Jon Cooper came to town with plenty on his plate.
There’s the task of keeping his Tampa Bay Lightning upwardly mobile, with their record of 6-2 before facing the Maple Leafs on Monday night, after they were hovering just above .500 to begin January. Tuesday, they’re in Montreal with another back-to-back against Chicago and Detroit to end the road trip on Friday and Saturday.
It’s also less than three weeks until the 4 Nations Face-Off and the pressure of being the first Canadian coach in a best-on-best tournament since the 2016 World Cup. Cooper has to keep an eye on opposing players such as Toronto’s Mitch Marner, whom he will coach next month, and opponents such as Auston Matthews (Team USA) and William Nylander (Sweden).
Before, during and after the aforementioned, he’s nervously watching the Atlantic Division playoff picture change daily with the Leafs and Panthers ahead and a push from four teams within six points behind the Bolts.
As it’s his full-time gig Cooper dealt first with the most immediate issue after the morning skate, trying to beat the Leafs for the first time in three tries, turning to backup Jonas Johansson in goal. The Leafs had to be relieved not to see Andrei Vasilievskiy’s name on the board.
“It’s the time,” Cooper said. “Everyone reads a ton into this, but it’s all about managing the goaltenders. And we manage for 82 games, not one or two. It’s just the way the rotation goes.”
As for the Atlantic, it’s finally shaping up as the wider horse race everyone envisioned before Tampa Bay won two Cups, Florida one and the Leafs and Boston rang up 100-point seasons.
“There was a top four and then another four for a long time … when the haves could take off and the have-nots go away. That’s clearly not the case anymore. Whether Toronto and Florida are the class of the division right now (leading by a few points), they’re not a class above the rest of the division now.”
Spicing up the playoff picture, too, are five teams in the Metropolitan Division within eight points of the second wild card spot as of Monday afternoon.
“As agonizing as it is to coach, it’s going to make one hell of an Eastern Conference race,” Cooper added.
After his first shot at coaching Canada’s top guns was shelved by the NHL’s refusal to participate in the 2022 Olympics, Cooper is getting hyped for the 4 Nations, the curtain raiser for him working the ‘26 Games in Italy. He coached Canada to silver at the 2017 world championship.
“One of the most enjoyable parts is being able to call the players or when they come to Tampa. It’s unusual for the coach to meet a player on the other team, on a game day, but props to all the other coaches who’ve been super-accommodating. When it comes to putting on your flag, everyone takes a step aside.
“When the team was ultimately announced, then it kind of felt real (for himself). We have a couple of gap days this week to focus (on Canadian lines and defence pairings). There’s a coaching staff and support staff working with me who’ve been phenomenal. That’s why Hockey Canada rocks, the extra five per cent, they just know how to do it.”
Cooper does carry some apprehension about not having any exhibition games to test his lineup.
BENNY IS BACK
Leafs defenceman Simon Benoit is past the point of feeling wronged because he was benched for a game in his home town.
The Laval-born Benoit watched from the stands on Saturday at the Bell Centre, more concerned he’d got the hook in consecutive starts than whether his family and friends were put out.
“(Craig Berube) had a meeting with me, he expects something out of me that I haven’t been giving lately,” said Benoit on Monday morning as he replaced Philippe Myers in the Leafs lineup. “It was nothing personal that it was Montreal and I’m French. It’s part of the game and I understand.
“Not being in the lineup obviously pisses me off, but I have to be better. It’s on me.”
BYE, BYE LADY BYNG?
Steven Lorentz had almost forgotten where the penalty box was,
During an amazing 46-game run as an energy line checker, sometimes elevated to a night on the third unit, he had not taken a minor. With less than three minutes to play Saturday, he crossed paths with Canadiens defender Mike Matheson and was called for tripping.
“I thought I got him with my hip, but it happens,” said Lorentz, who headed to the box and tried to strike up a conversation with one of the timekeepers.
“He wasn’t happy with me being a Leaf and him a Montreal guy,” laughed Lorentz. “I just said: ‘You know, I’m not in here too often’ and he replied: ‘Oh, okay’. I don’t think he understood it’s been a while for me.”
Lorentz said his family razzed him about the end of his gold star conduct, but he was fine with it.
“It was a matter of time. I’ve got to get some PIMs up there for the tough-guy look.”
NO-GO FOR JOE
Joe Bowen has missed a game or two for health or emergency family reasons, but in 43 years at the microphone for the Leafs on radio and TV, never specifically ask for a night off until Monday.
A life-long Notre Dame football fan who has made many pilgrimages to South Bend with his family, he wanted to stay home with his sons to watch the Fighting Irish play Ohio State in the CFB national championship. Marlies play-by-play man Todd Crocker was to fill in on TSN 1050.
Bowen worked Leafs game No. 3,700 on Saturday, noting the Canadiens scored the first three, and Toronto the next seven. He lamented not buying a lottery ticket with those numbers.
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