Cooper: I was bored and it sucked not being able to help the guys
Skipper targets Play-off charge after his spell on the sidelines
SITTING back in Belfast watching his team-mates heading off on away trips was the hardest part of being injured for Giants captain Mark Cooper.
Now back on the ice after two and a half months on the sidelines, stretching back to December 28, the Canadian winger is back to his smiling self after having to watch his team go through the trials and tribulations of the Elite League season, unable to help as they ceded their crown to the Sheffield Steelers.
The home games weren’t as tough, Cooper still able to be involved in the team meetings and go to the arena to lend his support, but when the team jetted off to England or sailed to Scotland, watching along on the web stream just wasn’t the same as lacing up the skates and being involved himself.
“It was rough. Boring. It sucked to watch the guys go through the ups and downs and not be a part of it,” says the 31-year-old, who made his comeback against the Guildford Flames two weeks ago and has played four games since.
“I’ve never been hurt for that long before so it was a whole different perspective on everything.
“For home games and practices I was around for all the meetings. On the road is when you’re able to bond as a team and I wasn’t able to travel. I kinda missed out on that stuff for sure. I stayed as involved as I could, apart from the games.
“I’m more of a lead by example rather than a vocal leader. Not being able to do that was tough. Goody (David Goodwin) coming back has helped a bunch, kept the ship level. Now we’re both back and we can continue to build and hit the ground running with some momentum into the potential nine games left.”
Those nine games consist of five regular season games, starting with the first of two road trips to the Cardiff Devils tonight (7.30pm) and then again on Sunday, and then what the teams hopes will be four Play-off games rather than just two.
Despite losing to the Fife Flyers on Sunday, going down 4-3 in overtime, the Giants are one of the League’s form teams with an 11-3-1 record in their last 15 games
— second only to Cardiff — and they are hoping to lay down a marker headed into the Playoffs when they take on their title rivals over the next few days.
Not only that, but there is also an SSE Arena double-header with the newly crowned Steelers to cap the regular season next weekend, too, and Cooper knows that this is a chance to prove they will be contenders.
“Four of our last five games are against teams ahead of us, teams we’ll probably have to beat to win a trophy. Our schedule bodes well for us to be in that Play-off mindset,” insists the skipper.
“It started a few weeks ago but really starting against Cardiff. They’re in that same mindset, too.
“They know that they’re going to have to beat us to go get that trophy, so it’ll be two good battles against Cardiff.
“And then Sheffield will be ramping it up for the Play-offs when they come to us, too. Seeing their celebrations over the last few days, I didn’t like it.
“It will be a good chance to see where we’re at to see where we need to get to or what we need to improve on.
“The last two years there’s been bad blood between us and these two teams, so the games will be really intense and we’ll be trying to lay down a marker and set the tone. We’ll be running into each other inevitably to win a trophy.
“Results aside, being able to be proud of what we produce on the ice is the goal.
“Just giving us confidence that we can win the Play-offs when it comes to the time.”
◊The Giants have confirmed that the home leg of their Playoff Quarter-final will take place on Saturday, April 13, with the away leg to be determined once their opponents are known.