TAMPA -— As Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill was conducting his post-game press conference Sunday, his good buddy knocked on the glass window of the room.
Lightning coach Jon Cooper — Cooper smiled, and waved goodbye on his way out of town after another Tampa Bay victory.
"You can do that when you’re in first place," Blashill said.
The Lightning (30-9-3) has left the rest of the Atlantic Division in its wake, reaching the season’s midpoint with a 10-point lead over second-place Boston. Tampa Bay also has an eight-point cushion over Washington for the top team in the Eastern Conference.