Game 3: Cooper Embraces the Tactical Grind in Montreal

As the opening National Hockey League playoff series between Tampa Bay and Montreal has shifts north of the border, veteran Lightning coach Jon Cooper knows the chess match is only beginning.

With the two Eastern Conference rivals each making early adjustments, Cooper emphasized the tactical intrigue of playoff hockey — particularly without the benefit of last change on the road.

“It’s kind of the fun part about the game,” Cooper said on Thursday, an off-day in the series. “There’s a tactical side to it… both teams have a plan, and ultimately it’s the players that determine it when they’re out there.”

The series is tied at one, following each team grabbing an overtime victory in Tampa. Game 3 is Friday at the Bell Centre in Montreal at 7 p.m.

One key piece of Tampa Bay’s plan has been the play of center Anthony Cirelli, whose line has taken on tough defensive assignments, often matched against Montreal’s top unit led by Nick Suzuki.

Cirelli’s effectiveness, Cooper said, comes from a mindset that prioritizes the team over individual success.

“He plays every shift like it’s his last,” Cooper said. “He prides himself on keeping the puck out of the net just as much as scoring. That kind of selfless attitude is contagious.”

Cirelli’s defensive reputation has even sparked conversation about postseason awards, though the forward downplayed individual recognition.

“The big thing is the Stanley Cup,” Cirelli said. “That’s what we’re all fighting for.”

Tampa Bay heads into Game 3 riding momentum from a 3-2 overtime win Tuesday, but Cooper cautioned against reading too much into one performance.

“You hope it’s a blueprint,” he said. “But that’s not going to guarantee future success. Adjustments are being made, and there’s a mentality we have to maintain.”

That mentality — built on energy and emotion — has become a defining trait for the Lightning.

Forward Gage Goncalves said the team thrives when playing with intensity, even embracing the role of villain in a hostile road environment like Montreal’s Bell Centre.

“If you don’t like going into a sold-out building with passionate fans, you’re probably in the wrong business,” Goncalves said. “It’s almost more fun to play the villain sometimes.”

Veteran forward Yanni Gourde and others have helped drive that emotional edge, bringing energy in scrums and physical play that fuels the bench.

“That’s just Gordo being Gordo,” Goncalves said. “It brings a lot of emotion to our game.”

Still, that edge has come with a cost. Tampa Bay has found itself on the wrong side of penalty discrepancies at times, something Cooper acknowledged without fully disputing.

“I can’t sit here and say we haven’t deserved it at times,” he said. “But there are moments where it feels like maybe it leans a little more our way.”

As the series continues, the Lightning will look to balance that intensity while maintaining discipline — a challenge that could prove decisive.

With injured defenseman Victor Hedman still weeks away, and injured defenseman Charle D’Astous not ready to return either, but both traveling with the team, Tampa Bay remains focused on the group at hand.

“We’re a driven group,” Cooper said. “We didn’t want to go down 0-2, and now we’ve given ourselves a chance.”

Game 3 promises not only a louder atmosphere, but a deeper layer of strategy — and, if the Lightning have their way, more of the emotion that has fueled them so far.