December 16, 2021, Tampa, Florida, USA: Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper on the bench with his team against the Ottawa Senators during second period action at Amalie Arena on Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021 in Tampa. Tampa USA - ZUMAs70_ 20211216_zan_s70_105 Copyright: xDirkxShaddx
December 16, 2021, Tampa, Florida, USA: Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper on the bench with his team against the Ottawa Senators during second period action at Amalie Arena on Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021 in Tampa. Tampa USA - ZUMAs70_ 20211216_zan_s70_105 Copyright: xDirkxShaddx
Jon Cooper expressed disappointment after his team, the Tampa Bay Lightning, suffered an upsetting Game 7 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday.
Speaking to reporters after the game, the Lightning’s coach pointed to luck, something he often refers to as the "hockey gods".
"The hockey gods have been in my corner many, many times, and tonight they're in the other corner", said Jon Cooper.
Cooper said games have no retakes. Once mistakes happen, teams must accept the result and move forward.
“It's not the movies. It's not something where you can retake it and get the scene right.”
Cooper, known for his calm and composed demeanor, admitted that the outcome was difficult to accept, especially given the nature of the goals the team conceded.
The reporter also reminded Jon Cooper that both goals were flukes. In response, the coach replied, “That doesn’t help,” highlighting how disappointing it was to lose under those circumstances.
Throughout his coaching career, Cooper has often spoken about creating your own luck through hard work and consistency.
However, after this Game 7 defeat, he acknowledged that sometimes the game does not follow a predictable script.
Why was Jon Cooper disappointed?
It was understandable that coach Jon Cooper felt frustrated. His team, the Tampa Bay Lightning, had a good chance to reach Round 2.
They won Game 6, forced a Game 7, and carried momentum into the final match. Even in Game 7, they created chances to win, but they lost a very close game, 2–1. That defeat ended a tight and competitive series.
The series began with a loss, then the Lightning mounted a comeback, and the battle continued all the way to Game 7.
In a winner-takes-all game, even the smallest bounce can determine the outcome, and this time, it did not go their way.
Before the playoffs, the Tampa Bay Lightning finished second in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. With a 50-26-6 record in the regular season, they earned 106 points.
Let’s see how the team comes back in the next season. A lot of discussion will happen off-season as well.
Written by
Kapil Manghnani
Edited by
Sahil Prashar