The Tampa Bay Lightning took a gut-punching loss to the Florida Panthers, 6-2, in Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs. After losing in five games last season to the same opponent, the follow-up couldn’t have gone any worse. It’s obviously far from over. It was Game 1, and the Lightning have lost Game 1 multiple times and pulled a series out. However, how they performed can’t be overlooked.
Here are three takeaways from the Lightning’s sluggish showing to open the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
When It Imploded, It Imploded
For a good chunk of the first period, it looked like this was going to be a game. It was tied 1-1 up until the final minute. Even with it being 2-1 heading into the second period, there was no indication that the game was going to take the turn that it did.
The Panthers quickly put up four unanswered goals. The Lightning gave them opportunities with the man advantage, and they said, thank you. By the halfway mark of the game, it looked over. The Panthers were also by far the more physical team. They outhit the Lightning 48-28 and blocked 10 more shots.
Don’t even try to blame officiating or anyone but the team on the losing end. Let’s say there was goalie interference or that icing call toward the end of the first period didn’t happen. The Panthers still won 6-2. I know that’s not how hockey works. It changes how the game plays out from there. But if we are being honest, given how the Lightning played, a couple changes in officiating weren’t going to elevate them to a win.
Old Playoff Vasilevskiy Might Be In the Rearview Mirror
He could come out the rest of the series and provide this entirely wrong. That would be a very Andrei Vasilevskiy thing to do, and it would come as a surprise to few if it did happen. That being said, it’s hard to find an excuse for his performance in this game.
In the first-round loss in 2023 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, there is an argument that he wasn’t fully healthy, and the eventual herniated disk injury gave it validity. The same can be said for the first-round loss to the Panthers last season. He came off surgery, got overplayed and was dead where he stood come playoff time.
This time, there isn’t an excuse. He’s arguably been the best goalie in the NHL since the season resumed after the 4 Nations Face-Off. He’s likely a Vezina Trophy finalist this season. He was supposed to be back. Instead, he saved just 10 of 16 in his first healthy playoff game since arguably Game 6 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final.
The goalie who won the Conn Smythe could still be in there. However, he might have one more game to prove that during this season’s playoffs.
Guentzel, At Least, Showed That His Acquisition Was Worth It
All three takeaways could have just hammered the Lightning in some way for their performance. However, I’m choosing to find a positive spin for the last one. The acquisition of Jake Guentzel at the starting gun of last offseason got flak because it was at the expense of losing longtime captain Steven Stamkos. Guentzel was one of the only Lightning players to do anything in the game.
He had one of the two goals in the game, the other coming from Brayden Point. Yes, Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov were credited with assists, but Guentzel salvaged that situation. The puck had bounced away from the net, and he pulled it back around the post to put it in the net. That’s the type of moment that should serve as a momentum shifter – key word being should.
Even if the Lightning get bounced out of the playoffs in this series, it wouldn’t be surprising to see that Guentzel made something happen in every game.
Again, pointing out a positive was a choice. Kucherov being virtually quiet again was an option to discuss. The nonexistent showing from Brandon Hagel after a career year could have gotten its own takeaway, too. He set a record for most goals scored without a power play goal. That could have been helpful last night.
I could be here until puck drop of Game 2, trying to break it all down until I’m as blue in the face as the Lightning’s jerseys. These were just the highlight takeaways.
All the Lightning can do now is look at what went wrong and try to bring this series to Sunrise tied at one win apiece. They can’t afford to go down 0-2 again, especially when they have home ice this time around.
