Victory over the Canadiens: Jon Cooper thanked Rick Tocchet

Vincent Larue
Victory over the Canadiens: Jon Cooper thanked Rick Tocchet
Credit: Capture d'écran/Twitter

Let's be honest: the Canadiens had their fate partly in their own hands, and they let it slip away.

Last night, the Habs had a chance to move closer to home-ice advantage in their series against the Lightning. The scenario was simple: win their game, then hope the Lightning lost to the Rangers tonight. Nothing impossible. Nothing far-fetched. Sure, the Rangers aren't exactly the team of the moment, but still.

But instead, a loss.

And meanwhile, behind the scenes, a little juicy scene unfolded. Jon Cooper picked up his phone to call Rick Tocchet.

Why?

To thank him.

Yes, yes. The Lightning coach actually called the Flyers' coach after their win against the Habs. A heartfelt “thanks, buddy”… because this loss by the Habs officially secures home-ice advantage for Jon Cooper's team to start the series.

It's the kind of detail that speaks volumes about the reality of the NHL. While the players talk about “focusing on our game,” the coaches, for their part, look at the bigger picture. And sometimes, that leads to some pretty revealing phone calls.

For the Canadiens, it hurts. Not just because they lost a game to an “AHL” team, but because they let a concrete opportunity to give themselves an advantage slip away.

Starting a series at home, in a roaring Bell Centre, changes the dynamic. Now, they'll have to win on the road.

And against Tampa… good luck.

Because if Jon Cooper takes the time to call and thank another coach, it's because he knows exactly how crucial that detail is. The Lightning are a machine that understands the small advantages and exploits them.

In the end, the Habs aren't out of it, far from it. But let's just say the road just got unnecessarily complicated. And if the series ever goes to a decisive Game 7, it will be played in Tampa Bay, in front of their fans, in an atmosphere that's clearly less welcoming for the Canadiens.

And somewhere in Florida, there's a coach who probably hung up the phone with a smile.


In a nutshell

– Bad news for the Stars.

– Tristan Luneau recalled.

– Interesting.

– Wow!

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