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Jon Cooper said he finally got to exhale Easter Sunday, with the team’s off-day giving him a chance to reflect on his whirlwind first week as Lightning coach.

The Lightning announced Monday it has signed Western Michigan D Luke Witkowski to a two-year deal.

Lightning center Nate Thompson has been suspended for two games, without pay, for an illegal check to the head on Devils forward Matt D'Agostini during Friday night's 5-4 shootout win.

Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper talks about his unforgettable NHL coaching debut, a 5-4 shootout win over the Devils Friday night at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

 

It may have been just opening-act bluster, but new Lightning coach Jon Cooper, in his first meeting with the Tampa Bay area media, had a message for his players and the fans:

Lightning assistant coach Wayne Fleming, who had been battling brain cancer since April 2011, died Monday. He was 62. Fleming had been living at his Calgary home with wife Carolyn.

There was plenty of excitement around the Lightning locker room Tuesday at the hiring of Jon Cooper as the new coach, but especially among the players he had in the minors.

The Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday hired Jon Cooper as its eighth coach.

Lightning assistant coach Dan Lacroix talks about the 3-2 loss to the Jets after coach Guy Boucher was fired

The Lightning Sunday morning announced it has fired coach Guy Boucher. The final straw, obviously, was Saturday's 5-3 loss at Ottawa in which the team, facing a crucial weekend, showed little urgency in allowing four first-period goals.

The Lightning and center Nate Thompson have agreed to terms on a four-year, $6.4 million contract extension through 2016-17.

Lightning coach Guy Boucher talsk about Tampa Bay's 5-3 loss to the Senators

The Lightning got even more bad injury news on Thursday when it was announced goaltender Anders Lindback, hurt during the third period of Wednesday's loss to the Maple Leafs, has a high ankle sprain.

Lightning coach Guy Boucher can't explain his team's poor play in a 4-2 loss to the Maple Leafs.

Junior defenseman Slater Koekkoek, drafted by the Lightning 10th overall in June, was signed to a three-year, entry-level deal. Koekkoek, 19, played 42 games combined this season for Peterborough and Windsor of the junior Ontario league before his second surgery in two years on a torn labrum in his left shoulder.

Lightning rookie Cory Conacher was a huge Maple Leafs fan growing up, not surprising as he lived in Burlington, Ontario, which is just 25 miles to the south. So, playing tonight against the Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre will be a huge moment for the left wing, who said about 100 family and friends will be at the game.

Lightning injury updates:

Left wing Ryan Malone is out indefinitely with a left shoulder injury.

Defenseman Victor Hedman is day-to-day with an upper body injury.

The Lightning's Teddy Purcell talks about his winning goal in a 4-2 victory over the Flyers at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on march 18, 2013.

It would have been easy in February for Dana Tyrell to hang his head when he was demoted from the Lightning to AHL Syracuse.

Tampa Bay Lightning rookie Ondrej Palat discusses his first NHL goal, scored in the second period of Saturday night's 4-1 win over Carolina when a Sami Salo shot from the point deflected off his skate.