
Real Madrid president Perez keen on Mourinho reunion but no approach made
Real Madrid's Perez keen on Mourinho reunion but no approach yet
Coach Jon Cooper expressed disappointment after the Tampa Bay Lightning lost 3-2 to the Montreal Canadiens in Game 5, putting them on the brink of elimination in the NHL playoffs. Montreal now leads the series 3-2.
Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper did not hide his frustration after his team fell 3-2 to the Montreal Canadiens in Game 5. The loss on April 29 pushed Tampa Bay to the brink of elimination, with Montreal now leading the NHL first-round series 3-2.
Speaking to the media after the game, Cooper said the performance fell short of the teamâs standard and called the home defeat disappointing.
âWe just lost a Game 5, so thereâs lots going on in my head right now,â Cooper said. âDid I think we had our best game? We clearly did not. Is it really disappointing to come home and lose? It is. This is something we should take a ton of pride in and dig our heels in and not accept.â
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Cooper pointed to missed chances that could have changed the outcome. âWe had some chances to tie it. We hit some posts, and this is the game,â Cooper said, adding that small moments decided the game.
The coach highlighted a key stretch in the third period, noting how Darren Raddysh struck the post on an open net. Soon after, the puck skipped over Nikita Kucherovâs stick in a dangerous area. Within seconds, the Canadiens scored at the other end. Cooper said that the sequence felt deflating and shifted momentum early in the period.
âRaddysh hits the post, an open net, the puck just bounces over Kuchâs stick and like 40 seconds later, in the same basically end back end, itâs in our net,â Cooper said. âAnd so you just feel like it was a little deflating at that point, you know, at the start of the period for that to happen.
âBut I thought we gave ourselves chances to score. We just didnât. Can we do some things better? Thereâs no question. But itâs just the fact that we kept going down, we had to keep chasing the game. Thatâs not a recipe for success.â
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Coach Jon Cooper described the loss as disappointing and stated that the team's performance fell short of their standards.
The loss puts the Lightning on the brink of elimination, as they now trail the Canadiens 3-2 in the first-round series.
Cooper highlighted missed chances and hitting posts as critical moments that could have altered the game's outcome.
The Montreal Canadiens lead the first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2.

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Despite the setbacks, Tampa Bay created enough offense to stay in the contest. The Lightning outshot Montreal 40-24 and tied the game twice. Goals from Dominic James and Jake Guentzel kept them within reach. However, they could not find a third equalizer after Alexandre Texier restored Montrealâs lead early in the third.
Montrealâs goaltender Jakub Dobes played a key role with 38 saves. He denied several high-quality chances, including multiple looks from Kucherov. Tampa Bay also failed to convert on the power play, which added pressure as they chased the game.
Forward Corey Perry also talked about the frustration, while mentioning that the group still has a chance to respond in Game 6.
âWe didnât get the job done,â Perry said. âWe pushed, but it wasnât there. Itâs frustrating in our building, but luckily thereâs a Game 6.â
The series now shifts back to Montreal, where the Canadiens will try to close it out, and the Lightning will fight to extend their season.