It was all going so well for the Tampa Bay Lightning. After losing the first two games in the series, including a shutout loss in the second, Lightning struck in Sunshine, Florida. The Blue Brigade gave the Panthers a taste of their own medicine, winning the third game 5-1. And tonight they carried that spirit in Game 4. Despite the Panthers drawing first blood, the Lightning struck twice in 11 seconds.

Yes! That’s how long it took for Tampa to score two back-to-back goals and take the lead in the second period. The stunning response didn’t just silence the home crowd but also frustrated the defending champions, who started committing reckless fouls. Niko Mikkola‘s boarding of Zemgus Girgensons even got him ejected from the game. Yet, despite the Tampa Bay Lightning’s success, the Panthers would have the last laugh when the final buzzer rang.

That’s because the Panthers played tit-for-tat in the third period, quite literally matching Jon Cooper & Co.’s second-period scoring spree. “PANTHERS SCORE TWICE IN 11 SECONDS! FLORIDA TAKES THE LEAD LATE IN THE THIRD,” Sportsnet posted on X. And that lead would only get extended when Carter Verhaeghe put the match away with an empty netter. Needless to say, the Lightning fans were fuming.

“I think it’s safe to say the Tampa Bay Lightning dynasty is over,” commented one frustrated fan. The hockey enthusiast immediately blamed Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, who nearly stopped both goals. “Vasy is washed. 2nd goal: bad rebound. 3rd goal hits him and goes in,” added the fan. And while the fans’ complaints may be colored by the disappointment of losing control of Game 4, Vasilevskiy did have trouble controlling rebounds.

In fact, the Panthers scored a fifth goal against Vasilevskiy in the game. So why did the scoreline read 4-2, you ask? Well, that’s because minutes before scoring his official 5th career playoff goal, Aaron Ekblad scored an offside goal when Vasilevskiy couldn’t control the rebound from Evan Rodrigues’s shot. It was this defensive collapse that the fans couldn’t wrap their heads around.

Tampa Bay Lightning fans left reeling from the shock

Many fans couldn’t even fathom how Tampa Bay’s goaltending and defense fell apart when they were on the home stretch. “Tampa Bay Lightning self-destructed, wow!” commented one fan who couldn’t fathom how the defending champions put the puck in the net three times within a matter of minutes. After all, Tampa Bay was among the top teams during the NHL regular season.

One fan even asked the question: “How does a team this good suck so badly?!” the fan commented. How good was the Lighting coming into the playoffs? Well, here’s a quick rundown. For starters, Tampa Bay put together one of the best offensive performances and capped it off by scoring the most goals (292) in the regular season. Their power play was equally impressive.

In fact, they were among the top five in terms of power play. Many thought that despite Florida being the defensive champions, they would struggle to contend with Tampa Bay’s offense. And it’s not like the games haven’t been tight. Both teams have had multiple pucks bounce off the post and seen incredible saves keep them in the game.

“That’s what makes this Battle of Florida so much fun, because it is two extremely competitive teams that play a great brand of hockey. That’s why you get these tight games,” Coach Jon Cooper said after the match. However, fun isn’t the sentiment the fans are feeling right now. The Lightning let the game that could’ve tied the series 2-2 slip away, and now the Panthers have a 3-1 lead.

Game 5 will be do-or-die, and the fans are not pleased with Cooper and Co. “Huge choke job by the lightning. Cooper is on the hot seat. He’s washed,” claimed one fan. Yet the Tampa Bay Lightning coach isn’t unaware of the stakes. The coach was fired up when his team scored two goals within 11 seconds and refused to lose faith in his players despite the loss.

“We just had a tough 11 seconds there at the end of the game. It’s unfortunate,” added Coach Cooper. Meanwhile, Captain Victor Hedman said the team will now focus on being ready for Game 5 on home ice. And while many fans blamed Panthers players like Niko Mikkola and Aaron Ekblad for committing fouls, one fan pointed out something else the Lightning might want to look at.

“We Lightning fans cannot blame the refs. 1/15 on the power play this series, and we couldn’t score on a 5-minute power play? Forget blowing lead under 4 minutes… That is what happens when you cannot execute when given great opportunities,” commented. In fact, Tampa Bay’s lack of power-play goals has been alarming.

They came into the NHL playoffs with the 5th-best PP in the league. Yet despite having heavy hitters like Art Ross Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov and forwards like Hagel, Brayden Point, and Jake Guentzel, who have over 100 goals between them this season, the team has struggled against Florida. Yet, what do you think is going wrong with the Tampa Bay Lightning? Write your views in the comments.