The Tampa Bay Lightning don’t boast that kind of depth, but one thing they showcase more than anything else — and perhaps more than any NHL team — is pure star power. So far, the stars aren’t shining for the Lightning. If that doesn’t change in a hurry, it will be lights out.

If the Tampa Bay Lightning can get through the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, they could go all the way.

In a game in which the story line going in was the return of Matthew Tkachuk (who did not disappoint), the story within the story was just how many things could have possibly gone wrong for the Tampa Bay Lightning in its playoff opener against the Florida Panthers.