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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2021

LIGHTNING SEASON PREVIEW

What’s next? Steven Stamkos & Co. face unique obstacles in defending the Cup.

Photo illustration by SEAN KRISTOFF-JONES | Times

A captain returns, a scoring leader is lost. 4

Winning one Cup is hard. Two in a row? Almost impossible. 6-7

Jon Cooper’s resume already ranks among game’s best. 6-7

| Wednesday, January 13, 2021 | Tampa Bay Times LIT

LIGHTNING

2021 Lightning schedule January SUN

Home game

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

CHI

8 p.m. NBCSN 17

DAL* 7 p.m. SUN

CHI

7 p.m. SUN

CBJ

8 p.m. NBCSN

CAR

7 p.m. SUN

SAT 15

7 p.m. SUN

CAR

NSH

7 p.m. SUN

*Due to coronavirus issues within the Stars, this game, and the one originally set for Jan. 17, may be rescheduled. All dates and times subject to change.

February SUN

MON

TUE

NSH

WED

7 p.m. SUN 7

NSH

DET

NSH

8:30 p.m. NBCSN

FLA

DET

7 p.m. SUN

7 p.m. SUN 11

FLA

DAL

FLA

7 p.m. SUN

8:30 p.m. SUN

CAR

SAT 5

7 p.m. SUN

7 p.m. SUN 21

FRI 4

5:30 p.m. SUN

8 p.m. SUN 14

THU 3

DAL

8 p.m. SUN

CAR

7 p.m. SUN

DAL

March SUN

MON

TUE

WED

DAL

THU 3

7 p.m. SUN 7

CHI

DET

7:30 p.m. SUN 15

7 p.m. SUN 23

DAL

8:30 p.m. SUN 28

5 p.m. SUN

CHI

7 p.m. SUN

DAL

8:30 p.m. SUN

NSH

7 p.m. SUN

CHI

8 p.m. SUN

7 p.m. SUN

CAR

CHI

DET

SAT 5

7:30 p.m. SUN

NSH

CHI

8 p.m. SUN

2:30 p.m. NBCSN 14

FRI 4

CAR

7 p.m. SUN

CBJ

7 p.m. SUN

April SUN

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI 1

CBJ

SAT 2

7 p.m. SUN 4

DET

12 p.m. NBC 11

CBJ

7 p.m. SUN 12

8 p.m. SUN 18

CAR

FLA

CAR

7 p.m. SUN

7 p.m. NBCSN

CHI

NSH

8 p.m. SUN

FLA

7 p.m. SUN

CBJ

7 p.m. SUN

NSH

1 p.m. SUN 8

CBJ

DET

7 p.m. SUN

CBJ

7 p.m. SUN

8 p.m. SUN

May SUN

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

SAT

DET

3 p.m. SUN

DET

3 p.m. NBC

FLA

7 p.m. SUN

FLA

7 p.m. SUN

FLA

7 p.m. SUN

DIRK SHADD | Times

Coach Jon Cooper, left, talks with players at training camp, part of a shortened preseason that jumps right into game action.

7 p.m. SUN

Off-ice obstacles Staying healthy and keeping COVID-19 outbreaks at bay will be key without a bubble.

BY EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Times Staff Writer

TAMPA — Steven Stamkos has seen other professional sports leagues struggle to keep their players healthy through the coronavirus pandemic. Now, as the NHL proceeds with its first season outside a bubble, the Lightning will face the same challenges as they defend their Stanley Cup title. Things will start to return to normal — compared to locked-down bubble environments in Toronto and Edmonton for last year’s postseason — as teams play in their own arenas and travel to other cities. But this season still will be far from typical. “Guys are going to have to be extremely disciplined,” Stamkos said. “We’ve seen what can happen in the NFL, MLB, the NBA in terms of one guy kind of breaking the rules and other guys who have to quarantine or not be able to play. So we realize the magnitude of that. “It’s going to be difficult, but the NHL, our teams have done a great job of putting all these different protocols in place and it’s up to us as players to follow them in such a short year that it can’t really afford to have any mishaps and guys be out of the lineup because of COVID(-19).” The NHL’s health and safety protocols are lengthy and detailed — down to avoiding pressing elevator buttons and using water coolers — but similar to those of other leagues that returned to play. In a 56-game regular season crunched into 116 days, losing players to positive tests or COVID-19 exposure will carry a larger impact. The league introduced a five-man taxi squad, much like Major League Baseball did, to help compensate. But you can’t just replace key players with other bodies. “Because of the condensed schedule and

the games right on top of each other, you can’t afford to miss a group of guys,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. Even though teams will go on the road — games are now grouped mostly into twogame series to cut down on travel — they still will be mostly in isolation. League rules prohibit teams from having close contact with the general public. While not mentioned specifically, that means no fan interaction or autographs. In road cities, they are restricted to the arena, practice facility and team hotel. Eating in restaurants and taking public transportation are no-nos. Even at home, players, coaches and staff are told to avoid public interaction, down to in-home dining with any people outside their household. “This is stuff, it’s somewhat in your control, and staying indoors and following the protocols puts you in the best position to succeed and make sure you’re on the ice all the time,” Cooper said. “Is it going to 100 percent prevent guys from not getting (the virus)? Who knows? We don’t know that yet. “Other sports have proven that the odds are players get it but not in a situation where it (has) shut teams down. I think it’s only a natural progression as we move forward and the vaccine comes out to kind of let your guard down. But we have to make sure that we don’t, especially these next few months.” Even before the season began, teams like the Stars, Blue Jackets and Penguins were forced to cancel practices, train with a good chunk of their roster missing or shut down facilities because of positive tests or as a precaution for potential exposure to the virus. The Stars were hit the worst; with six positive player tests within their organization, their season won’t start before Jan. 19. Defenseman Ryan McDonagh said it is the players’ responsibility to follow protocols. If players have to go into quarantine, they could be isolated up to 14 days. Teams are required to book two hotel rooms on the road in case a member of the travel party has to remain behind to quarantine. “I think that’s been the message from management, talking to players in our group, that if you get COVID(-19) or you’re

Contact Eduardo A. Encina at eencina@tampabay.com. Follow @EddieintheYard.

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on the exposure list even, you know you could potentially be missing four to eight games and that’s a huge chunk of a short season,” McDonagh said. “So I think our group’s kind of taken that to heart because we know the opportunity that we have this year, and the limited opportunities with the short season, to set yourself up to get to the playoffs. Every game is so crucial, and so I think we’re really going to try and buy in and put our focus on keeping as many players healthy and playing as best we can on the ice.” Tier 1 personnel — which include coaches, players and staff — will be tested daily for the first four weeks of the season. Testing could be reduced to every 48 hours after that depending on how well it works. Unlike in the bubble, when players who missed time were labeled as “unfit to play,” those who test positive will be placed on a COVID-19 list. Each team will have a compliance officer to monitor and enforce protocols, an infectious disease consultant, a facility compliance officer and a contact tracing officer. One difference: Close contacts won’t be quarantined unless they test positive or show symptoms “Even coming to the rink is going to be different — more testing, more protocols, more masks, more social distancing,” Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois said. “But that’s the way of the world right now. So if we compare our protocols and our way of operating right now to what we’re used to, it’s significantly different and has the potential to be frustrating and aggravating. “But it’s still a lot better than people that are completely isolated, which a lot of people in North America right now are. They can’t go to work, can’t do what it is that they’re passionate about, because they’re confined to their homes. We at least get to go out there, compete, play hockey, keep working on improving and chase another championship.”

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LIT Tampa Bay Times

| Wednesday, January 13, 2021 |

LIGHTNING

Roster returns a good omen

What cap crunch? The core players are back for another Cup run.

Lightning center Anthony Cirelli, right, protects the puck against teammate Devante Stephens, left, during a scrimmage earlier this month at TGH Ice Plex in Brandon. Cirelli was a restricted free agent before re-signing with the Lightning in the offseason.

BY MARI FAIELLO

Times Staff Writer

It’s the house that Steve Yzerman and Julien BriseBois built. Blue and white walls line the interior, 27 Stanley Cup-winning jerseys hang in the closet, and Lord Stanley himself is the best kind of centerpiece on the dining room table. It’s a winning look from the inside out. And the breeze feels nice, too, coming through a wide-open window. But will it last? After taking home the Cup at the end of an unprecedented season, the Lightning’s opportunity to win was believed to be narrowing. Just days after the celebrations in Tampa, some of the team’s core players were the subject of trade rumors, the result of a tight $81.5 million cap. Three key players were set to become restricted free agents. With some smart decisions and a little luck, the Lightning managed to keep most of their championship team together and retained a young core (re-signing restricted free-agent center Anthony Cirelli and defensemen Mikhail Sergachev and Erik Cernak), but they didn’t get under the salary cap. Tampa Bay was able to overspend but still become cap compliant by putting last season’s leading scorer, Nikita Kucherov (hip), on long-term injury reserve and acquiring dead contracts that also could be used to become cap compliant through the LTIR process. The Lightning found a way this year, but next year it won’t be as easy. For now, the Lightning’s Stanley Cup window — which has been wide open the past five seasons — can remain that way a bit longer. Which begs the questions: Can the Lightning repeat as champions? And how many more shots will this group get at the Cup? “Coming back here, it feels nice to be back with the group you just won (the Cup) with,” veteran forward Pat Maroon said, “because you know the faces, you know the group, you know the core.”

DIRK SHADD | Times

Maroon, who won a Cup with the Blues in 2019, signed a one-year deal with the Lightning in free agency the following summer. After winning a second Cup this past season with the Lightning, he signed a two-year deal in the fall to return to Tampa Bay. Maroon is one of 20 returning players after the Lightning lost forwards Carter Verhaeghe and Cedric Paquette and defensemen Zach Bogosian, Braydon Coburn and Kevin Shattenkirk during the offseason. It’s no secret that Kucherov’s injury bailed the Lightning out of a difficult situation. “Make no mistake, we’d love to have Kuch on the ice. Obviously, (he’s) one of the best players in the world,” captain Steven Stamkos said. “But under the circumstances, he needed to do what he needed to do, and that allowed us some breathing room for guys to stay and hopefully still be a huge part of this team that we expect them to be.” The Lightning showed some foresight last season, knowing they would be in this situation. They traded center J.T. Miller to Vancouver during the 2019 draft. Before Kucherov’s injury, the Light-

ning tried to further mitigate the situation by finding a new home for veteran forward Tyler Johnson. While that didn’t happen, holding on to Johnson while remaining cap compliant doesn’t appear to be a long-term possibility, so the Spokane, Wash., native could be a candidate for Seattle in the expansion draft. The Lightning weren’t the only team strapped for cash this season. Ten of the 31 teams have $0 in projected cap space, per CapFriendly. On Friday, the Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported that Anaheim had placed nine players on waivers, Colorado eight and Carolina seven. The Lightning are projected to be $3.5 million over the cap next season, which could stay at the current $81.5 million due to the lingering pandemic. Currently, the Lightning are locked into numerous long-term contracts. Five players (defenseman Ryan McDonagh and forwards Maroon, Johnson, Yanni Gourde and Ondrej Palat) have no trade clauses — one (forward Alex Killorn) has a modified no-trade clause — and another three (Stamkos, Kucherov and defenseman Victor Hedman) have nomove clauses. The big names — Stamkos, Kucherov,

Hedman and goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy — are locked up until at least 2024-25. The Lightning players who become unrestricted free agents this upcoming offseason — goaltender Curtis McElhinney, forwards Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow and defenseman Luke Schenn — are part of the team’s depth, contributing when the core isn’t performing to its capabilities. The first real core player who will enter unrestricted free agency will be Palat in 2022-23, when the winger will be 31 years old. Cirelli, Sergachev and Cernak are locked up until 202324, around the time they’ll be in their prime and looking for a bridge contract as restricted free agents. To see how quickly things can change, look no further than the Blackhawks. After winning three Cups in six years between 2010-15, Chicago has not advanced beyond the first round, twice missing the playoffs altogether. Like the Lightning, the Blackhawks’ sublime talent kept them in contention for years. But cap issues hit the team hard following the 2014-15 season. General manager Stan Bowman

had to re-sign core players such as center Jonathan Toews, winger Patrick Kane, goaltender Corey Crawford, and defensemen Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, and those long-term deals limited their roster flexibility in coming years. While injuries and unexpected retirements also played a role, cap issues and the subsequent aging and regression of its core have taken the team out of contention. A once wide-open window is now latched shut. So far, savvy front-office moves — and the fortuitous timing of Kucherov’s injury — have allowed the Lightning to hold on to their talent and avoid a similar fate, to the consternation of their opponents. But that window won’t stay open forever. “It means a lot for us,” Hedman said. “We look at it as another chance to go win a championship.” Contact Mari Faiello at mfaiello@tampabay.com. Follow @faiello_mari.

| Wednesday, January 13, 2021 | Tampa Bay Times LIT

LIGHTNING

Stamkos is back, but a gap remains

DIRK SHADD | Times

Steven Stamkos on playing without Nikita Kucherov: “We’ve done it in the past where guys have stepped up and played great in someone’s absence, so I think we’re comfortable in that.” BY EDUARDO A. ENCINA

Times Staff Writer

TAMPA he Lightning won the Stanley Cup last season without one of their most skilled players, and if they’re going to get back to the postseason to defend their title, they’ll have to do it again. Steven Stamkos is back from offseason core muscle surgery and has shown during training camp that he is at full strength. But the team announced last month that star winger Nikita Kucherov will miss the regular season recovering from hip surgery. Kucherov is expected to rejoin the team for the postseason, but the Lightning have to get there first. Anything can happen in an abbreviated 56-game regular season, and a sluggish start can doom a team quickly. Stamkos was injured before the pandemic pause but still managed to have an impact in the postseason. His goal in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final will go down as one of the most memorable moments in Lightning history. Only Martin St. Louis’ goal in the second overtime of Game 6 of the 2004 Cup final in Calgary compares in terms of importance, momentum and storybook charm. “It was certainly unique,” Stamkos said of the way the Lightning won the Cup during a pandemic. “I don’t think anyone dreamt it up that way, in terms of how it happened and just everything that was going on in the world. But it’s still surreal.” Stamkos was able to celebrate with the Cup but underwent surgery soon afterward. He has no limitations as the season begins. Stamkos is the captain, the face of the team and still one of the league’s top goal scorers. He leads by example, but his words carry great weight. Now he must lead the Lightning through a regular season without Kucherov. “Obviously, missing Kuch this year is gonna be a big blow to us,” Stamkos said. “But we’ve done it in the past where guys have stepped up

The captain’s value can’t be overstated. Neither can the loss of Nikita Kucherov.

DIRK SHADD | Times (2020)

No one expects Steven Stamkos, left, who is returning from his own injury, to replace the production of Nikita Kucherov, center. But the Lightning will need to find more goals somewhere.

and played great in someone’s absence, so I think we’re comfortable in that.” It’s oversimplifying things to think that Stamkos’ return will compensate for Kucherov’s absence. The 27-year-old Russian has few peers on the ice. His 313 regular-season points over the past three seasons trail only Edmonton’s Connor McDavid (321). Kucherov’s 53 postseason points over the same stretch lead all skaters. “Grab five players in this league, and you can make an argument for them to be the best players on the planet,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said.

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“And out of those five players, I think you could put Nikita Kucherov in that group. So, unless you’re going to grab one of those other four players, and I don’t think any team is giving them up, you’re not replacing Kuch. “He’s been a massive part of our team. We’ve got a 56-game year, (and you figure) he’s probably going to be (involved) in 85 goals? Are we going to get back those 85 goals? Probably not all of them, but as a coaching staff we’ve got to devise ways to try and pick up the slack.” For now, Stamkos has taken Kucherov’s spot

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on the top forward line, alongside center Brayden Point and winger Ondrej Palat. Kucherov’s ice time will be as difficult to replace as his production. He averaged 18:52 — second among forwards — last season, and his 21:40 in the playoffs led all Tampa Bay forwards. But what makes Kucherov different is that he’s a wizard of a playmaker. He has such an uncanny ability to see the ice and find teammates in positions to score, he slows the game down at both even strength and on the power play. The Lightning have had to be creative in compensating for Kucherov’s absence. They’ve experimented with different looks on the power play, from putting Point at Kucherov’s spot in the right circle to provide more movement to giving Mikhail Sergachev and his big shot a look there. “It takes the whole unit to work,” Sergachev said. “We’ve just got to help each other, be close to each other, work for each other. That’s what we’re trying to do.” While the Lightning have contingency plans to cope with Kucherov’s unavailability, it’s important to note that Stamkos is still getting back into game shape. While his teammates spent two months competing for the Cup inside the Toronto and Edmonton bubbles, Stamkos has been mostly sidelined since February. He needs to get his legs back under him and become re-accustomed to the Lightning’s system. “Let’s be honest, he hasn’t played since March,” Cooper said. “And so with Stammer, it’s timing, it’s reps, it’s new PP (power play) looks, just different things that are going on with him. But you know, he’s a savvy pro. So he knows how to navigate the waters, and he’s doing a good job in there.” Simply seeing their captain back on the ice has given the Lightning a boost. “It’s been a long time coming for him, and he’s worked extremely hard to get back into game shape,” Point said. “To see him out there and to play with him is awesome.” Contact Eduardo A. Encina at eencina@tampabay.com. Follow @EddieInTheYard.

LIT Tampa Bay Times | Wednesday, January 13, 2021 |

LIGHTNING

Sizing up the competition

There will be few surprises this regular season with the Lightning only facing seven other teams in a new division.

BY MARI FAIELLO | Times Staff Writer

In a shortened 56-game season, the NHL was forced to realign its divisions to help limit travel while the coronavirus pandemic persists. Here’s a quick look at the Lightning and the seven other teams in the revamped Central Division.

DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times (2020)

Carolina Hurricanes

Hockey commentator Don Cherry called them a “bunch of jerks” for their over-the-top victory celebrations. But 42-year-old Zamboni driver/emergency goaltender David Ayres gave the ’Canes one of the best feel-good stories of the season, center Sebastian Aho emerged as a star, and Carolina swept the Rangers in the qualifying round of the playoffs before the Bruins put an end to their season.

DIRK SHADD | Times (2020)

Chicago Blackhawks

Captain and center Jonathan Toews is out indefinitely with an undisclosed medical issue, further depleting a lineup that also is missing forwards Kirby Dach (wrist) and Alex Nylander (knee), out four to six months following surgeries. But, hey, they still have right wing Patrick Kane, a nine-time All-Star and three-time Stanley Cup champion, right? For now, anyway.

Associated Press (2020)

Detroit Red Wings

By the time the Red Wings hit the ice for their season opener, it will have been 310 days since their last game. Almost cruel, right? To go nearly a year without playing hockey, then not even have a slot on the Wednesday start date (they’ll play the next day). Ouch. Maybe six nationally televised games will help ease the pain for the one team in the division that didn’t qualify for last season’s expanded postseason.

DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times (2020)

Florida Panthers

At least the Lightning will have one recognizable opponent among their new division foes. The Panthers are the only Atlantic Division team that joined the Lightning in the Central. And there are some familiar faces, too, with four ex-Bolts on their roster, including Cup winner Carter Verhaeghe. Will this be the year Florida breaks its drought of 23 straight seasons without a playoff series win?

Contact Mari Faiello at mfaiello@tampabay.com. Follow @faiello_mari.

The Canadian Press (2020)

Columbus Blue Jackets

Raise your hand if you’re excited to see John Tortorella eight times this season. No one? Really? Well, let the mind games continue. If the past two playoff series between the Lightning and Blue Jackets are any indication, we’re in for a treat. And since there are different rules during the regular season, no one has to worry about any game lasting five overtime periods.

DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times (2020)

Nashville Predators

After an early exit from the postseason bubble thanks to a qualifying-round loss to the Coyotes, the Predators are on the hunt for a better finish this season. First-time Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Roman Josi leads the way, with forwards Filip Forsberg and Matt Duchene helming the offense. The sad news: no Tim McGraw goal celebrations with fans.

MARKO DITKUN | Special to the Times (2020)

Dallas Stars

The NHL gods did this on purpose, didn’t they? There was no way the Wild would stay in the division over the Stanley Cup finalist Stars, and the teams were swapped in December, with Minnesota going out West. So here we go, again, Lightning fans. Minus Corey Perry (who signed with Montreal) but with a healthy Ben Bishop, Dallas is poised to make another run after retaining most of the roster that took Tampa Bay to Game 6 of the Cup final.

MARKO DITKUN | Special to the Times (2020)

Tampa Bay Lightning

As if facing the reigning Stanley Cup champions eight times this season isn’t enough, division opponents have to deal with the fact that Tampa Bay improbably brought back nearly every impact player from that squad. With restricted free-agent center Anthony Cirelli and defensemen Mikhail Sergachev and Erik Cernak back in the fold, it’s time to see if Lightning can strike in back-to-back seasons.

| Wednesday, January 13, 2021 | Tampa Bay Times LIT

LIGHTNING

Unique hurdles in road to repeat The coronavirus has fundamentally altered this season, but the Lightning are undaunted about their mission. BY EDUARDO A. ENCINA | Times Staff Writer

TAMPA very season, the goal is the same. It’s the one that every hockey-playing kid has from the first time he puts on skates: to hoist the 35-pound silver trophy that is the Stanley Cup. But what about after you’ve won it, after you’ve reached the mountaintop, then less than four months later start that climb all over again? It can’t be the same, can it? “How can it not be different?” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “It’s hard to win. And so when you do it, you’re pretty damn proud of what you’ve done. Now, does it change things for us? Yeah, it changes things.” No longer merely contenders, the Lightning are now bona fide champions. After years of being the hunters, they are now the hunted. “We’re the defending Cup champs, so now we’ve got the bull’s-eye on our back,” Cooper said. “We’re not getting the night off that maybe other teams might when you play some other teams. That’s not happening to us. So that’s when you test the maturity of your team and see where we’re at. … I fully believe we can win again.” Hockey people will tell you the Stanley Cup is the most difficult trophy to win in professional sports. As the Lightning’s longest-tenured player, captain Steven Stamkos has felt the disappointment of coming so close (a 2015 Cup final loss to the Blackhawks) and of falling well short of expectations

(getting swept in the first round in 2019 by the Blue Jackets after winning the Presidents’ Trophy) before reaching his ultimate goal with last season’s six-game Cup final win over the Stars. “I just think each and every year it’s extremely difficult to win (the Cup), never mind two in a row,” Stamkos said. “Maybe some teams just get comfortable and happy about winning and obviously having their dreams come true. But I think we realize we have a very special group. We were able to keep most of the group intact. … We have that mentality, and we know what it takes.” Since the 1998-99 season, only one team has won back-toback Cups: the Penguins in 2016 and ’17. Dating to 1984, only five teams have won the Cup in consecutive years. The Penguins also are the only team to win back-to-back Cups during the salary-cap era (from 2005). The challenge of winning back-to-back Cups might be the biggest indicator of competitive balance in the league stemming from a cap. Dating to 2010, five teams lost in the first round of the playoffs the season after winning the Cup, and another didn’t even make the postseason. “I think we found out with this past season, you need a lot of things to go right, to go your way,” said Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh. “You need a little bit of luck, and you need some bounces. But you also need to set yourself up for those opportunities and put your focus on making sure you take care of the little details in the game and give yourself a chance for those bounces and for those things to go your way.” The Lightning will have a unique set of obstacles this season. An abbreviated 56-game regular season set because of the coronavirus pandemic offers no room for a slow start, and all games will be played among realigned division opponents, magnifying every game as teams jockey for position.

“I think we found with out this past season, you

The top four teams in each division will qualify for the playoffs. After playing only division opponents through the first two rounds of the postseason, the winners will advance to face teams they haven’t played all season. “We can’t afford to have a slow start,” said Lightning defenseman and 2020 playoff MVP Victor Hedman. “You can’t afford to have a two-week lull. You can’t afford to fall behind the eight ball. It’s going to be tough to climb back in, because teams are going to play against one another all the time, and you know it’s kind of tough to climb up again if you fall behind. So that’s the motivation you’re going to have to have preparing for the season.” Combine that with the uncertainty that comes with the NHL’s first attempt at a season outside a bubble after playing last year’s postseason in one and there many more challenges. Losing players to the coronavirus list would be detrimental in a short season.

Think Cooper is already legendary? Just

TAMPA — Let’s play a little word association. I give you the name of a Tampa Bay coach or manager, and you tell me the first description that pops into your mind. John Tortorella: Angry. Joe Maddon: Erudite. Jon Gruden: Maniacal. Tony Dungy: Saintly. Jon Cooper: … Got you, didn’t I? It’s hard to reduce Cooper to a single portrait or adjective. He seems stoic on the bench but is actually quite funny. He’s sharp as hell but can be a bit smug. So how are we to pigeonhole the Lightning’s 53-year-old coach? How about this: Jon Cooper: Winner. It might be less about his personality and more about his resume, but it does have the advantage of being entirely accurate. Cooper has won champi-

onship cups at so many levels of hockey, he could create his own tea service. And with the delivery of last season’s Stanley Cup title, the journey is now complete. Fair or not, the Stanley Cup offers validation that cannot be acquired any JOHN other way. ROMANO Cooper didn’t jromano@ play in the NHL tampabay.com — he famously didn’t play professionally at all — but few men have ever directed hockey teams so successfully. You think that’s an overstatement? Fifty-four head coaches have won a Stanley Cup, based on data from hockey-reference.com.

Of those 54, only 26 won 300 or more games in their NHL career. Of those, only nine had a career points percentage above .600. Of those, only the legendary Scotty Bowman has a higher points percentage than Cooper. If you’re looking to brag about someone, that’s a pretty good place to start. “I don’t know that people ever looked at ‘Coop’ differently because he never played. He’s done so much winning, he’s so smart, he’s so likable, I think people understood exactly how special he is as a coach,” Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois said. “What winning a Stanley Cup does do is it becomes a permanent part of your legacy. “You can be the best coach, the best GM, the best player, you can do a lot of really good things in

your career, but until you win a Stanley Cup, you can never really say: mission accomplished.” By now, Cooper’s backstory is pretty well known. A Wall Street guy who got his law degree and became a public defender while playing club hockey on the side. A judge asked him to coach his son’s high school team in Michigan, and the rest is history. What’s remarkable is the timing of it all. It was less than eight years ago that Cooper earned his first paycheck in the NHL. Now, he is the league’s longest-tenured coach with the same team. Along the way, the Lightning have reached the Eastern Conference final four times and the Stanley Cup final twice. Maddon might have been renowned for defensive shifts when he was with the Rays, and Dungy is known as the architect of

the Cover 2 defense in Tampa Bay, but Cooper’s genius is less tactical. It’s not the X’s and O’s that have elevated him to the coaching elite, but rather his ability to get the most out of an entire roster. That means recognizing the strengths and weaknesses of every player, and understanding what it takes to motivate and unify a locker room of disparate personalities. More than anything, it means getting players to worry more about a team’s success rather than their own stat sheets, contracts or egos. He’s not a screamer, but he’s also not afraid to tell players what they need to hear. It’s a more nuanced approach than perhaps some old-school coaches, and it fits perfectly with an organization that values the process more than instant gratification. “First and foremost, I’ve always

thought the most important quality in a head coach is leadership,” said BriseBois, who first hired Cooper as a head coach when he was the general manager of the Lightning’s AHL affiliate at Norfolk. “And when we hired Jon Cooper way back in 2010, that was the No. 1 quality I saw in him. To this day, that’s probably his biggest secret to his success, is how strong a leader he is, how good he is at managing people and situations. … His people skills are really good. He’s very, very smart and very diligent, so he gives us confidence that we’re well prepared at all times. I don’t have to worry that’s he’s on top of things.” Asked last week about his trail of championships through the North American Hockey League, the United States Hockey League and the American Hockey League,

LIT Tampa Bay Times

| Wednesday, January 13, 2021 |

MARKO DITKUN

| Special to the Times (2020)

need a lot of things to go right, to go your way” to win the Stanley Cup, says defenseman Ryan McDonagh, above. “But you also need to set yourself up for those opportunities … to go your way.”

“I think it’s going to be more difficult this year for every team just because … that’s the world we live in,” said Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois. “Nothing is as easy as usual. There’re just more hoops to jump through, more potential irritants out there, more potential distractions out there. “So that’s true for all 31 clubs, though. Why is it so hard to win two Cups in a row? Because it’s really, really hard to win one. It’s incredibly hard to win one, and now you’re trying to beat those odds two years in a row.” The Lightning were able to keep a lot of their Cup-winning team together, something that’s typically a challenge for title teams in the salary-cap era. Nikita Kucherov having hip surgery that is expected to keep him out for the regular season and on long-term injured reserve helped the Lightning avoid trading key players to become cap compliant. So with mostly everyone back, there’s an

added focus on just getting to the playoffs, when Kucherov is expected to be back. “Are we missing a key part of our team?” Cooper said. “There’s no doubt. But the player only plays 20 minutes (a game), and there’s other guys out there that can hopefully fill in. So maybe the growth of our team coming in now is that’s a little bit of a reset for us, and we have to refocus on a different way that we have to play the game.” NHL Network analyst Ken Daneyko was part of three Stanley Cup-winning teams with the Devils from 1994-2003. In 2000-01, New Jersey was one win from claiming back-to-back Cups, holding a three-games-to-two lead over Colorado before the Avalanche came back to win the Cup. “I remember how devastated we were, because you don’t realize at the time, to win back-to-back is special. And especially in today’s day and age with the competitive balance even stronger than in my time, it’s hard,” Daneyko said. “It’s hard to

repeat, but when you get that taste, you want it back.” Daneyko’s first Cup came during the lockoutshortened 1994-95 season. The following season, the Devils missed out on the playoffs by two points, eliminated on the final day of the regular season. In a shortened season with every game against their division opponents, Daneyko said, the Lightning’s focus has to be on simply getting back to the postseason. “For Tampa, it’s not about coming in first place, although they may, because they’re that good,” Daneyko said. “But it’s about getting in, and then come playoff time, the advantage you have is you’ve tasted it, you’ve been there, you know what it takes.” Lightning wing Alex Killorn said there shouldn’t be any letdown or lack of motivation. After feeling the exhilaration of winning the Cup once, players want to do it again. They already

wait

Cooper brushed off the question with a joke and a string of cliches about having great players and leaders on the roster. He might have been blessed with strong teams through the years — including a ridiculously talented core in Tampa Bay — but Cooper’s legacy of championships is neither fluke nor luck. He’s already been at the job longer than Tortorella or any other Lightning coach. In fact, he’s been in Tampa Bay longer than Dungy or Gruden were, and the two of them have their names on the Bucs Ring of Honor. Is Cooper the best coach this community has ever known? Possibly. Is he among the best coaches in the NHL today? Absolutely. Does he have a chance to be one of the league’s all-time greats? Stay tuned, because the numbers suggest he does.

have their place in history. Their names are engraved on the Cup. Now they have the opportunity to write another chapter. Killorn looks at teammate Pat Maroon, who has won back-to-back Cups, in 2019 with the Blues and last year with the Lightning. That’s the legacy Killorn wants to create for himself and his teammates. “The way I look at it is that I know a lot of guys have won the Cup. I don’t know many that have won two. Why not be one of those guys?” Killorn said. “We’ve got one in our dressing room, and when he walks around, everyone knows him as a twoCup guy, and we’re the one-Cup guys. I think for us, we know we can do it. Now that we’ve been there, you’re even more hungry to get another.” Contact Eduardo A. Encina at eencina@tampabay.com. Follow @EddieInTheYard.

When it comes to winning, Jon Cooper has few peers It is a small list of coaches who have been behind the bench for 500 or more NHL games and have a career points percentage of .600 or higher. The Lightning’s Jon Cooper is near the top of that list. Of the10 coaches on it, four are in the Hall of Fame. (Toe Blake was enshrined as a player but otherwise would undoubtedly have been elected as a coach.) COACH Scotty Bowman* Jon Cooper+ Bruce Boudreau Toe Blake* Dan Bylsma Fred Shero* Mike Babcock Joel Quenneville+ Mike Sullivan+ Glen Sather* DIRK SHADD | Times (2020)

Lightning coach Jon Cooper hoists the Stanley Cup while with his three children during a championship celebration at Raymond James Stadium in September. From left is his son, Jonny, and daughters, Julia and Josephine.

*-Hall of Famer +-current head coach

GAMES 2,141 578 984 914 565 734 1,301 1,705 533 932

YEARS 1968-2002 2013-20 2008-20 1956-68 2009-17 1972-81 2003-20 1997-2020 2004-20 1980-2004

PTS % .657 .645 .635 .635 .634 .612 .608 .608 .606 .602

CUPS 9 1 0 8 1 2 1 3 2 4

TEAMS STL, MTL, BUF, PIT, DET TB WSH, ANA, MIN MTL PIT, BUF PHI, NYR ANA, DET, TOR STL, COL, CHI, FLA BOS, PIT EDM, NYR

| Wednesday, January 13, 2021 | Tampa Bay Times LIT

LIGHTNING

This year by the numbers A different kind of season because of the pandemic invites a different kind of perspective.

Former Lightning players in the Central Division as of Sunday: Florida’s Brett Connolly, Radko Gudas, Anton Stralman and Carter Verhaeghe; Dallas’ Ben Bishop; and Detroit’s Adam Erne and Valtteri Filppula.

BY MARI FAIELLO

Times Staff Writer

Fifty-six notable numbers to help prepare you for the abbreviated 56-game season:

Times in their previous 27 seasons the Lightning have made the playoffs.

3 2 1

Stanley Cup title wins spread across the Central Division, third behind the North (42) and East (25) and ahead of the West (6). The Red Wings have11, Blackhawks six, Lightning two, and Hurricanes and Stars one apiece.

Times the Lightning have made the Stanley Cup final. Times the Lightning have won the Stanley Cup.

Team that has won back-to-back Stanley Cups since1999: the Penguins (2016, 2017).

Games scheduled in which the Lightning have at least one day of rest on their opponent.

107

Days between Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final and the 2021 season opener.

118

Days between the Jan.13 start of the season and the May11 expected start of the postseason.

MARKO DITKUN | Special to the Times (2020)

The Lightning and Islanders stand for the anthems before Game 6 of last year’s East final at Edmonton.

100

a lockout.

Games the Lightning had played by Jan.13 last season. They started 27-14-4 and had a 10-game win streak (their second longest of the season) ended with a 3-1 loss to the Devils on Jan.12.

Victories in the first 56 games last season for the Lightning, who went 36-15-5 during that stretch.

1.46

Value of a single game compared with a normal 82-game season.

lockout.

Percentage of the 2004-05 season lost to

Percentage of the 82-game 2012-13 season lost to a

Years since the NHL last cancelled the All-Star Game. The 2014 game was not played due to it falling during the Winter Olympics, in which NHL players participated in Sochi, Russia. No All-Star Game will be held this season.

$81.5M season.

Salary cap for this

Players not returning from the Lightning’s Cup-winning roster. Defenseman Zach Bogosian signed with Toronto. Defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk found a new home in Anaheim. Defenseman Braydon Coburn and center Cedric Paquette were traded to Ottawa. Forward Carter Verhaeghe went to the Panthers. AHL goaltender Scott Wedgewood also is gone.

DIRK SHADD | Times (2020)

Thunder Alley at Amalie Arena could be fans’ refuge again with none allowed inside for games, at least for now.

Percentage of the Lightning’s scoring (in points) no longer around following the departures of Bogosian, Shattenkirk and Paquette, among others.

Fans allowed for games at Amalie Arena until at least Feb. 5 due to rising coronavirus cases in Hillsborough County.

Games in the Lightning’s longest scheduled stretch of home games, from April15-25, two games each against Florida, Carolina and Columbus.

Days scheduled without games during the regular season. The longest scheduled stretch between games is three days, from April 28-30.

DIRK SHADD | Times (2020)

Nikita Kucherov is expected to miss the regular season but return for another Cup run.

Games Lightning leading scorer Nikita Kucherov is expected to miss — meaning all of the regular season — due to a hip injury.

Percentage of Lightning’s regular-season point totals (657) that Nikita Kucherov (85) accounted for last season.

Consecutive years in which the Lightning and Panthers have been division rivals, the longest active run in the Central Division.

Points scored by Kucherov through 56 games (27 goals) last season. The wing wound up leading the Lightning in points (85), goals (33) and assists (52).

Wins in 52 games by goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy last season, most in the NHL.

Seasons the Panthers have gone without a postseason series win, the league’s longest current drought. Florida’s last was a 4-3 series win in1995-96 over Pittsburgh in the Eastern Conference final. The Panthers were swept in four games in the Stanley Cup final by the Avalanche.

Games scheduled in which the Lightning and their opponent will compete on two or more days of rest.

Games scheduled in which the Lightning and their opponent will compete on no rest.

Player reportedly opting out of the season: Buffalo defenseman Casey Nelson.

$99.99

Cost for an NHL.TV All-Access season package.

Postseason wins last season by Vasilevskiy, most in the league.

Games Tampa Bay is scheduled to play against each of its seven new Central opponents.

Times in the past six seasons a team from the new Central Division appeared in the Stanley Cup final (2015, 2017, 2020), including two in 2015 (Lightning, Blackhawks) and 2020 (Lightning, Stars). Combined Lightning wins in their past10 regularseason meetings against their Central opponents, with13 regulation losses and nine overtime losses.

DIRK SHADD | Times

Defenseman Victor Hedman’s award total: one Norris Trophy, one playoff MVP trophy.

Years since the teams that competed for the Stanley Cup in the previous season will play in the same division the following season. The Islanders and Flyers played in the Patrick Division in198081 after New York defeated Philadelphia in the1979-80 Cup final.

Former Tampa Bay coaches or executives in the Central Division. Columbus’ John Tortorella led the Lightning for six seasons, including their first Stanley Cup in 2004. Detroit’s Steve Yzerman was the Lightning’s general manager eight seasons and helped acquire many of the players who helped bring the Cup back to Tampa in 2020. Dallas coach Rick Bowness is a former assistant to coach Jon Cooper.

Associated Press (2020)

Aleksander Barkov and the Panthers have the league’s longest current streak without a playoff series victory.

Teams of the eight in the Central Division that made it to last year’s expanded postseason. The only team that didn’t make it was Detroit.

Players in the Central Division who have won NHL awards, including four Lightning players: Victor Hedman (Norris Trophy, 2017-18, Conn Smythe Trophy 2019-20), Andrei Vasilevskiy (Vezina Trophy, 2018-19), Nikita Kucherov (Art Ross Trophy, Hart Memorial Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award, 2018-19), Steven Stamkos (Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy, 2009-10, 2011-12).

1,736

Games scheduled to be played in the regular season by the 31 teams.

6/1

Odds from betonline.ag that Victor Hedman will win the Norris Trophy.

16/1

Odds Steven Stamkos will win the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy.

13/2

Odds Andrei Vasilevskiy will win the Vezina

10/1

Odds Jon Cooper will win the Jack Adams

16/1

Odds Stamkos will win the Art Ross

Trophy.

Award.

Trophy.

DIRK SHADD | Times

No one doubts Brayden Point’s value to the Lightning. Can he be the league MVP this year?

Percentage fewer games to be played this year from a normal 82-game schedule.

12/1 Trophy.

Previous seasons shortened since the NHL adopted the 82-game format for the regular season in1995-96. The 2004-05 season wasn’t played due to a lockout; 2012-13 was shortened to 48 games because of another lockout; 2019-20 was shortened to 68-71 games due to the coronavirus pandemic shutdown.

Odds Brayden Point will win the Hart

50/1 Trophy.

7/5 17/2

Odds Alex Volkov will win the Calder

Odds the Lightning will win the Central Division.

Percentage of the1994-95 season cancelled due to a lockout. The 84-game schedule was cut to 48 games.

Seasons since Lightning played their first NHL game against the Blackhawks on Oct. 7,1992. They won 7-3 behind four goals from forward Chris Kontos.

Three-game series on the Lightning’s schedule. They are to play in Chicago on March 4, 5 and 7. Days from the start of the season to the Lightning’s first scheduled road trip (at Columbus on Jan. 21 and 23).

Sets of back-to-back games the Lightning have scheduled.

Cup.

MARKO DITKUN | Special to the Times

Erik Cernak is back as the Lightning aim to become the second back-to-back Cup winners since 1999.

Odds of the Lightning winning the Stanley

Contact Mari Faiello at mfaiello@tampabay.com. Follow @faiello_mari.

LIT Tampa Bay Times

| Wednesday, January 13, 2021 |

LIGHTNING

Expect Tampa to remain a title town What’s in store for the league this season? Our staff has thoughts.

Eduardo A. Encina staff writer

Mari Faiello staff writer

John Romano sports columnist

Lightning have a shot at the Stanley Cup if …

Timetables come true and the Lightning are able to get the biggest playoff acquisition possible: a healthy Nikita Kucherov for the postseason.

They can actually play through the season and Nikita Kucherov is healthy enough — and ready — to return. Special teams (especially the power play without Kucherov at the point) also will make an impact.

If Nikita Kucherov comes back before the regular season ends. The Lightning cannot survive the postseason without him, and he’ll need time to find his groove.

They don’t forget the lessons from last season’s championship season, such as responsible two-way play, winning battles along the boards, creating traffic in front of opposing goaltenders and getting pucks to the net.

Biggest threat to Lightning’s Stanley Cup hopes

Any extended absence of Andrei Vasilevskiy

The coronavirus

Victor Hedman turning an ankle

Contentment

Which team will be the biggest surprise?

Panthers

Canadiens

Hurricanes

Which team will be the biggest disappointment?

Flyers

Bruins

Islanders

Stars

Which team will win the Central Division?

Lightning

Hurricanes

Lightning

Which team will not advance to the postseason?

Blue Jackets

Red Wings

Which teams will play in the Stanley Cup final?

Lightning, Avalanche

Capitals, Lightning

Lightning, Bruins

Which team will win the Stanley Cup?

Lightning

Most outstanding player for the Lightning?

Brayden Point

Victor Hedman

Andrei Vasilevskiy

Breakout star for the Lightning?

Anthony Cirelli

Alex Volkov

Mikhail Sergachev

Get your resume to the top of the pile. We’ll show you how.

Frank Pastor assistant sports editor

tampabay.com/jobs

Wednesday, January 13, 2021 | Tampa Bay Times

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