TORONTO – John Cooper may have grown up in Prince George, British Columbia, but while his hometown is more than 2,500 miles from Toronto, Tampa Bay coach Lightning is familiar with the passion of Toronto Maple Leafs fans.
“My father grew up to be a big fan of Leafs,” Cooper said Sunday after training. “I had to ask him last night who he toasted about in the show. Fortunately, he had the right answer.”
Lightning face Maple Leafs in match 1 of the first round of the Eastern Conference at Scotiabank Arena on Monday (19:30 ET; ESPN2, CBC, TVAS, SN, BSSUN). Cooper said he was looking forward to training against his father’s favorite team.
“It’s a little shocking that we haven’t met, not in my tenure here,” Cooper said. “We have met with other teams in our division several times and this is the first time for us. Probably a long time to come, two similar teams that have been close to the top of the standings for several years. I think it’s good for hockey, I think these are two established franchises that have been at the top of their game for about a decade and it’s time to meet in the playoffs. “
[RELATED: Complete Maple Leafs vs. Lightning series coverage]
As Lightning embarks on its quest to become the first NHL franchise to win three consecutive Stanley Cup titles since the New York Islanders won four in a row in 1980-83, the Maple Leafs aren’t just looking for their first championship for the Cup. Stanley is 55 years old, but their first victory in the playoff series since 2004.
“There is no doubt that the boys are aware of this,” said Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe. “We went through a lot here, boys went through a lot even before my time. But the focus is just on this team and this opportunity we have here. We went through a lot to go through 82 games, you go through a lot of different things. Your team and individuals have been tested a lot in the 82 games, so when I focus only on that team, this team is excited about what’s coming.
“We know the challenge is great, but it only makes the opportunity greater.”
Maple Leafs set new team records for wins (54) and points (115) in the 2021-22 season. Their prize is a match against two-time defending champion Lightning, who has won eight of his last 11 regular-season games, including an 8-1 victory over Toronto on April 21.
Keefe said he would not have wanted otherwise.
“If you are going to overcome the obstacle we have to go through here, you can start with the best,” Keefe said. “These are the champions. Every time we were challenged as a hockey team this season, we responded very well. So I think we have a lot of respect for Tampa Bay, [and] no dispute, discussion, they are the league class at the moment. They proved it, they won it, but there is no doubt that our team will be ready for them. “
Cooper was somewhat nostalgic after Lightning’s training at the Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto. This is the same arena in which he, along with Lightning strikers Alex Killarn and Ondray Palace, won the Calder Cup in 2012 with Norfolk, then part of the American Hockey League, against Toronto Marlis.
“I love being here,” Cooper said.
On Monday, he said he would like to be even more behind Lightning’s bench at Scotiabank Arena against Maple Leafs.
“Playing on teams like that, Original Six, has something unique about it in such a special way,” Cooper said. “Growing up, looking from Wendel Clark through Daryl Sitler to (now) Austin Matthews. This is a city that is proud of their hockey, passionate about their hockey, maybe almost above the top, but when you are in this game, coaching at the highest level, there is no better place to play in a place that everyone is interested in. at most, that’s why it’s great to play in Toronto. “
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