2019-20 Coaching Discussion: The Jon Cooper Watch

[JoVel]

It's still unlikely with all the talent we have but just imagine how much of a laughing stock we'd be if we missed the playoffs. I mean we already are after last season but it would be even worse than that.

 

[DFC]

It's still unlikely with all the talent we have but just imagine how much of a laughing stock we'd be if we missed the playoffs. I mean we already are after last season but it would be even worse than that.

I think we have about a month to develop some consistency before Cooper's seat gets white hot.

We can't keep embarrassing ourselves.

 

[These Are The Days]

It's still unlikely with all the talent we have but just imagine how much of a laughing stock we'd be if we missed the playoffs. I mean we already are after last season but it would be even worse than that.

JBB isn't gonna let that happen. We look like crap right now but God help the team who stands in our way come playoff time. This team is PISSED off and not in a good way. Right now we are seeing a team struggling to remain engaged early in the season because they know what a long haul it is and it's unfortunately a mirror of our attitude to "Is it April yet?" If we can stay healthy I think we're gonna be okay. We could be mediocre this year and it wouldn't exactly worry me because I know it's not an accurate reflection of a team that just won 62 games. What I'm worried about is our boys shitting themselves once someone proves they aren't scared to hit us back.

I'm about 60/40 in favor of firing Cooper right now because I don't want us developing bad habits as this year wears on and it creeps into the playoffs. I'll say it again I think he's a good coach but I think our team is just about done with him.

 

[DFC]

JBB isn't gonna let that happen. We look like crap right now but God help the team who stands in our way come playoff time. This team is PISSED off and not in a good way. Right now we are seeing a team struggling to remain engaged early in the season because they know what a long haul it is and it's unfortunately a mirror of our attitude to "Is it April yet?" If we can stay healthy I think we're gonna be okay. We could be mediocre this year and it wouldn't exactly worry me because I know it's not an accurate reflection of a team that just won 62 games. What I'm worried about is our boys ****ting themselves once someone proves they aren't scared to hit us back.

I'm about 60/40 in favor of firing Cooper right now because I don't want us developing bad habits as this year wears on and it creeps into the playoffs. I'll say it again I think he's a good coach but I think our team is just about done with him.

We can be as pissed off as we want. Doesn't matter if the other team has a gameplan and we don't.

 

[Master P]

"I'm not surprised"
.......
are you f***ing kidding me?

 

[Volodya Krutov]

Keep sucking until Thanksgiving and JBB'd better pull the trigger.

 

[Master P]

The thing that worries me is that they fire the coaching staff around Cooper before actually firing him.

 

[Vasilevskiy]

The thing that worries me is that they fire the coaching staff around Cooper before actually firing him.

They already did that

 

[Master P]

They already did that

Then Coopers next, hooray!!!

 

[Todd1a]

They already did that

I think they have replaced all of coopers staff twice each other then our goalie coach

 

[Volodya Krutov]

The thing that worries me is that they fire the coaching staff around Cooper before actually firing him.

Let's cut the crap, this is a Dynasty-type of line-up. The Lightning personnel is better than anything seen in the post lock-out era. We just can't come short once more, or we're becoming the Sharks 2.0. On steroids. It's that simple.

We have to move on from Captain Chewing Gum if he can't motivate his troops again, he earned a free-pass on 2017, now it's over. As a Lighting fan, I want everything, the President's trophy, and a 16-6 playoffs record en route for a well deserved Stanley Cup victory. Or it's going to reflect on the whole organization.

**** it. No ******* excuses.

 

[LightningStrikes]

Let's cut the crap, this is a Dynasty-type of line-up. The Lightning personnel is better than anything seen in the post lock-out era. We just can't come short once more, or we're becoming the Sharks 2.0. On steroids. It's that simple.

We have to move on from Captain Chewing Gum if he can't motivate his troops again, he earned a free-pass on 2017, now it's over. As a Lighting fan, I want everything, the President's trophy, and a 16-6 playoffs record en route for a well deserved Stanley Cup victory. Or it's going to reflect on the whole organization.

**** it. No ******* excuses.

Kind of agree. But. The playoffs are different beast and hockey has the highest amount of variance in all of professional team sports. The Stanley Cup is the hardest trophy to win, period. If we lose in a later round in a hard fought series where we can all say they played the best they could but we did in fact lose against an equally terrific team or due to some obscure event like an odd deflection in OT or due to a bunch of injuries or w/e. Players, staff, management, fans would still go out with their heads held high. But to lose because we couldn’t close a 3-2 series because we could not score a single goal in two elimination games in a row or getting steamrolled 0-4 in the first round by a wild card team after a historic regular season is just unacceptable. The fact that we have already witnessed more than one of such shameful exits and the way the team is playing right now although they should be hungry and pissed is truly worrisome.

 

[Whoshattenkirkshoes]

Watch us win the cup and it all this chatter will be for nothing.

 

[Volodya Krutov]

Kind of agree. But. The playoffs are different beast and hockey has the highest amount of variance in all of professional team sports. The Stanley Cup is the hardest trophy to win, period. If we lose in a later round in a hard fought series where we can all say they played the best they could but we did in fact lose against an equally terrific team or due to some obscure event like an odd deflection in OT or due to a bunch of injuries or w/e. Players, staff, management, fans would still go out with their heads held high. But to lose because we couldn’t close a 3-2 series because we could not score a single goal in two elimination games in a row or getting steamrolled 0-4 in the first round by a wild card team after a historic regular season is just unacceptable. The fact that we have already witnessed more than one of such shameful exits and the way the team is playing right now although they should be hungry and pissed is truly worrisome.

I know everything you've said. The Stanley Cup is the hardest prize to get. But I can't believe one second it wouldn't leave, to all of us, a bad taste in the mouth, if we can't get the job done at least once with this core.

 

[These Are The Days]

Watch us win the cup and it all this chatter will be for nothing.

And I'll eat my crow with feathers.

I've been probably the longest Cooper holdout this board has and even I'm done. I have defended him far and wide from playoff injuries to asking in 2015-2016 "How are we supposed to succeed when Callahan scores once in 41 games and he's eating top 6 minutes? Our offense is nothing to write home about we need better talent" when people very first started calling him out. It's been a long.... long time. And again even I have worn out on it. I am rarely this patient with coaches. I'm seeing a team that has nothing to play for right now and it's once again feeling sorry for itself. I won't blame Cooper for all of it but I'm struggling to see how the locker room is going to continue to respond to him after this much failure.

We're battling collective human nature as much as we anything else. It doesn't mean Cooper sucks. He's been very successful. It means that it's likely he is no longer the right man to lead us because there's MAYBE a fracture that can't be repaired because they're starting to play like it right now and it's concerning.

 

[DFC]

The thing that worries me is that they fire the coaching staff around Cooper before actually firing him.

I think coaches only get one round of that, at most, and Coop has used his.

 

[T REX]

Watch us win the cup and it all this chatter will be for nothing.

I said this the last two years...I'll eat as much crow as I can and personally send Cooper a nice fruitbasket.

Sorry, but Cooper is dead man walking. We look less gritty than last year and that is a scary observation.

 

[JoVel]

Watch us win the cup and it all this chatter will be for nothing.

I prefer to look at what has actually happened rather than what could happen.

 

[Lord Stan 2020]

i wrote a bit more on ottawa game identity do we have one? do we have one for lines NO.... this has to be addressed i do want to see line changes in practice tomorrow for sure... i did think he at least tried to change up some things last game after first doubled up kucherov for shifts etc... he tried some minor tinkering we do not have an identity yet at all... we have to have reasons for lines ottawa scores point kucherov stamkos on ice??? this has not been way we play hockey in past we bring on cirelli or fourth line shut down then get pucks in other zone and bring on the top line etc.... this team is not playing as a unit and is some changes we got to work through.... as far as cooper goes im ok if he is trying new things not doggedly sucked into playing a palat who struggles or better example tyjo with a broken hand.... i think we will be ok must change the top line for now... think that will open ice for other lines and we will get better overall.... is work to do but thats ok rather team finds identity now early then later.... and nope we cannot suffer like this too long could really cost us but honestly i dont expect us to.... just some minor changes should make a hell of a lot of difference imho

 

[Master P]

i wrote a bit more on ottawa game identity do we have one? do we have one for lines NO.... this has to be addressed i do want to see line changes in practice tomorrow for sure... i did think he at least tried to change up some things last game after first doubled up kucherov for shifts etc... he tried some minor tinkering we do not have an identity yet at all... we have to have reasons for lines ottawa scores point kucherov stamkos on ice??? this has not been way we play hockey in past we bring on cirelli or fourth line shut down then get pucks in other zone and bring on the top line etc.... this team is not playing as a unit and is some changes we got to work through.... as far as cooper goes im ok if he is trying new things not doggedly sucked into playing a palat who struggles or better example tyjo with a broken hand.... i think we will be ok must change the top line for now... think that will open ice for other lines and we will get better overall.... is work to do but thats ok rather team finds identity now early then later.... and nope we cannot suffer like this too long could really cost us but honestly i dont expect us to.... just some minor changes should make a hell of a lot of difference imho

Maybe try having Point on the first line, Kuch on the second and Stammer on the 3rd. Spread them out. Put them all together on the Power play.


Johnson-Point-Killorn
Gourde-Cirelli-Kucherov
Palat-Stamkos-Joseph
Maroon-Verhaeguh-Witkowski

Maybe even swap Killorn and Joseph. As many have noted Joseph has been playing great.

 

[Todd1a]

Maybe try having Point on the first line, Kuch on the second and Stammer on the 3rd. Spread them out. Put them all together on the Power play.


Johnson-Point-Killorn
Gourde-Cirelli-Kucherov
Palat-Stamkos-Joseph
Maroon-Verhaeguh-Witkowski

Maybe even swap Killorn and Joseph. As many have noted Joseph has been playing great.

I’d probably do
Palat, Johnson and Kucherov
Stamkos, point, gourde
Killorn, cirell, Joseph
Maroon, verg and witkowski

 

[JoVel]

Guys, we have shuffled the lines for years now, that's not the issue we have.

 

[DFC]

I’d probably do
Palat, Johnson and Kucherov
Stamkos, point, gourde
Killorn, cirell, Joseph
Maroon, verg and witkowski

This is very close to what I'm thinking. I would swap Gourde and Cirelli though.

With Palat looking like he's "back," it would be a good time to reunite the Triplets. Meanwhile, Point could work out with Stamkos if we gave them enough time to gel. He LOOKS like a guy who should play well with Stamkos anyway.

 

[Lord Stan 2020]

i hear your line picks dfc who is centering stamkos line if you got point stamkos and cirelli? doesnt work three centers do not want triplets back together they had their time why would jump palat kucherov point together for now and palat is hot so run him while he is hot.... kuch and point good togetther last year. stamkos tyjo killer would work it has in past gives a board guy and stamkos just doesnt work every night with kucherov whatever the reason.... then third line shut down got cirelli ourde and joseph i like that line... again thinking identity.... that third line argue wise is our most important line to me.... that is line or fourth line you put on for momentum shift after a goal or an important faceoff in our end... let the kids do the heavy lifting my two cents fourth line is fine but we NEED to identify who we are soon or we will be up and down imho.... cirelli is proven to be shut down like point if we are keeping point on top which i prefer we need that third line to get pucks deep get kucherov line on and attack my two cents opens up more etc... palat over tyjo on top cause palat is hot and him working corners is good simple game north south goes to net along with point kucherov making his passes.... it worked in past and will work now.... i again do not feel cooper is sitting on laurel's right now he tried things semi quickly and that is what i want to see... i loved him switching in cirelli on power play vs toronto i liked him double shifting kuch to start second period vs ottawa he tried to breath life had a couple fights almost break out too I do not want gourde or point fighting though too good on offense to take selves out for 5 minutes they need to think better....those non fights hurt us imho.... you bring in maroon and have him smack someone etc... if need attitude adjustment not our small stars lots of anger which is good if directed correctly im less worried after last two games then i was in carolina i felt cooper lost team last game was close i didnt feel we were up for game as much as maybe cooper lost team.... that is at some point on this group of players that is looking in mirror but also on coaching in this frame of identity... stamkos struggles with everyone but marty basically... he has to get his own nutt for whatever reason it makes it difficult on us in ways but also if we allow him to be him on his own line it opens up some stuff for other guys so is a bittersweet pill to swallow.... argue wise for 60% of the games stamkos will wind up being a ppg guy but not the driving force of this team.... he is what he is to try to make him more honestly playing with kucherov has not worked so at this point hey let him do his 60% and hope that opens door for other lines to do more

 

[Vasilevskiy]

Guys, we have shuffled the lines for years now, that's not the issue we have.

We need to shuffle something else