So securing home ice in their first round against the cross-state rival Panthers seemed fortuitous. But after dropping the first two games of the playoffs at Amalie Arena — including Thursday’s 1-0 loss — the Lightning will have to become road warriors to climb out of a two-games-to-none series hole.

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.