home jobs contact us
Our Clients:
Browse by Sport
Find us on ASAP sports on Facebook ASAP sports on Twitter
ASAP Sports RSS Subscribe to RSS
Click to go to
Asaptext.com
ASAPtext.com
ASAP Sports e-Brochure View our
e-Brochure

NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: LIGHTNING v RANGERS


May 25, 2015


Jon Cooper


TAMPA, FLORIDA: Practice Day

Q.  What adjustments do you expect the Rangers to make for Game 6?
COACH COOPER:  Oh, that's way too hard a question for the first one.  I don't know.  I think, I don't think I have the answer for that.  I'm worried about our team out there.

Q.  Any adjustments you guys need to make or you're pretty happy overall?
COACH COOPER:  Much happier.  I think as a coach you're probably never satisfied until you completely get through the series, but we took big steps yesterday in being the team we need to be to win.  We just looked after our net a lot better, though I'd like to have the puck a little bit more.
I think the third period, we were clearly trying to protect the lead.  But a little bit more sustained pressure probably helped us out a little bit, but to be honest, I sit back and look at what we did last night.

Q.  As a coach, I'm sure you don't look at the consequence if you were to lose a game, but (Indiscernible) to go back to New York?
COACH COOPER:  Well, that speaks for itself.  I think everybody in our locker room would love to not have to get on a plane again.  It's not so much that we're scared of a Game 7.  We've gone through those situations in the playoffs.  I just don't want to get on a plane for a while.  That is the nice thing.
I think all of you would probably agree.  That's part of the grind I that I think people are just constantly traveling.  They're pretty remarkable athletes to be able to put on a show and keep themselves fit and grind games out the way they are, and especially traveling and stuff like that.

Q.  (Indiscernible) is that just a sign of a good team?
COACH COOPER:  I think you have to have depth.  We're not here without it.  It starts with Bish, our three line, and you have to look at the scoring depth.  To have more than one line getting it done and be a threat, now you put a little more pressure on them to not only play defense against us, but also try and score, so it's like a double (Indiscernible).

Q.  When you lead the league in goals that becomes your identity whether you want it or not, but that wasn't the story yesterday.  Talk about those PK people, and all year the job that they do.
COACH COOPER:  Well, special teams just gets magnified in the playoffs, I think usually the way special teams works.  And they have a good percentage in the game, and we did that last night, like the Rangers did in games before.
It's a little bit of pride for those guys.  You challenge them and kind of called them out a little bit, and they rise to the occasion.  Our.
PK has been solid all year, and I think they were taking it to heart a little bit that they were going to score on them.  Our PP has been up and down.  They seemed to come through when we've needed them to, and it's no different last night.

Q.  (Indiscernible)?
COACH COOPER:  To me they're three completely different series.  Backs against the wall in the Detroit series.  We had to win two (Indiscernible) games.  The feeling of Game 6 in the Montreal series is probably a little different because we were up 3‑0.
This has been a back‑and‑forth series.  We weren't tied 2‑2 in any other series.  So I don't know, it's kind of a different feeling.  I think the farther you go, we've gotten more comfortable as a team together.  I think your roles, guys' roles have been defined more.  Everybody knows, really, as a coach and the people we've got here, everybody knows what's going on and who's up and who's going.
It's a lot of fun to watch, just to see the progression from training camp until now.  They're a fine‑oiled machine right now, and it's just fun to be part of it.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports




About ASAP SportsFastScripts ArchiveRecent InterviewsCaptioningUpcoming EventsContact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297