A shaky defensive effort that held up against Vegas in the first meeting proved unsustainable for the Lightning, as they failed to replicate that performance in the rematch. The Avalanche capitalized on the team’s struggles across all three periods, exposing persistent vulnerabilities in their backline. With back-to-back games highlighting the same defensive inconsistencies, the Lightning face growing questions about their ability to contain opponents over sustained stretches. The trend suggests deeper systemic issues rather than an isolated misstep.

The Lightning may have gotten away with a leaky defensive performance against Vegas on Tuesday, but they were not able to do it for a second game in a row.  In all three periods, the Avalanche ...