TAMPA — The Lightning scored first for the first time in the series during Wednesday night's 6-3 loss to the Florida Panthers. It didn't matter. The reigning Stanley Cup champions dispatched Tampa Bay 4-1 in the best-of-seven series. It's the third consecutive year the Lightning have bowed out in the first round, and it's the second straight season their defeat has come at the hands of the Panthers.
WATCH: Lightning react to Game 5 loss to Panthers
"We played some hard games and came up short. It’s a hard-fought series. It’s hard right now. We just lost," a dejected Nick Paul said after game five. "Games could’ve gone other way, but at the end of the day, they beat us."
The Lightning were optimistic about their chances to make another playoff run. They made defensive adjustments during the preseason, and they thought they were playing well enough to advance deeper into the postseason.
"We were excited coming in, for sure. We kind of found an identity during the season," center Brayden Point said. "We liked our group. But like I said, they’re the team that won last year. They found ways to win, and you know, we didn’t."
The road to the Stanley Cup final will pass through the state of Florida for the sixth straight season. Unfortunately for Tampa Bay, that road has taken a detour to South Florida over the past three seasons.
"In the end, people like to attach themselves to winners," Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said matter-of-factly. "They’ve built a great fan base down there. I remember going to play in games there where we had more fans in the building than they did. They’ve done a fabulous job of building a brand and building a team and they’re getting rewarded for it."
Winning at a high level - in any sport- is hard to do. And Cooper knows the blueprint for success is one that has to go through its share of changes.
"Florida’s got a plan, too. Just as every team does. I think the two teams that just played have seen quite a bit of success. Unfortunately, we’re just not seeing it as much lately as they are. We know what we have to do."
The team will have exit interviews and a year-ending media availability on Friday morning.
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