Jon Cooper now comments on Leafs’ core that has failed to close out a playoff series

Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper is focused on Game 6, a do or die match for his team as the Toronto Maple Leafs come to Florida with the possibility of moving on to the second round.

While the defending champions’ coach wants to go a game at a time, he didn’t shy away from questions when it came to Toronto’s recent collapses in first-round series. When asked about it, Cooper, who has refused all week to give credit to the Maple Leafs, answered that he believes Toronto is feeling the pressure. But everyone is human:

The Lightning hasn’t faced elimination very often lately, and so the collapse might be on Tampa. During last season’s back-to-back championship run, the Lightning faced elimination just once: an eventual Game 7 win against the Islanders. Other than that, they won one series in six games, and two others in five. In that first Stanley Cup win in 2019-20, the Lightning never once faced elimination.

As Cooper said, his players are humans too and could be the ones having a hard time with facing elimination.

Will this be the year in which the Maple Leafs can make it to the second round?