Jon Cooper Reveals Key to Lightning’s Swift Surge

How Tampa Bay Pulled Off Their Midseason Surge

Since their terrible start, the Lightning have dominated the league with a 15–3–0 record in their last 18 games, and are now riding a season-high seven-game win streak at the top of the Atlantic Division.

They also have the top penalty kill in the NHL at an elite 88.5%, and the third best shooting percentage at 12.7%. Similar to how the Dallas Stars play, despite averaging one of the lowest shots on goal per game in the NHL at 26.2, they remain one of the league’s top-scoring teams by focusing on smart, high-percentage opportunities.

Despite some recent injury struggles, a lot has gone right for the Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy rhas returned to peak form, stopping scoring chances with highlight reel saves like they’re routine. Nikita Kucherov has found his MVP form with five straight multi-point games and a nine-game point streak. Brandon Hagel has caught fire too, scoring in five straight outings with multiple-goal performances in three of them.

Equally important is the play on the blue line. With major injuries to top defensemen Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh, and Erik Cernak, Tampa’s young defenders have stepped up. JJ Moser is becoming essential to the Lightning’s blue line, and rookie Charle-Édouard D’Astous has received praise for his impressive poise and reliability.

Jon Cooper’s Message to His Players

At the center of everything remains Jon Cooper — arguably the best coach in the NHL and the league’s longest-tenured bench boss for a reason. During a recent pregame media scrum, Cooper was asked how he’s handled the early injury adversity and the Lightning’s sudden dominance after the shaky start. Part of his answer surprised some people.

“Probably a little bit of a mindset," Cooper said. "You’ve got a plethora of different players coming in, and young guys… it’s not next man up. Nobody is taking Hedman’s spot or McDonagh’s spot or Point’s spot. You can’t replace those guys. But the players coming up are showing us what they have, and they’re really excited to be here. You give them an assignment and they’re just going out and doing it.”

Cooper’s answer also reminded me of that well-known Pep Guardiola meme where he says, "We cannot replace him" (video below). It came to mind because the situation felt similar: some players simply can’t be replaced, and everyone around the team understands that.

Tampa Bay’s youth isn’t replacing its stars, they’re elevating around them.

“They’ve been a lot of fun to be around," Cooper said. "I don’t know how long this is gonna last, but the one thing is we’ll give you an honest effort. That’s what these guys are doing, and it’s working pretty well for us.”

The Lightning Are Only Looking Forward

Tampa Bay’s surge hasn’t been about one magic fix. It’s been a mix of star power heating up, young players proving they belong, and a coaching staff that knows how to steady the room when it matters. They’re starting to look like a team that understands exactly what it takes to grind through an 82-game season.

There’s still a long road ahead, and the Eastern Conference won’t make anything easy. But the Lightning have re-established their identity — disciplined, dangerous and fully invested. If they continue playing with this level of confidence and structure, they won’t just be climbing the standings. They’ll be shaping the race at the top.

A month ago, they were finding their footing. Now, they’re playing like a team that expects to win again. And that, for the rest of the league, is a problem.