Jon Cooper searched for adequate words to describe the feeling of coming within one victory of playing for the Stanley Cup.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have done it twice in the past three years. And it hurts.

”It’s everything from agonizing to angry to disappointed to shock http://www.giantsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-will-hernandez-jersey ,” the coach said Thursday, less than 24 hours after one of the most successful seasons in franchise history came to a screeching halt with a 4-0 loss to Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final.

”I’m sure that’s going to turn into proud and happy for our group,” he added. ”There are so many good emotions about coaching this team … but the emotions of how it ended is tough.”

After compiling the best record in the Eastern Conference during the regular season, eliminating the New Jersey Devils and Boston Bruins in the first two rounds of the playoffs, and rebounding from losing the first games of the conference final to take a 3-2 series lead, the Lightning truly believed this was their year.

Now, general manager Steve Yzerman and Cooper face decisions about what needs to be tweaked.

The Lightning won Game 7 of the conference final against the Rangers in 2015, advancing to the Stanley Cup Final for the second time in franchise history. They made it back to the East final, only to lose to the Pittsburgh Penguins in seven games two years ago.

”If anybody sits and says it was an unsuccessful season, I have to question that. You look back at this team. All the accomplishments of the regular season, and then to be one game away from getting to the Stanley Cup Final DaeSean Hamilton Color Rush Jersey ,” Cooper said, his voice trailing off.

”Now it’s just solving that piece of the puzzle,” the coach added, ”getting over the top.”

With a talented roster that’s both deep and fairly young, there won’t be wholesale changes.

Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, a Vezina Trophy finalist in his first full season as a starter, is just 23 years old.

Leading scorer Nikita Kucherov is 24, Norris Trophy finalist Victor Hedman is 27, and emerging star Brayden Point is just 22.

Even captain Steven Stamkos, completing his 10th NHL season, is only 28.

”What were we missing? A couple of goals in Game 7 Ryan McMahon Colorado Rockies Jersey ,” Cooper said. ”You can sit here and pick apart all you want of what went wrong, it was one game. We didn’t score and we lost the game. They were opportunistic and scored, and they advanced. … It’s razor-thin how close this league is.”

Yzerman said there are a number of areas where the Lightning need to get better moving forward, including defensively.

The GM, however, rejected the notion that somehow the season was a failure because a team with such high expectations didn’t get back to the championship round.

”It’s really difficult to win the Stanley Cup, and if you’re going to measure every year strictly on it’s a failure if we win or not, I don’t think I look at it that way,” Yzerman said.

”There’s a process and there’s no definitive timeline for it. Just continue to improve, continue to hang around, I guess http://www.billsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-trent-murphy-jersey , and we’re going to win one of these things,” the GM added. ”It’s not a failure. It’s a disappointment at this stage, but we’re not sitting here saying we’re the best team by a mile. We realize there’s a bunch of good teams out there, a group of teams that could win the Stanley Cup.”

Cooper said one thing it’s important to not do this summer is over-react.

”It’s hard to explain just how hard it is to get here,” the coach said. ”There are 30 teams who are going to get Monday morning quarterbacked, and one team that is not. You just have to build on your strengths and keep getting better and come back next year stronger than ever.”

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Edwin Jackson is making the most of his opportunity with yet another new team.

The 34-year-old journeyman earned his first win with Oakland, pitching neatly into the seventh inning as the Athletics beat the Cleveland Indians 7-2 Saturday for their season-high sixth straight victory.

Jackson (1-0) signed a minor league contract with the A’s on June 6 and is now with his record-tying 13th major league team. He gave up only two hits in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out six and walked none in his second start for Oakland.

”Honestly, when I can look in the mirror and say that I can’t do it any more, I’ll go home,” Jackson said.

”I’m not playing for the money. I’m not playing for anything else but to come have fun,” he said.

Jackson was in the minors for Washington earlier this season Cheap Saquon Barkley Jersey , then joined the A’s. With their rotation beset by injuries, the Athletics gave Jackson a chance.

Matt Olson, Dustin Fowler and Josh Phegley homered to help the A’s win for the 12th time in 14 games. They’ve won seven straight against Cleveland and nine of their last 10 against the Indians in Oakland.

Jackson has won 10 consecutive decisions over Cleveland, a streak dating to 2008. His string against the Indians is the longest since Charlie Hough beat them 13 straight times from 1984-88.

Jackson has 13 strikeouts and hasn’t allowed a walk in 12 2/3 innings through his first two starts with Oakland. He topped out at 97 mph on Saturday.

”Based on the way he was available and the way he’s been able to pitch for us it’s a surprise, but he’s always been able to do that a little bit with the sinker and the four-seamer,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said.

”Now he just manipulates a little bit more and the offspeed stuff with the changeup speed and the slider. . It really keeps you off-balance,” he said.

The AL Central-leading Indians lost for the fourth time in five games.

The A’s trailed 2-0 going into the sixth, when Franklin Barreto became their first baserunner with a leadoff double against Adam Plutko (4-2). Phegley followed with his second home run and Oakland took a 3-2 lead when Fowler scored from first on Mark Canha’s double.

”I was extremely happy with the first four (innings) and how could you not be?” Plutko said. ”Even in the fifth I liked what I was doing, but in the sixth they came out with four straight hits, flexed their muscle and that was the game.”

Francisco Lindor hit his 20th homer and Jose Ramirez hit his 24th in the Cleveland fourth.

Oakland broke the game open in the eighth, when they homered twice in a four-run inning. Fowler hit his fifth home run leading off the inning against Dan Otero Authentic John Tavares Jersey , and Olson hit a two-run shot off Josh Tomlin, his 18th.

Rookie Lou Trivino induced Yonder Alonso to hit into a game-ending for his third save. Trivino came into the game after the Indians loaded the bases with one out in the ninth off Santiago Casilla on a hit, a walk and a hit batter.

HOME

The A’s finally got their offense going at home, where going into Saturday were batting .233 and averaging 3.61 runs per game at the Coliseum. Oakland is hitting .263 and averaging 5.55 runs on the road.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Indians: LHP Tyler Olson (latissimus dorsi strain) threw his first bullpen on Friday and is expected to throw off a mound again on Sunday. … LHP Ryan Merritt (left knee sprain) threw 48 pitches on Friday in a rehab game with Triple-A Columbus. . RHP Carlos Carrasco (right elbow contusion) was expected to throw 65 pitches in a rehab game with Double-A Akron on Saturday.

Athletics: 3B Matt Chapman (right thumb contusion) will take BP on Sunday and could be activated for Tuesday’s series opener against San Diego without going on a rehab assignment. ”Even if we don’t feel like potentially he’s up to speed offensively, he can save some runs out there defensively,” Melvin said.

UP NEXT

RHP Mike Clevinger (6-3, 3.03 ERA) is 0-1 with a 7.04 ERA in two outings (one start) against Oakland. He’s 2-1 with a 2.07 ERA over his last four starts. RHP Frankie Montas (4-1, 3.68) is 1-1 with a 7.20 ERA over his last three starts.

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