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Cooper says OT winner shouldn't have counted, replays appear to show too many men

Julio Aguilar / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper believes Nazem Kadri's overtime winner that gave the Colorado Avalanche a 3-1 series lead on Wednesday should not have decided the game.

Cooper did not specify exactly why. He only took one question during an odd postgame press conference in which he gave an emotional two-minute answer.

Cooper may have a legitimate gripe, though. It appears the Avalanche had too many men on the ice during the game-winner.

The apparent missed call was further illustrated on video.

The initial game sheet noted there were six skaters and a goalie on the ice at the time of the goal.

The NHL later updated the sheet by removing Erik Johnson's No. 6 - thereby reducing Colorado's total at the time to five skaters and a goalie - despite the photo and video evidence.

The league then explained the on-ice officials didn't believe it was a too many men infraction at the time, and those types of plays aren't subject to video review.

The Lightning will hope to keep their dreams of a three-peat alive in Game 5 on Friday.

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