
Friday, 4 a.m.
Firepower? What firepower?
It is early in the season, but already, the Tampa Bay Lightning, an offensive powerhouse for years, seem to have run out of juice. At least, it seemed that way after the Bolts blew a lead and lost 2-1 in overtime to the Philadelphia Flyers for their fourth straight loss.
The Bolts, 7-6-1, scored just one goal. As telling where Jon Cooper’s two choices for a potential shootout goal. No Nikita Kucherov. No Brandon Hagel. No Jake Guentzel. No Tony Cirelli. No Nick Paul.
Instead, Lightning coach Jon Cooper went with Gage Goncalves, who has played in only one game — and didn’t score — this year and defenseman Victor Hedman. Neither scored.
It was that kind of night for the Bolts, who have scored just 10 goals in their four-game losing streak.
The one goal by Kucherov, who is tied for the NHL lead with 11 goals. Other than that, the Bolts couldn’t get the puck past Ivan Fedotov, who came in with an 0-3 record.
Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy played well, but he gave up a third-period goal to Owen Tippett with 4: 15 left to play. The Flyers then scored on their first two shootout attempts on goals by Tippett and Travis Konecny.
The Bolts are home against Winnipeg on Thursday night at 7 p.m.