Jon Cooper Shifts Blame Away From Players After Brutal OT Loss

Lightning coach Jon Cooper takes criticism at Leafs after OT loss

Tampa Bay Lightning Head Coach Jon Cooper had some interesting words about the Leafs following their stunning comeback in Game 4.

The Leafs rallied down 4-1 in the third to cruise to a 5-4 OT win against Tampa, taking a statement 3-1 series lead. When asked about the Leafs win, Cooper had some comments about Toronto that hinted slightly a bit of snark their way.

After the first goal in the comeback from Leafs star Auston Matthews, Cooper reflected on the goal, saying that the team was trying to win, but Toronto managed to beat them out mentally.



Cooper's comments imply that Tampa believed in the game being near closed, and that the win was less Toronto's dominance but Tampa not playing tough enough to close out what they thought was a sure win in their favor, which to Cooper's credit, looked to be a fair assessment.

Now on the brink of elimination, Cooper appears poised to take the struggles of the Lightning's mentality in Game 4, and to hope that for whatever games are left in the series, that the mindset hinges towards Tampa's favor.

Read More - Lightning head coach takes credit away from the Leafs after epic comeback win in OT