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Meanwhile, goaltender Ben Bishop set franchise records for victories (37),Cheap MLB Jerseys Authentic, save percentage (.924) and goals-against average (2.23) before a left elbow injury sidelined him for the final week of the regular season and the playoffs,Anthony Steen Dolphins Jersey, where Tampa Bay was swept by Montreal in the opening round.
Stamkos missed 45 games, as well as Canada's gold-medal run in the Olympics last winter, yet the 24-year-old still was able to lead Tampa Bay to its first playoff appearance since 2011.
The young team led by Steven Stamkos posted the third-best record in the Eastern Conference a year ago, and Cooper is among those who believe the club is capable of contending for the Stanley Cup title this season.
Ryan Callahan, obtained in the deal that sent St. Louis to the Rangers, returns for a full season after re-signing as a free agent. General manager Steve Yzerman has also brought in Brian Boyle,Wholesale Jerseys From China, Anton Stralman, Brendan Morrow, Jason Garrison and backup goalie Evgeni Nabokov in hopes of strengthening the team defensively.
"You don't have a right to make the playoffs. It's not a given you're in," said Cooper, who replaced former coach Guy Boucher in March 2013 and helped the Lightning rebound from having the 28th-worst record in the league to go 51-35-2 finish last season.
"We like to think we're an improved team," Yzerman added. "But we've got to do it on the ice."
TAMPA,Cheap Jerseys USA, Fla. (AP) — Jon Cooper wants his Tampa Bay Lightning to know something about heightened expectations. They don't mean anything unless you prove you're as good as you think you can be.
"We have to realize it's going to be tougher this year," Stamkos agreed. "I know the expectations are higher, but we're not going to surprise anyone. In that regard, we can use that as motivation."
The two-time All-Star delivered 25 goals and 40 points in 37 games, and his absence from early November to just before a late-season trade sent Martin St. Louis to the New York Rangers created unexpected opportunities for young players such as Ondrej Palat and Tyler Johnson, who helped the Lightning stay afloat without its star.
The coach,Wholesale NBA Jerseys Authentic, beginning his second full season behind the bench in Tampa Bay,Cheap Jerseys, just doesn't want his players to get too caught up in what's being said and/or written about their prospects for success.
"It's not how many goals we score, it's how many we keep out of the net," Cooper said. |
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