Lightning coach Jon Cooper’s relationship with forward Tyler Johnson runs a decade deep, and despite Johnson having a reduced role and diminished minutes this season, Cooper always has had faith in him in key moments.
So the player most likely to not be with the Lightning when the offseason ended played one of the biggest roles Friday in putting them one win from a second straight Stanley Cup title.
Centering the fourth line, Johnson scored twice in the Lightning’s 6-3 Game 3 win over the Canadiens at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
