Tampa Bay Lightning
TAMPA — Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Jonathan Drouin is learning the hard way this postseason that if you want to play for coach Jon Cooper you have to be able to play in front of your own net as well as your opponent’s.
There is, however, a balance that forwards such as Drouin must strike between playing in front of those two nets. Steven Stamkos’ struggles to find that balance are one reason the Lightning captain is now playing wing instead of center.
“I thought he was spending too much time in the (defensive) zone and was spending way too much energy down there,’’ Cooper said of Stamkos, who was moved to right wing late in the Eastern Conference semifinal series against Montreal this month.