NHL playoff scores 2016: Lightning falter after failing to correct past mistakes

Much like the Blues on Tuesday, the Lightning were unable to fix their mistakes and it cost them dearly in Game 3.

The script was pretty much the same between Games 2 and 3, just switch out the city of Pittsburgh for Tampa Bay. The domination wasn't nearly as immediate for the Penguins on Wednesday, as the Lightning looked to be the better team for the first 10 minutes of Game 3. Yet, their chances were wasted as their neutral zone play broke down and the Penguins found the holes in the Lightning defense.

By night's end, the Penguins found the net four times and put the puck on Andrei Vasilevskiy 48 times, the most ever in a playoff regulation road game for Pittsburgh. For much of the game, Tampa Bay was powerless to the will of the Penguins, who played like they've played all playoffs long -- with a swarming forecheck and an opportunistic attitude on every play.

It's one thing to acknowledge mistakes being made, but it's another to be able to fix them entirely. Though much credit can be given to the Penguins system, the Lightning's inability to complete breakout passes or defend Pittsburgh's relentless forechecking on the counter rush has done them no favors either. And it's starting to show, as the Lightning racked up 20 penalty minutes in frustration -- with half spent on Alex Killorn's game misconduct penalty in the game's final 20 seconds.

The Lightning may have had the easier road to get to the Eastern Conference Final, but they'll have to play to the level of their competition if they want to win it. A good first step to getting out of their 2-1 series hole? Adjustments.

Penguins 4, Lightning 2

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1. Tampa Bay could not hold onto the puck

The official scoresheet gave the Lightning 11 giveaways during the game, but it certainly felt like more than that. Where the Penguins were confident, the Lightning seemed to be hesitant as they threw passes in the neutral zone. Pittsburgh's suffocating forecheck and neutral zone play -- and by the end just the threat of it -- forced the Lightning to pass the puck quicker than they wanted. It was their problem in Game 2, and it certainly wasn't fixed in Game 3.

2. Phil Kessel was a man on a mission

The addition of Kessel for the Penguins has certainly paid off in the playoffs, as the former Leaf notched his 15th and 16th points of the playoffs on a goal and an assist in Game 3. Where Crosby rose to the challenge in Game 2 by leading his team in shots on goal, Kessel did just the same here on Wednesday with his team-high eight in 19 minutes of ice time.

3. The Lightning have some pretty great in-arena entertainment

Sure the Lightning lost, but they clearly win at life with this projection of a Mario Kart game on the ice in between the first and second periods.

This place is like a big Dave and Busters. They're playing Mario Kart on the ice: pic.twitter.com/G3Qbu8PzgS

— Seth Rorabaugh (@emptynetters) May 19, 2016

Remember Tony, AKA @soloucity on Twitter, who fell in love with hockey during the Blues/Blackhawks Game 7? We're dedicating a section in our recaps to the gems of his Twitter account during the playoffs.

Tony has picked his side, folks.

im sorry..... pic.twitter.com/y3CoegCADZ

— Tony X. (@soIoucity) May 19, 2016

i cant pass up an opportunity to post a penguin gif ever

— Tony X. (@soIoucity) May 19, 2016

@soIoucity Samesies.

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) May 19, 2016

#Pens Hagelin, Bonino & Kessel have been the NHL's Heartbreak Kids since becoming linemates on March 13 pic.twitter.com/cF1ow6fCio

— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) May 19, 2016