from Erik Erlendsson of the Tampa Tribune,

For the fourth time this season, Tampa Bay was shut out, this time a 1-0 loss to the Panthers, who scored the winning goal with 20.2 seconds left Monday night....

After leading the league in scoring last season, Tampa Bay has failed to score more than two goals in a game 10 times in 20 games this season. And after being shut out once all last season, the Lightning have now been shut out four times in the past 12 games.

“You can’t listen to all the crap about last year and expectations, you have to play the game,” said captain Steven Stamkos, who finished with a season-high six shots on goal. “There are no trophies handed out before the season starts. That’s hockey and that’s life in general. Nothing is given to you, especially in this league. Guys are too good, teams are too good and the parity is the best in sports.

“Nothing is given to us. We have to earn everything we get. Today we probably earned a better fate, but it didn’t happen.”

The loss dropped Tampa Bay to 8-9-3, the latest into a season the Lightning have been below .500 since the end of 2012-13, when head coach Jon Cooper was a midseason replacement behind the bench.

Given all the offensive talent on the roster, the lack of scoring is a puzzle yet to be solved a quarter of the way through the season.

“It’s frustrating, and as frustrated as we are as a (coaching) staff, the players are just as frustrated, because you can see them battling their tails off and pucks that have gone in for them in the past just are not going in right now,” Cooper said. “But I thought we played a hell of a game. And it’s starting to sound like a broken record when I say I felt we deserved something out of that game and we got nothing. Eventually that is going to turn.”

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