Here’s how bad the hockey season is going for the Tampa Bay Lightning. It can’t even count on Buffalo anymore.
The sputtering Tampa Bay Lightning lost for the first time this season to the Sabres Tuesday night, dropping a 4-1 decision to a team it had previously beaten three times (in its seven victories). It was the eighth time this season the Bolts have been held to one goal or fewer.
The Lightning (7-8-2) bears little resemblance to the team that swept through last season and finished second in the NHL. It is now 2-6-1 in its last nine.
“We are just not getting rewarded right now and it’s tough,’’ said captain Steven Stamkos. “Frustration, pouting, feeling sorry for yourself and (asking) why is it not going in . . . it’s going in for other guys on other teams. That’s where things snowball, so we have a group that can go through something like this, learn from this and hopefully get better.’’
Goalie Andrej Vasilevskiy lost his first game of the season. He admitted he should have stopped Buffalo’s third goal. But by then the Sabres had two, which was plenty.
“I think the message of the game was to throw more pucks to the net,” said forward Ryan Callahan. “I don’t think that was a new message delivered [after the second]. I thought we did that a little more in the third, got some more opportunities, but that’s just been the message the whole time. Get pucks there, get bodies there.”
The season is 17 games old now, which qualifies as a legitimate bad start.
“When there is a problem, are you going to kick the can and keep your head down and whine about it or are you going to look for a solution,’’ said Lightning head coach Jon Cooper. “I’m somebody that looks for a solution. There is one out there, we just need to find it. It’s just a little evasive right now, but we are going to find it.’’
The Lightning is home Thursday night against Calgary.
