder if he's gotten some ideas from playing lacrosse. He also spent a lot of time talking hockey with Islanders players back in the day apparently.

Lightning’s Jon Cooper has ‘deep-rooted’ memories of Long Island

The indoor lacrosse game that Cooper played growing up was very much like hockey. It’s 5-on-5. You check with your sticks, hit opponents into the boards and battle for the ball in the corners.
“All those things that you get in hockey, you get in lacrosse, you’re just doing it on your feet,” Cooper said. “There’s movement, there’s screens, there’s give-and-gos. And there’s a mentality that if you’re going to score in lacrosse, you have to play in the trenches and it’s very much like hockey, so I was trained mentally that way from playing both sports.”

One of Cooper’s old Notre Dame classmates, Brad Lauer, joined the Islanders during Cooper’s sophomore year at Hofstra, and Lauer regularly left tickets for Cooper. Through Lauer, Cooper formed friendships with other Islanders such as Derek King, Mick Vukota and Jeff Finley. Cooper would pick their brains about the ins and outs of NHL hockey.
“I got to know a ton of guys,” Cooper said. “It was just a great group of guys.”

 

[Archijerej]

This recent article might be a good indicator of some of his influences. I wonder if he's gotten some ideas from playing lacrosse. He also spent a lot of time talking hockey with Islanders players back in the day apparently.

Lightning’s Jon Cooper has ‘deep-rooted’ memories of Long Island

Thanks. That's just the kind of stuff I was looking for.

 

[Bolt32]

I understand where you are coming from. Your team has certainly become much more versatile than it's been before.

What I'm interested in though is this specific aspect of the system, when you try to displace opponents and create space by coordinated movement of your five players in the offensive zone. It's really quite a stark contrast with what some other teams are playing, including my Habs. That's not freelancing. It requires a philosophy behind it and years of work. And good players, of course.

I think also as well when you have players like Kucherov that can make passes like hes Houdini on the ice, it can allow you to adjust your game plan to feed into that. Take a look at Points goal in Game 2 for example. That pass that set him up. You'd be hard pressed to find five players in the world that can make that pass, and he made it look easy. Which as a coach, opens things up for you tremendously.

 

[FinnLightning26]

Cooper has had to evolve his “Style” choking away a few series and then getting swept will either force you to change up your shit or get shit canned. I don’t think we play any one style anymore we can adapt to any style another team wants to play and that’s what makes this team so good. You want a heavy hitting game? We can do it You want a fast paced high scoring game? We can do that as well. Want a boring grind it out game? We can play that as well.

Exactly this. Want to have a track meet? We can do that. Want to play a low scoring, defensive 2-1 hockey? Okay. Want to throw the body around for some old school hockey? We're right there with you.

Edit: Just realized @LightningStrikes made the exact same post

 

[Volodya Krutov]

I understand where you are coming from. Your team has certainly become much more versatile than it's been before.

What I'm interested in though is this specific aspect of the system, when you try to displace opponents and create space by coordinated movement of your five players in the offensive zone. It's really quite a stark contrast with what some other teams are playing, including my Habs. That's not freelancing. It requires a philosophy behind it and years of work. And good players, of course.

That "Soviet" style you noticed in the offensive zone is more players based than coaching. Tell me whether I'm wrong but it mostly happens when Kucherov, Point and Hedman play together. They're the best at creating space in close quarters.

 

[Rschmitz]

Credit where it is due, our vaunted powerplay is thanks to Todd Richards who is no longer with us. We had some great players in the past but were really bad on the powerplay until he got here, having Kucherov helped a ton and he made him the QB. The number one thing that we do differently now that we didn't do in the past is keep puck possession and move around a lot.

 

[These Are The Days]

O' Let me sing you the ballad of Todd Richards friend.


(Long version with actual details)

I hate to say it but after all these years I still have no idea what the hell Cooper does around here except putting his stamp on the final game plan and would describe him as a minimalist at best. Until a highlight package came out that showed him talking up the team pre-game the night they won the Stanley Cup, I questioned if he even so much as came out and felt the pulse of the locker room and had them ready to play. Guy is great at making a motivating speech. I was actually impressed.

But in the early days of our playoff failures we'd lose a game and he'd be like "bounces didn't go our way boys" and holy crap did it make everyone mad around here.

When we missed the playoffs I defended him because the guys we had playing top 6 while making deep playoff runs. Ryan Callahan scoring once in like 40 games? Val Filppula having chemistry with on one? Vlad Namestnikov -who would probably attempt a pass during a penalty shot? WOOF!

But meanwhile Todd Richards showed up and fixed what used to be a horrible PP. Then he went and fixed our defense -who used to stand there like statues while we attacked with 3 forwards against 5 guys in their own zone and goalie and we sat there and asked "Why can't we score?" God help us if they ever had to touch the puck and cycle. To date the only difference I can say Cooper has made is he doesn't staple rookies to the bench and 4th line anymore post Drouin fiasco.

And yet despite this? We're ready to beat you 8-7 or 1-0 any given night.


Ironically, I think being a minimalist is why this team has categorically refused to give up on him. You can't burn out if the coach doesn't ride your ass. And for it he's about "this close" to being a Hall Of Famer and doing it in under 10 years.

 

[Hoek]

I wouldn't give Todd Richards THAT much credit. He did coach up the power play but the other stuff I think you're over attributing to him. Let's not forget Cooper led the Norfolk Admirals to an absolute domination of the AHL with the longest win streak in North American pro hockey ever (28 was it?), and it's not like they were the most stacked team of all time talent wise. Jon's just had a lot of success at every level so it can't be a fluke or him getting carried by others. The NHL is just that much harder and he had to take some lumps to figure it out (and get some help from a GM finally willing to make some unorthodox moves to get some grit).

 

[DFC]

I understand where you are coming from. Your team has certainly become much more versatile than it's been before.

What I'm interested in though is this specific aspect of the system, when you try to displace opponents and create space by coordinated movement of your five players in the offensive zone. It's really quite a stark contrast with what some other teams are playing, including my Habs. That's not freelancing. It requires a philosophy behind it and years of work. And good players, of course.

I think most of our guys are just better at puck battles than they used to be, and a lot of that comes from sheer willpower. I think that's something that comes with maturity, and with the experience of losing a few series you were supposed to win.

So now, either we beat the opponent in a race to the puck to win the battle, or we grind it out, or we cross-check the bejesus out of him. One way or another, we're coming out with the puck and making a play.