{"url":"https://buffalonews.com/sports/professional/nhl/sabres/article_0c00035b-5987-4da6-9a41-5f54293e181d.html","title":"Cooper's complaints fuel Sabres' disdain for Lightning coach","domain":"buffalonews.com","imageUrl":"https://images.pexels.com/photos/8975019/pexels-photo-8975019.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&h=650&w=940","pexelsSearchTerm":"NHL hockey game","category":"Sports","language":"en","slug":"319c0a3d","id":"319c0a3d-1526-4a0a-bcc3-07a34d98aacb","description":"Lance Lysowski argues Jon Cooper's postgame complaints gave Sabres fans more reason to dislike Tampa Bay's coach.","summary":"## TL;DR\n- Lance Lysowski argues Jon Cooper's postgame complaints gave Sabres fans more reason to dislike Tampa Bay's coach.\n- Buffalo beat Tampa Bay **4-2** at KeyBank Center with goals from Tuch, Norris, Zucker, and Quinn (empty-net).\n- Cooper's remarks on officiating and a penalty box door injury to Lightning's Holmberg fuel the budding rivalry.[[1]](https://buffalonews.com/sports/professional/nhl/sabres/article_0c00035b-5987-4da6-9a41-5f54293e181d.html)[[2]](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7177357/2026/04/07/sabres-playoffs-atlantic-division-cooper-holmberg-injury-lightning)\n\n## The story at a glance\nLance Lysowski's column criticizes Tampa Bay Lightning coach **Jon Cooper** for comments after Buffalo's **4-2** win on April 6, 2026, at KeyBank Center, saying they handed Sabres fans fresh ammunition to despise him as their newest rival. The game featured a first-period scrum and ongoing bad blood from prior meetings. It's reported now amid a tight Atlantic Division race where both teams sit at **102 points**.[[3]](https://www.nhl.com/news/tampa-bay-lightning-buffalo-sabres-game-recap-april-6-2026)[[4]](https://www.espn.com/nhl/recap/_/gameId/401803580)\n\n## Key points\n- Sabres goals: **Alex Tuch** (5:42, 1st), **Josh Norris** (14:04, 1st), **Jason Zucker** (go-ahead tip-in at 7:38, 2nd), **Jack Quinn** (empty-net, 1:54 left).[[3]](https://www.nhl.com/news/tampa-bay-lightning-buffalo-sabres-game-recap-april-6-2026)\n- Lightning goals: **Nikita Kucherov** (power play, 11:45, 1st, his 400th career goal), **Jake Guentzel** (3:56, 2nd).[[5]](https://www.rawcharge.com/quick-recap-tampa-bay-lightning-drop-game-to-buffalo-sabres-4-2-final-score-highlights)\n- Game had fights in the first period and many penalties, continuing tension from a prior chaotic matchup.[[6]](https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/video/sabres-lightning-bad-blood-continues-with-first-period-brawl)\n- Lightning's **Pontus Holmberg** hurt his arm crashing into an unlatched penalty box door; NHL is investigating.[[7]](https://apnews.com/article/lightning-holmberg-injury-cooper-penalty-box-door-cbe1c94afba77da7c5bfa9d8c5a1d8e8)\n- Cooper blasted referees for too many calls that killed flow and questioned the penalty box worker's job security.[[8]](https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/i-dont-know-if-they-should-keep-their-job-jon-cooper-pontus-holmberg-injury-penalty-box-attendant-buffalo-sabres)\n\n## Details and context\nThe Sabres and Lightning met for their final regular-season game, with Buffalo finishing the series **3-1-0** atop them. Both teams entered tied for first in the Atlantic at **102 points**, two ahead of Montreal, with about 10 days left in the season. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made **23 saves** for the win; Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped **25 of 29** for Tampa.[[3]](https://www.nhl.com/news/tampa-bay-lightning-buffalo-sabres-game-recap-april-6-2026)[[5]](https://www.rawcharge.com/quick-recap-tampa-bay-lightning-drop-game-to-buffalo-sabres-4-2-final-score-highlights)\n\nThis builds on recent rivalry heat, including a wild **8-7** Sabres win last month with fights and penalties, plus NHL fines like Tampa's **Brandon Hagel** for hitting Sabres captain **Rasmus Dahlin**.[[9]](https://buffalonews.com/sports/professional/nhl/sabres/article_e1dab154-5ac1-49d4-9acd-219adc85cbe8.html)\n\nLysowski frames Cooper's venting as whiny, especially blaming refs and arena staff after a loss in a packed building expecting physical play.[[1]](https://buffalonews.com/sports/professional/nhl/sabres/article_0c00035b-5987-4da6-9a41-5f54293e181d.html)\n\n## Key quotes\n- “I don’t know who’s working the penalty box over there, but I don’t know if they should keep their job after what happened there, leaving the door open.” — **Jon Cooper**, on Holmberg's injury (via Lance Lysowski).[[8]](https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/i-dont-know-if-they-should-keep-their-job-jon-cooper-pontus-holmberg-injury-penalty-box-attendant-buffalo-sabres)\n- “A little bit frustrating, just the way the game went. So many penalties that weren’t even penalties... It sucked the fun out of the game.” — **Jon Cooper**, on officiating.[[2]](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7177357/2026/04/07/sabres-playoffs-atlantic-division-cooper-holmberg-injury-lightning)\n\n## Why it matters\nThe intensifying Sabres-Lightning rivalry adds edge to the Atlantic Division's top-two battle late in the season. Sabres fans gain talking points from Cooper's complaints, deepening dislike for Tampa as a foe. Watch the NHL probe into Holmberg's injury and final regular-season games for playoff positioning.[[7]](https://apnews.com/article/lightning-holmberg-injury-cooper-penalty-box-door-cbe1c94afba77da7c5bfa9d8c5a1d8e8)","hashtags":["#nhl","#sabres","#lightning","#buffalo","#tampa","#rivalry"],"sources":[{"url":"https://buffalonews.com/sports/professional/nhl/sabres/article_0c00035b-5987-4da6-9a41-5f54293e181d.html","title":"Original article"},{"url":"https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7177357/2026/04/07/sabres-playoffs-atlantic-division-cooper-holmberg-injury-lightning","title":""},{"url":"https://www.nhl.com/news/tampa-bay-lightning-buffalo-sabres-game-recap-april-6-2026","title":""},{"url":"https://www.espn.com/nhl/recap/_/gameId/401803580","title":""},{"url":"https://www.rawcharge.com/quick-recap-tampa-bay-lightning-drop-game-to-buffalo-sabres-4-2-final-score-highlights","title":""},{"url":"https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/video/sabres-lightning-bad-blood-continues-with-first-period-brawl","title":""},{"url":"https://apnews.com/article/lightning-holmberg-injury-cooper-penalty-box-door-cbe1c94afba77da7c5bfa9d8c5a1d8e8","title":""},{"url":"https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/i-dont-know-if-they-should-keep-their-job-jon-cooper-pontus-holmberg-injury-penalty-box-attendant-buffalo-sabres","title":""},{"url":"https://buffalonews.com/sports/professional/nhl/sabres/article_e1dab154-5ac1-49d4-9acd-219adc85cbe8.html","title":""}],"viewCount":2,"publishedAt":"2026-04-07T13:14:57.459Z"}