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Jon Cooper delivers a surprising statement after Canadiens' late comeback push
In Tampa on Sunday, the Montreal Canadiens lost 5-4 in a shootout, but they still came away with a huge point.
The game looked settled after 40 minutes. The Tampa Bay Lightning led 3-0, then 4-1 early in the third period. Ivan Demidov led the charge, and the Habs scored three goals to force overtime.
Juraj Slafkovsky tied the game with just 3.8 seconds remaining, and the arena was left frozen.
Tampa eventually prevailed anyway, in a cruel shootout scenario. Gage Goncalves and Brayden Point scored, while Demidov and Cole Caufield were turned away.
Jon Cooper did not hide his respect
In his interview after the game, Jon Cooper spoke flat-out like the coach of a defeated team. He suggested that the best team over 65 minutes did not get the two points, a rare comment when you've just won.
Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper yesterday on his team's shootout win vs the Habs:
"I think anybody that was watching this game knows that the better team that played 65 mins tonight didn't get the two points."
- Via HabsOnReddit
"I think anybody that was watching this game knows that the better team that played 65 mins tonight didn't get the two points."
- Via HabsOnReddit
The numbers give weight to this "moral victory" for the Tricolore. Montreal outshot Tampa 36-22 and won 62.7% of the faceoffs. Jonas Johansson held the fort with 32 saves, while Jacob Fowler allowed four goals on 22 shots.
In the standings, this point truly matters, as the Habs now sit at 20-12-6 following the game. And when you add concrete details, it hits even harder.
Slafkovsky, 21, carries a $7.6M cap hit starting in 2025-26, and he finished the night with 2 goals and 1 assist.
St-Louis announced the team will hold a practice today ahead of their game against the Panthers on Tuesday.