Sam Hitchcock: Three Concerns from the Bolts' First Loss

Cooper is showing exactly why he got outcoached by Torts in the playoff collapse.

Shattenkirk is not a top-pairing defender. Shattenkirk is not a penalty killer.

Repeat those 100x out loud - 10,000x if you are Cooper.

Cooper has no idea how to build lines. He used to, and I don't know what happened. Brain injury? Meth addiction? PTSD following the whooping Torts gave him?

Palat - Stamkos - Kucherov

Killorn - Cirelli - Johnson

Verhaeghe - Gourde - Joseph

Maroon - Smith - Witowski

Hedman - Cernak

McDonagh - Sergachev

Coburn - Shattenkirk

...

When healthy :

Palat - Point - Kucherov

Cirelli - Stamkos - Johnson/Gourde

Killorn - Johnson/Gourde - Volkov/Joseph

Maroon - Paquette - Joseph/Volkov

Cooper is showing exactly why he got outcoached by Torts in the playoff collapse.

Shattenkirk is not a top-pairing defender. Shattenkirk is not a penalty killer.

Repeat those 100x out loud - 10,000x if you are Cooper.

Cooper has no idea how to build lines. He used to, and I don't know what happened. Brain injury? Meth addiction? PTSD following the whooping Torts gave him?

Palat - Stamkos - Kucherov

Killorn - Cirelli - Johnson

Verhaeghe - Gourde - Joseph

Maroon - Smith - Witowski

Hedman - Cernak

McDonagh - Sergachev

Coburn - Shattenkirk

...

When healthy :

Palat - Point - Kucherov

Cirelli - Stamkos - Johnson/Gourde

Killorn - Johnson/Gourde - Volkov/Joseph

Maroon - Paquette - Joseph/Volkov
- GalacticStone

i finally agree with you. I think Cooper got them deep in playoffs and I think someone eslse needs to take them through...Trotz gone, Quenneville gone....

i finally agree with you. I think Cooper got them deep in playoffs and I think someone eslse needs to take them through...Trotz gone, Quenneville gone....
- leafluver27

I have no confidence in Cooper any more. The league, other coaches, and players have caught on to him and his systems. He has not adapted or shown any desire to change up how he has been doing things. Regular season success is nice, but it's not the ultimate goal. I honestly don't care about the 62-win regular season - it makes exactly jack right now.

Torts outcoached him two ways - adaptation and motivation. Torts knows how to light a fire under players' asses. It's not the be-all-end-all obviously, but it's something Cooper could learn from.

I have no confidence in Cooper any more. The league, other coaches, and players have caught on to him and his systems. He has not adapted or shown any desire to change up how he has been doing things. Regular season success is nice, but it's not the ultimate goal. I honestly don't care about the 62-win regular season - it makes exactly jack right now.

Torts outcoached him two ways - adaptation and motivation. Torts knows how to light a fire under players' asses. It's not the be-all-end-all obviously, but it's something Cooper could learn from.
- GalacticStone

I know it's early... but I've finally crossed that particular Rubicon.

No idea who the hell you'd replace him with... Groulx?

What about Keenan for a year? ... because.... that's all you get out of Keenan...

I know it's early... but I've finally crossed that particular Rubicon.

No idea who the hell you'd replace him with... Groulx?

What about Keenan for a year? ... because.... that's all you get out of Keenan...
- OzBolts

I think we could replace him with a random hobo from the bus station and get similar results for less money.

I think we could replace him with a random hobo from the bus station and get similar results for less money.
- GalacticStone

Hobo with a shotgun would make the coach's challenge more interesting

Hobo with a shotgun would make the coach's challenge more interesting
- OzBolts

I know it's early... but I've finally crossed that particular Rubicon.

No idea who the hell you'd replace him with... Groulx?

What about Keenan for a year? ... because.... that's all you get out of Keenan...
- OzBolts

There really isn’t anyone right now. Missed 2 great ones in Trotz n Q.

There really isn’t anyone right now. Missed 2 great ones in Trotz n Q.
- leafluver27

Question.... would Toronto and Tampa Bay actually be a better fit for each-others coaches right now?