Lightning coach Jon Cooper has an idea to improve home-ice advantage
Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper is an interesting guy. A dual citizen who was a practicing lawyer for several years before deciding to try his hand at coaching, Cooper would rather his Lightning weren't scheduled to host a Game 7 at home (if necessary) against the Montreal Canadiens in round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Wait. What?
You see, Cooper has an idea to improve home-ice advantage in the National Hockey League. Cooper discussed his idea with Tampa Bay Times beat writer Damian Cristodero on Monday:
In Cooper's plan, the team with home ice -- that is with four of seven games on its ice -- would play Game 1 on the road, play Games 2, 3 and 4 at home, Game 5 on the road, Game 6 at home and Game 7 on the road.
In other words, the team with home ice would play four of the first six games at home.
"Now that's home ice to me," Cooper said of his plan. "I haven't done the research but I'm fairly certain more series are ended in Games 4, 5 and 6 than Game 7, so why would the home ice be in just the last game?"
Continued the Lightning head coach/mad genius inventor: "If they've scratched out to a seventh game under those odds, they should get home ice. Food for thought."
That's... actually a legitimately interesting idea.
Stick-tap: James O'Brien.