The Tampa Bay Lightning made an array of moves this off-season. Among the most notable was the Atlantic Division club re-acquiring defenseman Ryan McDonagh from the Nashville Predators in exchange for a 2024 seventh-round pick and a 2025 second-round pick.

Sharks star forward Mikael Granlund played a role in the Lightning's loss, as he recorded the primary assist on Mario Ferraro's goal that gave San Jose a 2-0 lead. With the Lightning needing more offense,

Yaroslav Askarov made 24 saves and stopped all 11 shots he faced in the third period as the San Jose Sharks snapped an eight-game losing streak with a 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Given the fact that the Lightning kept the goal total to two and still lost the game in regulation, the biggest reason for the result was what they did — and didn’t do — in the offensive zone. Through the first 40 minutes,