The Tampa Bay Lightning started Friday night’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins with a strong effort, but they proved to be a house of cards, falling in a dramatic 5-1 loss.
In their defense, the odds were stacked against the Bolts.
Sure, injuries are never good, but missing captain Vincent Lecavalier and Steve Downie, a primary force in a system that hinges on offense? Not good. Add to that two call-ups, Johan Harju and Marc-Antione Pouliot, being thrown into a system that takes an estimated two weeks to adjust to? Not good.
To worsen the odds, note that prior to tonight’s game, the Lighting were 4-4-1 on the road.
In other words, there was plenty of room for doubt going into the game. Thinking that they could notch a win was wishful thinking. Thinking that because they beat Pittsburgh before, the Bolts would beat them again was wishful thinking. What were we thinking?
This article appears in Nov 11-17, 2010.