Wednesday, 4 a.m.
Blame it on the Olympics. Blame it on the schedule. Blame it the ebbs and flows of the NHL season.
Blame whoever, but the Tampa Bay Lighting are officially in a slump.
The Bolts lost their third straight game -- and played their fourth straight most disappointing effort -- in a 5-1 hammering at the hands of the Minnesota Wild. The Wild continued their dominance over the Lightning, who have been struggling since the Olympic break this year.
The Bolts have given up 16 goal in their three straight losses.
Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy has given up nine goals in his last game and a half. Vasilevskiy, who had appeared as if he was going to make a run at the Vezina, has now given up the nine goals on 34 shots.
The Wild scored the game's first two goals and their last three.
Nikita Kucherov scored the only goal for the Bolts, his 32nd.
The Bolts visit Winnipeg on Thursday night at 8 p.m. at the Canada Life Centre.