MONTREAL — Want to make Corey Perry smile?
Boo him.
Loudly. Lustily. With passion. Like you mean it.
Just like the capacity crowd of 21,105 at raucous Bell Centre will be doing, in full collective throats, for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference First Round between Perry’s Tampa Bay Lightning and the host Montreal Canadiens on Friday (7 p.m. ET; CBC, TVAS, SN, TNT, truTV, HBO MAX, The Spot).
He can’t wait.
In fact, standing in the visitors dressing room after Lightning practice Thursday, just the thought of the cold, harsh reception he’ll receive had him breaking into his trademark mischievous smirk.
“Obviously, when that happens, you’re doing something right,” the 40-year-old forward said. “If the fans see you have the puck and start booing, you’re doing something right. So, you know, you embrace it, you have fun with it, and it gives you a little fuel.”
Truth be told, it drives him.
“You know, it’s fun when you go into another building and they all know who you are,” Perry said. “And it’s not just me. There’s a lot of guys in this room that I’m sure have been booed many times. It just adds fuel for you. And it’s exciting.”
Perry has a point in that he’ll have company in being despised. In this version of the Lightning, he’s not alone in being loathed by opposing supporters. As such, there will be plenty of jeers to go around.
After the Lightning won Game 2 by a 3-2 score on J.J. Moser’s overtime winner Tuesday to even the series at 1-1, coach Jon Cooper told reporters that “somebody’s got to be the villain, I guess. We’re OK with it.” He was referring, in part, to Tampa Bay’s rambunctious, in-your-face style, one that resulted in the Lightning leading the NHL in penalties (425) during the regular season.
For their part, the Lightning players, to use Perry’s word, “embrace” their image as bad boys. And, of course, it starts with Perry, who was seen yelling at a number of Canadiens players while in the penalty box after taking a double minor for roughing in the first period of Game 2.
