Jon Cooper Calls Out His Team After Game 1 lackluster effort

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Matt Garland
June 16, 2022 (1:22 PM)

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The Colorado Avalanche defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 in overtime in Game 1of the Stanley Cup Finals. After the game Lightning Coach Jon Cooper said:

"The Right Team Won The Game"

For the third time in four series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season, the Lightning started tentatively and lost Game 1. The Avs high-powered offense was on full display early. Colorado scored two goals in the opening 9:23 of the game. The Avalanche played with speed and pressure that created turnovers and scoring chances. That Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy was uncharacteristically shaky early didn't help.

Cooper had Tampa respond well to tie things up after the second period. Ondrej Palat completed a give-and-go with Nikita Kucherov at 12:51 and Mikhail Sergachev sneaking a right-point wrist shot past goalie Darcy Kuemper on the short side at 13:39. There was back and forth play in the third but no goals were scored. Avs winger Andre Burakovsky got the game winner in overtime after a Victor Hedman blocked shot bounced his Burakovsky's way. He was to get the shot off blasting the puck by a sprawling Andrei Vasilevskiy.

Despite playing well for stretches, the Lightning were never able to take control of the style of the game against the Avalanche.

"They executed a little bit more than us. But we have not made it this far over the last couple of years because we can't execute. It just didn't happen for us tonight and we were still right there. A tough break at the end and they got the extra one, but we'll be back here in a couple nights."

You have to appreciate Cooper's honesty after the game. Everyone in Tampa's room know they have to be better in the next game. Cooper has won two Stanley Cups with this group he knows how to get the best out of them.

Tampa will need to match the Av's speed from the start of the game and limit the turnovers. Everyone is talking about how shaky Vasilevskiy looked early on in the game but Colorado goalie Darcy Kuemper didn't have a great game. He stopped 20 of 23 shots against. The Lightning will need to get more shots on net and get bodies in front of Kuemper to take away his eyes.

The Lightning have only lost back to back games only once in these playoffs. That was Game 1 and Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Rangers. They went on to win the next four to eliminate New York.

Game 2 is Saturday night with puck drop at 8PM.