TAMPA, Fla. — When it was over — after the Lightning had lastly survived the Rangers in Sport 6 on Saturday evening at Amalie Enviornment to advance to their third consecutive Stanley Cup Remaining and the groups had been participating within the conventional post-game handshakes at mid-ice — Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper reached the top of the road and met with Rangers coach Gerard Gallant. They'd an prolonged embrace.
“You’re going to be sitting on this seat very quickly,’’ was the essence of the message Cooper delivered to Gallant, with whom he has coached and is shut pals.
“That Ranger group,’’ a humbled Cooper stated after the sport, pausing. “Gerard Gallant goes to be sitting right here not too lengthy sooner or later.’’
Cooper went on to credit score the Rangers for his or her competitiveness on this collection, even if they had been clearly gassed within the last couple of contests. Saturday was their twentieth playoff sport up to now 40 nights.
“It’s arduous whenever you go seven [games against Pittsburgh], you go seven [games against Carolina] and also you go six [against Tampa Bay] … that was their twentieth playoff sport in 40 days,’’ Cooper stated. “It’s arduous to play 20 regular-season video games in 40 days, not to mention playoff video games. And for them to get so far as they did, I’m amazed by what they did, not to mention what we did.
“The playoffs at instances is usually a conflict of attrition, and I believe in the long run the layoff helped us. It didn’t early, however no layoff damage them and the lengthy collection. These video games are 2-1, 3-2, they’re all extraordinarily tight video games. They gave us every thing they'd.’’
Cooper got here away extremely impressed with the Rangers after this collection, sounding like a coach who expects to see them go deep into the playoffs once more subsequent season.
“When you might have the core they've, the fellows up entrance and among the defensemen they've, and then you definately obtained the goaltender [Igor Shesterkin], it’s a fairly good recipe to have.
“And,’’ Cooper went on, “led by what I contemplate to be among the finest coaches on the earth in Gerard Gallant. So, I informed Gerard that sometime, hopefully after I’m not nonetheless teaching, he’s going to be up right here.’’
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