Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper embraces the narrative of the Lightning being the bad boys of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
"Somebody's gotta be the villain, I guess. We're OK with it," Cooper told reporters following Tampa Bay's 3-2 overtime win over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday.
"The guys play hard. They're a determined group. When there's obstacles in their way, they'll try and get through it any way possible. If it's fighting their way through it, then so be it. That's what happens. But it's served us well."
The Florida Panthers were widely considered the villains of the last two postseasons, and they won back-to-back Stanley Cups. The Panthers beat the Lightning in Round 1 en route to each championship.
The Lightning brought a spirited effort to Game 2 against the Canadiens. There was a line brawl in the first period. In the second period, Lightning forward Brandon Hagel dropped Canadiens phenom Juraj Slafkovsky in a fight with a devastating right hook despite Slafkovsky's 40-pound weight advantage. Hagel directed the "go to sleep" gesture at Slafkovsky after some jawing in the penalty box.
Hagel also registered a goal and an assist Tuesday for a Gordie Howe hat trick. He's fought sparingly in his seven-year NHL career but said he felt it was an appropriate moment Tuesday.
"Everyone in the room knows we're good when we play with emotion," Hagel said postgame. "Not just myself, but guys are willing to try and bring everyone into the fight, and that was what I was trying to do a little bit. Obviously it worked."
Corey Perry was also up to his usual shenanigans. He rag-dolled Alexandre Carrier during the brawl, and he later irked the Canadiens further by making a quick pit stop in their bench.
"We're a team that we're not going to be pushed around," Perry told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun. "But when we are emotional and when we are engaged, you see what we can do. It’s pretty incredible. When times get going and things like that get going, it's fun. Damn, it's a good feeling when you win."
The series shifts to Montreal for Game 3 on Friday tied 1-1.
