Tampa Bay Lightning Coach Jon Cooper Makes No Excuses For Lightning Loss
The Tampa Bay Lightning coach doesn’t mix words when discussing Tuesday night’s loss to Toronto.
The Tampa Bay Lightning had an excellent opportunity in front of them on Tuesday night when they made their way to the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. The Lightning was coming off of a spectacular 4-0 shutout over the Columbus Blue Jackets, finally regaining some of the mojo they seemed to have lost lately. Now, they stood toe-to-toe with the absolute worst team in the National Hockey League today, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
What did the Lightning do with this opportunity? They completely dropped the ball, allowing the Toronto Maple Leafs to essentially dictate the pace of the entire game. As if the notion itself isn’t enough to make Tampa Bay Lightning fans shudder when the horn sounded to end the game, the Toronto Maple Leafs would defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1; essentially killing any momentum they had on their side.
As always, Tampa Bay Lightning Head Coach Jon Cooper spoke to the media after his team’s embarrassing loss. Coach Cooper definitely didn’t mix words when asked about his team’s performance and made absolutely no excuses for the lackadaisical play of his team. In fact, we’re pretty certain Coach Cooper hit the nail on the head with this one.
"“That was a really disappointing game,” Cooper said. “One team came out to win a hockey game, and another team came out thinking they were going to win a hockey game. That was it. The right team won.”"
As much as it may pain some, there is no denying there is a great deal of truth in Coach Jon Cooper’s comments. The team definitely didn’t hit the ice with the same intensity they showed just two nights prior in Columbus. Through the second period of play, the Tampa Bay Lightning had only registered a mere 11 shots on goal.
Anyone who has followed us for any period of time knows we are inclined to lean towards the quality over quantity theory, but whether you are playing against the worst team in the National Hockey League or a rink full of high school players, this kind of effort simply doesn’t win games; especially when you are a team who is desperately fighting for a spot in the playoffs.
As Bolts By The Bay Staff Writer Lauren Burg mentioned yesterday, the playoffs are no guarantee at this point, and if the Tampa Bay Lightning don’t find some sort of consistency, they are going to be in a really tough spot. The good news is, there is still time for the Lightning to come back from this and actually head into the postseason in a comfortable position. The only thing is, they need to make their move now.
Next: Tampa Bay Lightning Get Blown Away In Toronto
The Tampa Bay Lightning has a chance to get back on track tonight as they make their way to the American Airlines Center in Dallas to go one-on-one with the Dallas Stars. Unlike the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Dallas Stars are first place in the Central Division and in a prime position for the playoffs. It’s most certainly going to be an uphill battle, but that kind of game seems to be the Lightning’s specialty this season.