Bolts HC Jon Cooper doesn’t mince his words after Tampa Bay Lightning squander 3-0 lead in thrilling OT loss to Blue Jackets

Jon Cooper addresses Lightning's overtime loss to Blue Jackets after strong start (Source: Imagn)

Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper was direct after the Bolts' 7-6 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday. The Lightning got off to a strong start, leading 3-0 in the first period, but lost their momentum as the game went on.

Cooper addressed the team's mistakes and missed chances after the game.

"We played the game in quicksand tonight," he said. "We capitalized on our chances early on. You take so many good things from our last few games coming out of the break. There’s a recipe for what we need to do and, tonight, we didn’t follow it."