The next Tampa Bay Lightning practice could be an interesting one, especially with what head coach Jon Cooper had to say after Friday night's 4-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets.
After the game, Cooper gave the Jets credit for allowing his team to trip over their own feet. And let's just say he didn't mince his words, that's for sure.
"Good of Winnipeg," stated Cooper per Chris Krenn. "Honestly, it was really a nothing game going on. That game could've been 0-0 and a shootout. They stayed disciplined and just said, 'Sit back and wait for Tampa to screw it up,' and they did. That's what happened."
The 11th-year head coach of the Lightning wasn't done there, next going after his team's lack of discipline and their inability to stay out of the penalty box.
"How many 5-on-3s you're up against in one season, you count on maybe one hand," said Cooper. "We gave them two, minute and a half 5-on-3s in one game. Unacceptable. That shouldn't happen."
It might've been different if his team found a way to get out of those jams, but instead, Winnipeg would score two power-play goals to take a 3-2 lead, before adding an empty netter for the final nail in the coffin.
Safe to say, Cooper knew it cost his team two points.
"It's a complete lack of discipline," he said. "It was embarrassing what we did."
The loss to the Jets was the second of back-to-back bad defeats for the Lightning after they lost 5-1 to the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday.
Their head coach isn't the only one to think the penalties are starting to become an issue. Defenceman Ian Cole agreed with Cooper's assessment and knows the whole team, including himself, needs to be better at staying out of the box.
"Penalties have been an issue for our team, up and down the lineup," said Cole. "Just too many, and I'm certainly a part of that. I can be way better...It takes our best players off the ice. Our skill guys, we want on the ice as much as possible."
The Lightning currently sit third in the Atlantic division with a record of 24-13-1, but when your team's standard is three Stanley Cup Finals in a row, back-to-back losses don't usually happen.
And sometimes, your coach needs to remind you of exactly what the standard looks like, which is exactly what Cooper did Friday night.
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