The Tampa Bay Lightning has played nine games so far this season, and currently have a record of 4-3-3. At the beginning of the season, star goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy was ruled out for six to eight weeks due to recovery from a surgery he had to repair a lumbar disc herniation in his back. Without him, there was worry of rookie goalie Jonas Johansson not living up to expectations and what was needed to make up for the supposed lackluster defense.

   However, defying most beliefs, Johansson and the rest of the defense made a strong effort at the Lightning’s Home Opener. The Lightning’s first game started the team off on a good foot, with the team scoring five goals, fending off the Nashville Predators, and taking home the win.

   The next two games after the opener, however, the Lightning went on the road and lost all three games against the Detroit Red Wings, Ottawa Senators, and Buffalo Sabres, respectively. While both rookie goalie Johansson and backup goalie Matt Tomkins made strong saves to attempt to hold the team, their efforts were not enough to make up for the mistakes of the rest of the team.

   The Lightning then reached a stretch of five home games, winning three and losing two. On Oct. 19, the Lightning won in a close game to the Vancouver Canucks, with a score of four to three. It then followed up with a tough overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 21. On Oct. 24 and 26, Johansson received back-to-back shutouts, claiming big victories for the Lightning against the opponents Carolina Hurricanes and San Jose Sharks.

   For the Halloween night game on Oct. 30,  the Lightning lost in a very close overtime game to the Seattle Kraken, with a final score of four to three. The Lightning have not claimed a victory in 10 of the last 11 games that have gone to overtime, making this year’s losses far too familiar.

   On Nov. 2, the Tampa Bay Lightning played an away game versus the Columbus Blue Jackets. With goals scored by Johnny Gaudreau, Erik Gudbranson, Boone Jenner, and Kirill Marchenko, the Blue Jackets took the win, extending the Lightning’s losing streak to two.

   The Tampa Bay Lightning’s season has only just begun, and while overtime effort has not been promising, the Lightning has a good chance to be a top team in the league.