The Headline
-The Tampa Bay Lightning shook up a quiet Tuesday yesterday in typical style with the expected-eventually-but-still-surprising-now announcement that they had re-signed head coach Jon Cooper.
Cooper’s contract with the Lightning was set to expire this summer. With this multi-year extension, it guarantees that Cooper will become the Lightning’s longest tenured coach as he will pass Tortorella sometime next season. According to CapFriendly.com, it is believed that Cooper’s previous contract paid him $2.25 million per season. He most assuredly has received a pay raise in line with the performance he has had behind the Lightning’s bench.
-Funnily enough, Geo had just published a super convincing article earlier yesterday about Cooper and the Jack Adams award.
So as much praise as Barry Trotz is getting for taking the New York Islanders further than were expected of them this year, the Lightning have exceeded expectations by even more. I think you’d also have to argue that with a team full of stars, Jon Cooper has had to work at managing ice time, expectations, and egos in the locker room.
-In closing: Bubble gum.
Here to stay. 🍬 pic.twitter.com/EzJ6QhGkm8
— p – Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) March 26, 2019
The Lightning
-Tampa Bay has spent a lot of time coming from behind these past few games. What kind of a mentality does a team need to handle such pressure? Take it away, Anthony Cirelli:
On the mentality: “We’re never going to give up. We know we have a good team in here and we just have to play the right way, just never give up and keep going.”#BOSvsTBL | Anthony Cirelli: pic.twitter.com/GszhZAfyUa
— p – Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) March 26, 2019
-The Lightning (and potentially Syracuse, too #WeCanHasAGaunce?) got some good news on the injury front yesterday regarding Anton Stralman. Unfortunately, the news wasn’t great regarding forward Ondrej Palat:
Let’s try this again (bug off, autocorrect). Anton Stralman is practicing for a second-straight day. Looks to be close to returning. No Girardi (lower body) or Palat (upper body) for today’s practice. #Bolts
— Bryan Burns (@BBurnsNHL) March 26, 2019
-Are you local to the area and a JT Miller fan? Listen up!
In the market for a J.T. Miller signed stick?
Find @tblrollingthndr at Marathon tomorrow from 11am-1pm in Riverview to enter to win!
📍 6933 US Hwy 301 S pic.twitter.com/IdGeuMBXZn
— p – Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) March 27, 2019
-Cup chance? Pretty good!
Cup chances, March 26. pic.twitter.com/7vXUuVf4aF
— Micah Blake McCurdy (@IneffectiveMath) March 26, 2019
-Here’s a fun fact: The Lightning’s goal differential is now plus-100.
-Tampa continues to impress on the small screen.
#LightningTVRatings: Last night lifted the #GoBolts bar once again on FOX Sports Sun! The @TBLightning‘s win over the Bruins finished as the most-watched regular season Bolts game EVER on our network (3.4 HH). ⚡️📺
— FOX Sports Bolts (@FOXSportsBolts) March 26, 2019
-Amalie Arena is hosting a job fair.
We will be holding a part-time job fair on Thursday 3/28 from 3-6 pm to fill positions for Amalie Arena events and Lightning hockey games. Dress to impress and bring resume copies! Please enter via the main staircase off of Ford Thunder Alley. pic.twitter.com/PhV4Z9b5Xc
— Amalie Arena (@AmalieArena) March 26, 2019
The Crunch
-The Syracuse Crunch had kind of an up-and-down seven days last week, but by the end, the goal of a playoff spot had been achieved.
Despite all of the off-ice drama, the most important thing that happened was that the Crunch clinched a spot in the Calder Cup Playoffs. With their win against Utica, they became the second team (following Charlotte) to punch their ticket to the postseason. Now they can focus on securing home ice, which with the way their offense has gone this season, will be most important.
-Looks like Syracuse might have caught a break for their game tonight: Darren Archibald, a player that always seems to find the back of the Crunch’s net, has been suspended by the league. He will miss tonight’s game when Syracuse visits Belleville, and will also miss Belleville’s game at Hartford.
-Carter Verhaeghe continues to have an incredible season.
The top three AHL scorers are in a league of their own. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/2g5TOleuCZ
— AHL (@TheAHL) March 26, 2019
-Lightning prospect and Crunch rookie forward Alex Barré-Boulet spills the beans about his summers and his free time in this interview.
Tuesday night ball hockey and Wednesday night baseball.
Learn more about how Alex Barré-Boulet spends his summers on Crunch Time. pic.twitter.com/LaXg6ADQI1
— x – Syracuse Crunch (@SyracuseCrunch) March 26, 2019
The Others
-Did the New York Rangers make the right call making Mika Zibanejad their number one center? Kevin Power of Blue Shirt Banter took a crack at answering just that in an article published yesterday.
-Our thoughts are with Columbus Blue Jackets forward Nick Foligno and his family. We hope Hudson will be okay!
Blue Jackets forward Nick Foligno is expected to be in the lineup tonight after missing the past four games because his 22-month-old son, Hudson, was hospitalized after contracting pneumonia so severe that his right lung collapsed. https://t.co/J1qihC1PjJ
— NHL.com (@NHLdotcom) March 26, 2019
