Lightning’s Jon Cooper apologizes, Vasilevskiy promises to be smarter

TAMPA — Even more than losing the first-round series to the Panthers, Lightning coach Jon Cooper said Wednesday, the inadvertent swipe he took at women after Monday’s Game 5 loss was what pained him most.

Cooper opened his season wrap-up news conference by apologizing for what many perceived as a sexist comment after his team’s 6-1, season-ending loss to the Panthers in Sunrise.

“I made an inappropriate analogy about goalies and skirts,” Cooper said. “It’s one of those moments if you could just reach back and grab the words back, I would have.”

Cooper had been upset about goaltender interference calls that negated two Lightning goals in the loss to the Panthers, which eliminated Tampa Bay from the playoffs in the first round for the second straight season.

In the first period, an Anthony Cirelli goal was overturned on a coach’s challenge by the Panthers and prevented the Lightning from taking an early 1-0 lead. In the second period, an apparent goal by Mikhail Sergachev was waived off immediately, and a subsequent Tampa Bay challenge was unsuccessful. Had the goal counted, it would have tied the game at 2.

“Net-front battles aren’t allowed anymore? That’s part of everybody’s game,” Cooper said after the game. “The boxing-out that goes there, it’s like prison rules in the playoffs. But it’s not prison rules for the goalie? Like, the second something happens, you know, like, we might as well put skirts on them then, if that’s how it’s going to be. I mean, they have to battle through things, too.”

Cooper said Wednesday he was wrong and had to explain himself to his two girls, both of whom play sports.

“I sincerely apologize to all I offended,” he said. “It’s pained me more than the actual series loss itself.”

Cooper said the comment didn’t accurately reflect his views as a “massive supporter of women’s hockey.”

“It was one of those moments that I don’t think my actions of the past led me,” he said, “and I guess judge me maybe more on those than on the emotional, quite frankly dumb words that came out of my mouth the other night.

“So for that, I’m sorry.”

Paying the price

General manager Julien BriseBois on Wednesday ran down the long list of Lightning injuries:

• Forward Tyler Motte: broken ankle

• Defenseman Erik Cernak: shoulder strain since Game 2

• Forward Luke Glendening: dislocated shoulder and labrum tear since April 15

• Forward Brandon Hagel: strained glute in Game 3

• Defenseman Nick Perbix: sprained shoulder in Game 1, played next two games injured

• Defenseman Darren Raddysh: injured abdomen/hip in Game 3

• Forward Conor Sheary: finger tendon issue since Dec. 30, will see specialist about possible surgery

• Goaltender Jonas Johansson: out since March 30 with quad tear

Asked about playing through his glute strain, Hagel said, “it didn’t feel great.”

Defenseman Mikhail Sergachev said he will have surgery this offseason to remove the metal pins that were inserted when he broke both bones in his leg.

Vasilevskiy’s smarter offseason

Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy described his season as “a rollercoaster.” Beginning with back surgery in September that sidelined him for two months, he finished with the highest goals-against average (2.90) and lowest save percentage (.900) of his career.

BriseBois said he thought missing most of training camp contributed to Vasilevskiy’s inconsistency. The goaltender agreed, saying it would change his approach to the offseason.

“It’s the foundation for the whole season,” Vasilevskiy said. “It is what it is. I’ll be smarter about next season, probably change preseason training a little bit.”

He said he will not use as much heavy weights and focus on building more small muscles that help with stabilizing the back and core.

“Again now, after surgery, trying to be more smart about preparation,” Vasilevskiy said.

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