@ Florida

Watching the team go down by three goals in the opening frame is a level of efficiency only this franchise can achieve. Brad Marchand finding the back of the net just three minutes in was a lovely little gift followed quickly by a power play goal from Carter Verhaeghe. Just when it seemed like the start could not get more embarrassing, Evan Rodrigues tucked a shorthanded goal past Joseph Woll to make it a three goal hole. Woll actually finished with a respectable 91.4 save percentage because he spent the rest of the game dodging a firing squad while the skaters in front of him treated the defensive zone like an optional suggestion.

There was at least a bit of life in the second period when Simon Benoit decided he had seen enough of Aaron Ekblad. They traded roughing penalties and provided the only real pulse this team had. John Tavares managed to ruin the shutout early in the third with a power play goal assisted by Auston Matthews and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. It gave everyone that tiny flicker of hope that always ends up being a trap. Predictably the comeback stalled out and the game ended with two empty net goals from Marchand and Matthew Tkachuk to really rub salt in the wound. Seeing Matthews and Matthew Knies both finish at a minus four is exactly the kind of stat line that keeps this fanbase from ever feeling too good about themselves.