SUNRISE, FL (SNN-TV) – It was a night to forget for the Bolts yesterday in Sunrise, as Tampa took on in-state rival Florida Panthers.
Tampa Bay was thoroughly dominated in their first action back after the All-Star break, falling 7-1 to the Panthers at FLA Live Arena. The loss is the Lightning’s first of the season to their in-state rivals after winning each of the first two meetings.
The Lightning’s game was riddled with defensive mistakes. They committed costly turnovers and endured coverage miscues. They allowed seven goals, but Florida’s goal total could have been even higher as Andrei Vasilevskiy recorded 42 saves, many of which were high-quality stops.
The Bolts won’t have long to dwell on the lopsided loss as they return to action on Tuesday against the Sharks back in Tampa.