Bolts' Cooper: No 'malice' from Clifford in hit on Colton

Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said Wednesday he doesn't believe Toronto Maple Leafs forward Kyle Clifford was intending to injure Ross Colton on the hit that led to an ejection in Game 1.

Clifford was suspended one game on Tuesday for the incident, which left Colton bloodied but uninjured in the first period of Game 1. 

“I don’t think there was any malice on Clifford’s part,” Cooper said, adding a one-game suspension was fitting for the hit.

Clifford was ejected from Monday’s 5-0 Maple Leafs victory after receiving a five-minute major penalty for boarding and a game misconduct. The incident occurred at the 6:59 mark of the opening period as Clifford hit Colton into the glass in the neutral zone. Clifford recorded 49 seconds of ice time before committing the infraction.

"Like I talked about, I didn’t like the hit," Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe added Wednesday. "I didn’t think it was a good hit. So I wasn’t surprised that the league had a say in it."

Cooper turned the focus in his morning media session Wednesday to his own team, who he expects a better effort from in Game 2.

"It was an easy night for them," Copper said of the Leafs in Game 1. 

"We obviously did a lot of good things in the hockey game that we can build upon, but at the same time that's not the Tampa team that we prepared for,' Keefe said, seemingly echoing Cooper's sentiment. "So we're expecting to see that team here tonight."

With Clifford suspended, the only change for the Maple Leafs lineup will be the injured Michael Bunting returning for Game 2. 

The series will head to Tampa Bay after Wednesday's game, with Game 3 set for Friday and Game 4 Sunday.