Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper opened his end-of-season news conference Wednesday apologizing for making what he called an inappropriate analogy of putting skirts on goalies. Cooper after the Game 5 loss that eliminated his team from the playoffs on Monday night vented about two questionable goaltender interference rulings that contributed to Florida’s 6-1 win.
The Lightning had two goals disallowed when the NHL situation room deemed a player interfered with Sergei Bobrovsky each time.
The league’s longest-tenured coach said he was sincerely sorry especially as a father of two daughters who play sports and a supporter of women’s hockey.
“It’s one of those minutes if you could just reach back and grab the words back, I would’ve,” Cooper said. “Quite frankly, it was wrong and I’ve got to go and explain myself to my girls. … I sincerely apologize to all I offended. It’s pained me more than the actual series loss itself.”
Tampa Bay has made the playoffs in 10 of his 11 seasons on the job and won the Stanley Cup back to back in 2020 and ‘21.
Panthers resting and waiting for Bruins-Leafs winner
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. All players and coaches were at work on Wednesday at the Florida Panthers’ practice facility. Nobody was on the ice. That’s a nice problem to have right now. Florida will open the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs at home. That much is certain. The opponent – Boston or Toronto – won’t be decided until at least Thursday. And when Game 1 of the next series will happen is anybody’s guess. So, for now, the Panthers will rest up and wait. The current plan calls for them to skate on Thursday and Friday, then see what happens. “We have a sports science group, got a new facility, got lots of things we can do for recovery for these guys and we’re exploring all that,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “And we’re trying to learn too. It’s not that we set a program and we’re staying with it. There’s a better way and that’s what we’re doing down there today.”
Colorado buries the Jets
The Winnipeg Jets, playing perhaps their best hockey since a series-opening 7-6 victory, became the first Canadian team ousted from the Stanley Cup playoffs when they lost 6-3 to the visiting Colorado Avalanche Tuesday night. Tied 3-3 in the third period, and trailing the best-of-seven series 3-1, the Jets applied all kinds of pressure, but Mikko Rantanen scored his first two goals of the postseason four minutes apart to polish off Winnipeg’s short postseason run. Emotional bench boss Rick Bowness said he was proud of the Jets’ Game 5 efforts, and hoped the hard lessons learned from the series will serve the team well going forward. The Dallas Stars or the defending champion Vegas Golden Knights will be the Avalanche’s opponent in the next round.
Hurricanes close in on getting Pesce back for Rangers series
The Carolina Hurricanes have avoided a major injury concern for defenceman Tony DeAngelo while veteran blueliner Brett Pesce is nearing a return from a lower-body injury suffered in the second game of the NHL playoffs. Team president and general manager Don Waddell said Wednesday that Pesce has shed a walking boot and is doing work to return and should play at some point in the second-round series against the Presidents’ Trophy-winning New York Rangers. Pesce came up hobbled in a noncontact situation in Game 2 of the first-round series win against the New York Islanders and didn’t play again. DeAngelo took Pesce’s spot opposite Brady Skjei on Carolina’s deep blue line, only to exit late from Tuesday’s Game 5 clincher after taking an uncalled slash to the arm from Pierre Engvall near the boards. Coach Rod Brind’Amour, who had praised DeAngelo’s play in jumping into the lineup, expressed concern afterward while saying the defenceman in his second stint with the team was having X-rays. But Waddell said Wednesday those came back clear.
NHL announces Norris finalists
NEW YORK Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks, Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche and Roman Josi of the Nashville Predators are the three finalists for the Norris Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s best defenceman, the league announced Wednesday. The trophy is voted on by members of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association. Hughes, in his first season as Canucks captain, led all blueliners with a career-high 92 points. Makar, who won the Norris following the 2021-22 season, set career highs and franchise records with 90 points and 69 assists. Josi, the Norris winner in 2019-20 and three-time nominee, led all NHL defencemen with 23 goals and finished third with 85 points.
The Associated Press, The Canadian Press