"This is as tough a conference as I've ever seen it. I've been in this league for a while. From top to bottom. Look for instance, when we played Columbus. Columbus beat us, but we were a massive, heavy favourite. You'll never see that again. 1-8 again in the Eastern Conference, you'll never see that because the teams are way too close."
"They don't have the fruits of the labour the way Florida does. It's probably tougher for the Leafs to swallow in a way. When there's roster change, it can affect things. I'm not here every day, so I don't know, but all I haven't beat the Maple Leafs in I don't know how long. The Leafs are always hard for me."
Lightning head coach Jon Cooper assessed the Eastern Conference as the toughest he has experienced, noting that teams are evenly matched from top to bottom, making any playoff matchup competitive. He referenced the 2019 upset when Columbus swept Tampa Bay despite the Lightning being heavy favorites, emphasizing such disparities will not occur again due to league parity. Cooper observed that the Western Conference teams strengthened themselves through trades, while discussing the Maple Leafs' challenging season. Despite roster changes affecting Toronto's performance, Cooper acknowledged the Leafs remain difficult opponents, noting his extended personal struggles against them in recent matchups.
Read at TheLeafsNation
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