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NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: LIGHTNING v RANGERSMay 23, 2015Jon CooperNEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Practice Day Q. After watching the tape, I assume you watched it, what did you like about the game last night? COACH COOPER: I liked our effort. We played hard. We created a lot of chances to score, we just didn't score. It was a combination of us not executing and the Rangers playing good defense, and Lundqvist being strong on goal. Bottom line is Rangers won 5‑1, and the series is 2‑2, and that's probably how it should be. These are two good teams battling it out. It's really, really exciting hockey. Got to turn the page. Even after a win, you've got to turn the page. Q. So turning the page, what didn't you like about what you saw? COACH COOPER: Much like probably the Rangers were getting a little maligned for giving up back‑to‑back sixes, well, we've given up back‑to‑back fives. We can sit here and say all we want and pat ourselves on the back and say we had chances to score. Well, moral victories don't get you this far, and we're giving up too many goals. You can't continue to sit here and say we need to score six every night to win. We need to score three to win, and that's what we have to get back to. So we've got to look after our net a little bit better. Q. (No Microphone) there was a change in goal at one place? (No Microphone)? COACH COOPER: (No Microphone) no change. Q. It's been a long time since Bishop has given up back‑to‑back goals, now five goals in back‑to‑back games. COACH COOPER: Well, if you think about the history of our team since I guess our band has been together for the last two years, we've had pretty good responses after we've lost games. I'm not sitting here saying we're playing poorly, because I don't think we're playing poorly. Do we have some things we have to tighten up? Yes. But give the Rangers credit. They're making us do things that are probably a little outside of our comfort zone. They've got a lot of good players over there, so they're hard to contain just as probably they think we are in some respect. But we've been a pretty good bounce‑back team, and we've had a fairly good history of bouncing back after losses. I know when we spoke after the game yesterday our guys had a pretty determined look on their face. They know the series wasn't going to be a sweep. Now it's down to the best of three, and game on. Q. Bishop like (No Microphone). Are there those qualities? COACH COOPER: I just don't think you get here to this point in the season and even into the playoffs without having a goaltender, a guy that bails you out when you need to be bailed out. Ben Bishop has bailed us out some games. Have we bailed him out? Sure we have sometimes. But for the most part, Bishop has been rock solid for us. Especially for a kid that's not played in an NHL playoff game before, there is a brighter light on him, and all he's done is passed every test that gets sent his way. The tighter the game has got and the more pressure packed the series got, Ben Bishop got better, and you can't ask any more than that. I understand your question, but for somebody to sit here and say, oh, are we changing the goalie, it's asinine to me. Q. (Indiscernible)? COACH COOPER: Asinine. Well, okay, we're not allowed to use that word in print? What would be another word for that? Q. Preposterous? COACH COOPER: Preposterous. Okay, that's one more syllable than asinine. It's more powerful. Okay. Q. Any update on Matt Carle? Will he have a chance to play tomorrow? COACH COOPER: He's improving, so we'll see. I guess there is always a chance, but we won't be able to know. I haven't seen him today. I'll see him when I get on the plane. Q. Talk about your defensive plays. COACH COOPER: I would say it's inconsistent. I think when there is long stretches where we're not giving up anything, and then there is just a Fleury. I look at last night's game, we didn't, I consider, give up a ton through the first 45 minutes. We gave up a ton in the last 15 minutes. But aside from that, it's just these little inconsistencies. We've got to improve on our special teams as well. That's a power play. Didn't get it done last night. Our penalty kill has been a little leaky the last couple games. When your special teams are rolling, it helps you roll. So we've just got to tighten up in some areas. Our efforts there is just a little bit execution. We go through these little flurries where the Rangers have taken advantage of us, and we've just got to tighten it up. Q. (No Microphone). COACH COOPER: So one game they had three shots. Another one ‑‑ that's right up there with are you going to switch goalies. Q. I'm just wondering what adjustments (No Microphone)? COACH COOPER: Well, okay. I think Kucherov had an open‑‑ what do we call that, open something and Tyler Johnson on the first one. So if those two go in, which a lot of times in the postseason they have, I think those kids have been really, really good for us. I think it's pretty cool when they don't get on the score sheet, it's (No Microphone). So that's a big statement for how far those kids have come. Q. Stamkos seems to have really found his touch? COACH COOPER: Stammer's been awesome. I think that's what's really helped us is that we've had a couple lines that have been scoring. Our depth lines have been, for the most part, been playing "D", and that's what's gotten us to this point so far. Because Jonny's line has been carrying us for quite some time, and now we've kind of got our body back a little bit. We've just got to tighten up on the defensive end. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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