Coach Cooper’s Milestone Matinee: Lightning at Ducks Game Preview

Game Thirty-Nine: Tampa Bay Lightning (22-13-3) at Anaheim Ducks (21-16-2)

Time: 4:00 PM EST

Location: Honda Center, Where the Inferior Disney Theme Park is Located

TV/Stream/Radio: The Spot, Victory+, ESPN+, 102.5 FM, Lightning App

Odds: Lightning -148

Know the Opponents: Pucks of a Feather

For an entire generation of Tampa Bay Lightning fans there has been just one man they’ve known as the head coach – Jon Cooper. This afternoon, in Anaheim, that man will coach his 1000th NHL game. For over a decade he’s been calling the shots in what should be a hall-of-fame career:

1,000 games

594 regular-season wins

11 playoff appearances in his 12 full seasons

4 conference championships

2 Stanly Cups

88 playoff wins

A few timeless gifs

One great quote about getting through a Stanley Cup Final…or a rough patch in life:

0 Jack Adams Awards

Yeah, that last one is a bit of a bummer. How he didn’t win for the 2018-19 season or the 2014-15 seasons is a mystery that defies explanation, but such is life. A case could be made that this year could be one of his better years behind the bench. Through 38 games the Lightning have used 29 different skaters and 3 goaltenders. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Victor Hedman, Brayden Point, Nick Paul, and Ryan McDonagh have missed significant stretches of time on the ice.

Unlike in past years, Coach Cooper has had to integrate younger players into key parts of the line-up. They have played five rookies while also relying on older first-year players like Charle-Edouard D’Astous and Curtis Douglas to eat up minutes on the ice. It’s been quite awhile since the Bolts have had this much youth in a line-up, and despite that, they are still rolling on as one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.

They enter their west-coast trip two points out of the top-spot in the Atlantic Division (with two games in hand on Detroit), in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, and with the eighth-most points in the entire league. That’s not too shabby for a team that has, at times, featured four defensemen that would normally be playing in the AHL.

Despite that, they are fifth in the league in goals against overall at 2.63 and ninth in 5v5 defense at 2.20 GA/60. After a bit of a slow start, their offense has been coming around, at least at 5v5 where they are third at 2.91 GF/60. Overall they are fifth at 3.29 GF/G, which isn’t too shabby considering the struggles on the power play (ranked 23rd at 17.1%).

Yes, he confounds fans with his line-up choices from time to time, but as the rink general, he’s done a really good job of keeping the team going through a tough stretch of injuries. He was dealt another blow on Tuesday when Scott Sabourin went on Injured Reserve, but there is a chance that opened up a spot for Erik Cernak to return.

The Lightning haven’t won pretty much of the season, but they have found ways to win. In an Eastern Conference that is filled with good, but flawed teams, that’s exactly what they need to do. Should they ever ice an entirely healthy roster, they are set to make a nice run.

This trip out west won’t be an easy one. All three teams (Ducks, Kings, and Sharks) are currently in a playoff spot. The Ducks and Sharks have youthful line-ups that can skate circles around their opponents and the Kings aren’t going to give them an inch offensively. It’s another trip where coming back with more points than games played can be considered a success.

Potential Lines

Tampa Bay Lightning

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Defense:

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Anaheim Ducks

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