After practice on Monday, Jon Cooper discussed Tanner Jeannot returning to practice and whether he views his team as the “hunter” as opposed to the “hunted” entering this playoff series vs. the Leafs.
Practice Lines – April 17
Lines at practice during a breakouts drill:
Stamkos – Point – Kucherov
Colton – Paul – Eyssimont
Hagel – Killorn – Cirelli
Maroon – Bellemare – Perry
D pairings:
Hedman-Perbix
Sergachev-Raddysh
Cole-Cernak
Fleury-BogosianJeannot took one rep in place of Cirelli
— Lightning Audio Network (@BoltsRadio) April 17, 2023
It must be an encouraging sign out there with Tanner Jeannot back on the ice.
Cooper: Yeah. We were anticipating this was going to happen at some point, but definitely not this early. We will see what happens here. He is definitely not going [to play] in Game 1, but what was week-to-week has since been trimmed down to day-to-day.
Is there a special treatment he is getting that has accelerated it?
Cooper: It is called Western Canadian genes.
What can it do for the room to get someone like Tanner back quicker than expected at this time of year?
Cooper: You want your full arsenal, but he is a really well-liked teammate. He has gone through a lot here with the trade and the change. And then he has a really nasty injury. Guys are pretty pumped to see him on the ice.
You have talked about flipping the switch. How much is that about the emotional level you’ll need to be at when the playoffs begin?
Cooper: Well, it is paramount. The game is played with emotion. This group has shown over the years that they can get to a level they need to be to win.
The most exciting days of the year are the opening night in the regular season and the opening night of the playoffs. It is like everything is new and everything is back to even Steven. You go play.
Really good energy on the ice [in practice]. I know that will carry over to tomorrow.
In past years, your team has been the hunted, so to speak. You go in this year more as the hunters. Is it motivation for the guys who have been to the finals three straight years that they maybe aren’t getting the respect they were in the past?
Cooper: I don’t know. We have represented the Eastern Conference for three straight years. We plan on doing it a fourth.
We have some different players and have to do it in different ways, but there is a core group there that wants to keep this train rolling.
The Leafs are going to be a problem. They are a heck of a team. These are two teams that know each other well. I would expect a heck of a series, especially with the star power that both teams produce.
To be the best, you have to beat some of the best teams in the league. The Leafs are one of them. We are going to accept this challenge and give them everything we have.
This group, until somebody gets us, we are the team that wants to be on top and we are going to do everything we can to stay on top.
When you look at the numbers the Leafs have produced this season defensively, they have improved. What do you see differently from the Leafs when you watch them play?
Cooper: The Leafs, to me, just keep making positive strides every year. They are a dynamic offensive team with dynamic players, but they have really grown into a bit of a defensive juggernaut as well. That is the kind of recipe you need to win in this league.
You get some playoff series here where it is a shame that one team is going to be out. It seems to happen every year. You have some of these marquee matchups that you hopefully see down the line. With only eight teams in the conference making the playoffs, a lot of these matchups happen in the first round.
They are good for hockey, and they are a lot of fun.
