The pingpong match of subtle insults batted back and forth between friends Jeff Blashill and Jon Cooper usually means one or the other can’t help but take a shot at their coaching rival when the Lightning and Red Wings play each other. It’s all done in good fun, usually good for a few laughs and we all move on.



But after the Lightning beat the Red Wings in a well-played early season game on Monday, Cooper instead subtly worked in a compliment to his counterpart on the Red Wings bench, slipping in that Blashill has done “a hell of a job with them.” Following his media scrum, Cooper was asked to elaborate on what’s different about the way Blashill has the Red Wings playing so far this season.



“They stretch the ice more than they used to,” Cooper said. “He’s taking advantage of some fast players. He’s got a pretty quick team now where he may not have in the past. He’s got guys slotted in the right...