From the start of the game against the Colorado Avalanche, the Tampa Bay Lightning just didn't look to have a chance.
In a rematch of the 2022 Stanley Cup Finals, the Avalanche jumped out to an early 2-0 lead and never looked back on their way to demolishing the Bolts 6-3 on Friday night.
It never felt like Tampa Bay was able to match the energy or presence of Colorado, looking sluggish and constantly having to chase the Avs around the ice.
Here are our major takeaways from the Lightning's 6-3 loss to the Avalanche:
Jake Guentzel Delivers for Bolts
Center Jake Guentzel was really the lone bright spot on the night for the Bolts.
Guentzel found the back of the net twice against Avs' goalie MacKenzie Blackwood, showing gritty play in front of the net that led to the Lightning's only power-play goal of the night.
His ability to find the soft spots within the crease has become a reliable element for the Bolts' zone entries, which allowed him to put up seven total shots on the night. On a night where the offense struggled to find any rhythm, Guentzel shined.
Where Were Rest of the Stars?
While Guentzel played well, the rest of the Lightning's stars were absent.
The combination of Nikita Kucherov, Brandon Hagel, and Brayden Point couldn't find much of anything on the night, with just two assists between the three and a combination of -2 on the box score.
The stars on defense didn't fare much better as Erik Cernak and John Carlson were chasing for much of the night, finishing the night a combined -4 in +/-.
Victor Hedman also had minimal impact and had to leave the ice. He finished with just 5:56 of total ice time.
Power Play Continues to Struggle
The Lightning's struggles on the power play have been well documented at this point, and that didn't get any better against the Avalanche.
Tampa had plenty of opportunities on the man advantage, seeing six man-up advantages. However, they were only able to convert once.
The Lightning are one of the worst teams in the league on the power play, converting on a lowly 12.9% of their chances.
This area of the game must be fixed if they hope to be a true contender throughout the season.
Moving Foward: Short-Turnaround
It's a quick turnaround for the Bolts, who will head to Utah to take on the Mammoth on Saturday night.
The Avs snapped the Lightning's three-game win streak, so they will have to show resilience.
Utah is no joke, sitting at 7-4 on the season, so it will be a test for the Bolts to see if they can reset after a brutal loss to avoid letting this road trip get the best of them.
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