One season ago, the Lightning were swept by the Blue Jackets in the first round after tying an NHL regular season record with 62 wins. They have proven resilient this postseason, with Cooper citing a breakthrough coming from a 3-2 victory in the fifth overtime of Game 1 against Columbus.
"Our past experiences of what we've gone through last year has weighed a lot on us but probably in a positive way," Cooper said Tuesday. "I think momentum is a big thing. You win that first game in five overtimes and you feel like you're constantly going to win in overtime.
"You just keep building on that, building on that. There's so many breaks along the way you need to get but I think confidence, belief, once you taste a little bit of success and then have the discipline to stick to a plan and realize why you got that success, I think that's the lesson learned for a lot of our players."
Kucherov, who combined with linemates Ondrej Palat and Brayden Point for 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists) in the series against the Bruins, has scored 16 points (four goals, 12 assists) in 13 postseason games, second on the Lightning to Point's 18 (six goals, 12 assists). Palat has scored at least one goal in four straight games and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy is 10-3-0 with a 1.91 goals-against average and .931 save percentage, contributions that have helped Tampa Bay persevere without Steven Stamkos. The forward has been unfit to play in the postseason and Cooper has said he won't give any updates until there is one.
Down to 10 forwards after Kucherov's departure, the Lightning played their fifth overtime game of the postseason and earned their fourth consecutive victory against the Bruins with defenseman Victor Hedman's goal at 14:10 of the second OT.
"If there's one thing I can take from what's gone on so far," Cooper said, "we haven't played perfect hockey and there's been some periods where there's a lot of head-scratching going on, but for the most part we have stuck to the plan. The players have committed, and I often feel, regardless of the system you play, if the players are sticking to it, usually good things are going to happen. That's what's happened to us so far."
The Lightning are waiting to find out their next opponent. The Islanders and Flyers will play Game 6 of their second-round series Thursday after Philadelphia avoided elimination with a 4-3 overtime win in Game 5 on Tuesday.
While waiting to find out about Kucherov and their next opponent, Tampa Bay also is awaiting word from the NHL on when it can travel to Edmonton, the hub city for the conference finals and Stanley Cup Final. The two Western Conference Second Round series (Vancouver Canucks vs. Vegas Golden Knights, Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche) are ongoing; Vegas and Dallas each lead 3-2.
"I think there's scenarios available of us staying here longer," Cooper said, "and who knows, maybe opening up here or jump on a plane and head off to Edmonton, depending on what happens. It's just like the times, a lot of uncertainty. But it's nice to be in our spot right now and not have to stress about stuff for the next day or two."
