TAMPA, Fla — The Lightning face an extended off-season for the third straight season after losing to the Panthers in the first round. The players say they take no joy in getting an extra month to train for next season or take a trip to visit their families.
"We're not excited that our off-season is starting and we're having a long summer. We want to be playing, still," Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh said bluntly during Friday's year-end media availability. "We want nothing but to call ourselves champions after a long playoff run. That's what excites you about being a part of this team, this culture, this organization— when you have a group that wants to win so bad."
Watch full report from Kevin Lewis
Not much went the Bolts' way during their 4-1 series loss. They dropped all three home games this postseason, dipping their record to 1-9 in their last 10 playoff games at AMALIE Arena. Despite the struggles, a visibly frustrated Andrei Vasilevskiy believes in this group's ability to re-focus.
"I'm 100% confident in our group," he said. "Just need a little bit more attention to details. Once we take care of the details, execution, consistency, the luck will come."
Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois revealed that captain Victor Hedman broke his right foot in game four of the series. Hedman played through the injury and skated all of game five. He said he would've continued playing as along as the Lightning were alive in the playoffs, and not even broken bones could dampen his first season with the "C" on his sweater.
"Doesn't matter. Wearing the "C" or the ["A" for alternate/assistant] or no letters at all. It's been fun to watch guys stepping it up outside and being more of leaders themselves," Hedman said while sporting a walking boot at the podium. "It's been a privilege for me, and eager to get back to work and be even better next year."
Speculation—mostly fueled by online reports—questioned Jon Cooper's future as head coach of the Lightning. That speculation appears to be baseless.
"Coop will be back next year," BriseBois said. "Coop will be back because [A] he's an outstanding coach. Two, more importantly, he's the best coach for this job. Three, I really enjoy working with him." BriseBois went on to say he hopes their relationship continues for "years to come" and that he hopes Cooper will "be here for a while."
Cooper, the longest tenured head coach in the NHL, says he can't believe it's been 12 years since he took over behind the bench. He beamed when talking about the rise in nationwide popularity of the Lightning brand and the way the franchise has revitalized the downtown Tampa area. He also reiterated the importance of having first-class individuals in the front office and on the ice.
"I've never been part of another organization, but I just know that if there's another organization out here better than this one- I wanna see it," Cooper said before leaving the podium. "For me, it's hard for me to see myself being anywhere else."
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