Bolts Notes: Cooper likes comparison

TAMPA — Jon Cooper was asked if he supported the idea of the Lightning being compared to the Chicago Blackhawks of 2010, a relatively young team with a limited amount of playoff experience that went on to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final to win the franchise's first championship since 1961.

Cooper would certainly like to think so.

“If people are saying that, then that's a really good compliment for us,” he said. “You look at them and what is this, their third cup appearance in six years? So If we're being compared to that and we can somehow garner that much success in the next few years, we're pretty happy with that.”

Lightning D Matt Carle played on that Flyers team that lost to Chicago in 2010. He said there are some similarities.

“We're a young team and we've got some guys that can put the puck in the net and going back five years, if that's what you're trying to compare it to, yeah, they're probably pretty similar. They were young and probably didn't have a whole lot of experience at that time and found a way to win a Cup.”

In 2010, Chicago re-signed RW Patrick Kane, C Jonathan Toews and D Duncan Keith to contract extensions. That core helped the franchise win another Cup in 2013. And here they are again.

With the amount of young talent in Tampa Bay, it's possible the Lightning could be in the same position during the next several season.

“I don't see why not,” said D Braydon Coburn, who also played against Chicago as a Flyer in 2010. “The skill they have with the young guys, and obviously there's talent kind of just lying around, too. (LW Jonathan) Drouin is a great player. You got guys locked up on some contracts, stuff like that, that Triplets line, those guys are all young players and very skilled, so there's a lot of skill in the organization. I think that's a very positive thing for the future.”

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