In Game 2, the Lightning’s goaltender, Andrei Vasilevskiy, gave an incredible performance that could have been a piece of art. He made 34 saves on 37 shots, but it was not enough to secure a victory against Sergei Bobrovsky and the Panthers. The game went into overtime and the Lightning lost.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time Tampa Bay sports fans have seen a dominant performance go to waste. In 2001, Derrick Brooks had a record-breaking 23 tackles and interception in a losing effort against the Vikings. Despite his incredible performance, the Bucs fell short in the final minutes of the game.
In 2012, James Shields set a club record with 15 strikeouts in a 1-0 loss to the Orioles. Shields’ dominant pitching performance was not enough to secure a victory for the Rays as they were unable to score any runs to support his efforts.
These instances serve as reminders of how heartbreak can come from witnessing incredible displays of skill that ultimately lead to defeat. Just like Vasilevskiy’s performance in Game 2, these efforts were rendered moot by the final outcome of their respective games.
