Jon Cooper makes another attempt to get in the Leafs' heads
John Cooper just loves to provide the Leafs with bulletin board material. The Tampa Bay Lightning head coach refuses to acknowledge anything positive the Leafs have done in this series, instead electing to claim that they have "gifted" the Leafs 3 wins. No matter what Cooper says, the Leafs do have 3 wins in the series to the Lightning's 2. Game 6 Thursday night could be the final game of the season for the 2 time defending Stanley Cup Champions. Cooper knows it, the Lightning know it, and the Leafs know it.
Cooper has used the media to send messages to both his team and the Leafs. This time, he's trying to put extra pressure on the Leafs players.
Reminding them of how many times they've lost in the first round could be a solid strategy. Bringing up those old demons could shake the Leafs. The more likely outcome, in my opinion, is that it will do nothing but motivate them. The Leafs don't need to be reminded of the 6 straight losses they've suffered in the first round. They're well aware of their own history. Cooper bringing it up will only make them want it more.
Cooper's refusal to credit the Leafs may come back to bite him as well. Cooper's refusal to recognize anything the Leafs have done in this series could very easily be viewed as either cockiness, or underestimating the team that's driven them to the brink of elimination. If there's one thing that could spell the end for the Lightning, it's taking a highly motivated Leafs team lightly. To borrow a line from Gerard Butler's King Leonidas from the movie 300: "Pray they're that stupid. Pray we're that lucky."
| POLL | ||
11 MAI | 569 ANSWERS Jon Cooper makes another attempt to get in the Leafs' heads Will the Lightning force a Game 7? | ||
| Yes | 167 | 29.3 % |
| No | 402 | 70.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
