Lightning head coach Jon Cooper was thrilled at his brief press conference after Game 4.
Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper was thrilled at what was a strange post-match press conference following the thriller of the 4-game overtime.
Cooper answered only one question during his availability, meticulously choosing his words before cryptically sharing that Wednesday’s loss to the Colorado Avalanche was tougher than any other his club has had in its two years. races before the Stanley Cup final.
“This one will sting a lot more than others,” he said. “I’ll have a hard time talking. I’ll have to talk. I’ll talk to you tomorrow … I’m heartbroken by the players.”
Cooper added that reporters who asked him questions would soon see what he meant and that the game would still have to continue, though he offered no further explanation before heading out into the locker room. Thursday’s press conference will surely be a visit to appointments.
While many were left speechless after the strange sequence, others on Twitter quickly deduced what had left Cooper with such a bitter taste in his mouth: The Avalanche marked the winner of the game with too many men on the ice.
The shocking call lost in such a crucial match left hockey fans all over the world staggering.
Ironically, this is not the first time Tampa has been involved with a controversial penalty of too many men in a major playoff game. Just over a year ago, the Bolts were on the other side of the coin as beneficiaries of a similar no-call during their final series of conferences against the New York Islanders.
However, the Avalanche’s huge victory, topped by a winner of Nazem Kadri’s storytelling game in overtime, puts Colorado on the verge of capturing its first Stanley Cup since 2001.
The Avalanche will have a chance to get this elusive and all-important playoff victory of 16 against their local Denver fans on Friday.
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