The Lightning are wanting to finish off the Stanley Cup last as fast as could be expected.
Regardless of whether that implies praising a subsequent straight title away from home.
Up 3-0 in the best-of-seven series against the Canadiens, Tampa Bay can secure when Monday at Montreal’s Bell Center. What’s more, you would be wise to accept that is the group’s inclination.
“That will never sneak into our locker room,” Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said Sunday after it was suggested the team might rather win on home ice, should the series return to Tampa for Game 5.
Cooper said his group had two opportunities to take out groups in five games last season (up 3-1 against the Islanders in the Eastern Conference last and the Stars in the Stanley Cup last) however couldn’t underwrite.
“It’s a learning process to go through that,” he said. “By no means does that guarantee any results in what’s going to happen in (Monday’s) game, but I know our mindset is different going into these games, on these close-out games as they have in the past.”
With a success Monday, the Lightning would turn out to be only the subsequent group to clear the Canadiens in the Cup last after the Detroit Wings did as such in 1952, winning on home ice. Just two groups have won the Cup on Montreal home ice: the New York Rangers (1928) and Calgary Flames (1989), both at the Forum.
“It’s about winning,” Cooper said. “It’s not about where you win, and that’s all we care about.”
