from Chris Johnston of Sportsnet,

They kept the doors closed a little longer than usual to make sure everyone was aware of the situation.

Having played great for two-plus periods, and squandered a chance to beat the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup opener, the Tampa Bay Lightning had a quick heart-to-heart following Wednesday’s 2-1 loss.

The message? Stay the course, but next time don’t let up.

“It didn’t really need to be said, but it was,” said veteran forward Brenden Morrow. “We’re a team that needs to play with pace and be aggressive. When we hold on good things don’t seem to happen for us.”

Through 40 minutes, this had looked like a statement performance for the Lightning.

continued

added 8:21am, from Martin Fennelly of the Tampa Tribune,