The Tampa Bay Lightning were without coach Jon Cooper on Tuesday night in the only game left in the NHL this week after he was placed in COVID-19 protocol earlier in the day.
Assistant coach Derek Lalonde took his place running the bench as the Lightning rallied past the Golden Knights 4-3 in Las Vegas for their third straight win.
Lalonde said Cooper texted the staff around 4:30 p.m. that he had entered the protocol.
“We got to the rink, nothing really changed, obviously let the guys know and things would be seamless,” Lalonde said. “Just kind of went about our business. I don’t think anything is surprising.”
Lalonde said Steven Stamkos handed him the game puck afterward and said, “Not how you envisioned your first win.”
“It was probably coming at any moment with what’s been going on around the league,” Stamkos said of Cooper’s announcement. “Vegas got hit today. We got hit with our coach. I think you have to expect some more here in the next coming days just with how it’s gone around the league.”
It was the only NHL game played Tuesday after nine others were postponed because of coronavirus concerns. The league will begin its annual Christmas break Wednesday, two days earlier than originally planned, due to a startling spike in COVID-19 cases that has shut down 10 of the 32 teams and closed various facilities.
Of the 50 NHL games postponed this season for coronavirus-related reasons, 45 have occurred over the past two weeks with the delta and omicron variants spreading across North America. More than 15% of the league’s 700-plus players are in virus protocol, a list that continues to grow.
The league will approach the end of the holiday break with caution, allowing only players, coaches and staff who test negative to enter team facilities on Sunday. The season is scheduled to resume Monday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Source: www.espn.com