TAMPA — The Tampa Bay Lightning sent a strong message heading into the Olympic break. Tampa Bay put together a dominant, 6-1 victory over the Florida Panthers Thursday night, capping off an impressive run before the Olympic break.
The Lightning have posted a remarkable 19-1-1 record over their last 21 games.
Nine Bolts players and head coach Jon Cooper will now head to Italy to represent their respective countries in Olympic competition.
"Have we been the perfect team the whole time? No. Have we played pretty well most of the time? Yes," Cooper, whole will coach Team Canada, said. "The times that we haven't we've, goaltender bailed us out, or the penalty kill, power play, and it's all kinda clicked for us. But there's still a long way to go."
The Lightning racked up 81 penalty minutes in Thursday's beatdown of the Panthers. Forward Brandon Hagel wasn't surprised by the intensity.
"It's good. It builds character in this dressing room. It brings the team closer together," Hagel said in the locker room after the game. "They're an incredible team over there. Look what they've done the past three years. It's pretty simple, and we want to get back to the top. When you want to get back to the top you have to beat the top. Obviously we've got a little bit more fire just because of that, as well."
Despite their hot streak, the Lightning actually welcomes the Olympic break as an opportunity to rest and recharge.
"We have some guys that need to rest up and get healthy again," Hagel added. "Without a doubt in my mind I think we're going to come back after this break healthy and better than ever. I think a little reset's always good. That's what everyone should do, and I think that's what everyone should do."
Cooper echoed those sentiments about the importance of the break.
"Get away from the game. They've done a heck of a job. It's a grind," Cooper said. "To finish this out, and hopefully we can secure a playoff spot and then it gets even tougher. Go get away, forget about this for ten days and come back rejuvenated."
The Olympic break will temporarily turn teammates into opponents and rivals into allies as players compete for their home countries. Lightning captain Victor Hedman understands the unique dynamic.
"We go over there with one mindset, and that's to win as many games as you can and represent your country," Hedman said. "And we start back over as a group, as a family again, when we come back."
For Cooper, coaching Team Canada represents a career milestone. He coached the Canadians to a gold medal in last year's 4 Nations Face-Off. Now, he wants to pull off a repeat performance in Italy.
"I'm walking into a Canadian Maple Leaf as soon as I walk out that door. It's been a long time coming, and I can't be more excited to be a part of this," Cooper said with a grin. "There is a balance. But it's tough. I can't thank my coaching staff enough for how much they've helped out with everything. To allow me to have time to do other things and work with Team Canada. This is a chance of a lifetime, and I'm going to go over there and give it may all and enjoy every minute of it."
Preliminaries in the Olympic men's hockey tournament get underway on February 11. The NHL regular season will resume on February 25, when the Lightning host the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Nearly all Lightning games will be broadcast live on The Spot – Tampa Bay 66 (WXPX-TV) and will also be streamed here.
The Spot Tampa Bay 66 is the official broadcast partner of the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Spot and Tampa Bay 28 are both owned by EW Scripps.
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