Let’s start off with a few positives. In terms of their compete level and willingness to battle, the Lightning did good a job in the final two periods. During those final 40 minutes, they generated a number of scoring chances and put 26 shots on net. Buffalo goalie Chad Johnson, like many of the goalies the Bolts have recently seen, held the Lightning to only one goal.
But, as if often the case when a team is mired in a funk, the Lightning didn’t do enough well to win. They had a terrible first period, a frame in which they fell behind early.