Burns: Three things we learned from dropping Game 2

The Tampa Bay Lightning got want they wanted from the opening two games of the Eastern Conference Final. The Bolts left Pittsburgh with the series tied 1-1 and wrestled home-ice advantage away from the Penguins.

Still, the Lightning have to be wondering what if after having numerous opportunities to fly back to Tampa with a two-games-to-none lead in the best-of-seven series.

The Lightning battled back from an early 2-0 deficit to level the score before the end of the first period in Game 2. After playing evenly with the Pens in the second period and dodging numerous bullets in the third, the Lightning’s luck ran out shortly into overtime as Sidney Crosby got an open look from the slot and buried his opportunity just 40 seconds into the extra session.

The Lightning will try to get back in the win column on Wednesday in front of their home fans with Game 3 at Amalie Arena.

There were plenty of positives to draw from Game 2 for the Lightning, despite the loss.

We’ll go through each in today’s 3 Things.

1. RESILIENCY TESTED YET AGAIN

Adversity is a constant theme for the 2015-16 Tampa Bay Lightning.

All season, the Bolts have had to deal with setbacks. Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat were injured for large portions of the first half of the regular season. Before the playoffs, Anton Stralman and Steven Stamkos were lost. J.T. Brown missed most of the First Round and all of the Second Round with an upper-body injury.

In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final, Tampa Bay’s season-long MVP Ben Bishop was carted off on a stretcher in the first period.

Yet, through it all, the Lightning remained poised, relied on their organizational depth and continued to push through.

Prior to Game 2, the Bolts felt the injury tides might be shifting in their favor a bit. Stamkos was skating again and doing so in a regular jersey, getting closer to a return. The prognosis on Bishop wasn’t anywhere near as severe as initially feared, his status day-to-day and not out for the season as it looked like it might have been. Brown was back in the lineup. Stralman returned too for the first time since March 25, making his playoff debut in Game 2 and scoring the Bolts’ first goal.

But, again, the Lightning were dealt a considerable blow before taking the ice at Consol.

Ryan Callahan didn’t skate at the Bolts’ morning skate on Monday, but his absence wasn’t particularly noteworthy because the practice was optional. Other players weren’t there too. But when Callahan didn’t come out for pregame warmups, the Lightning would be forced yet again to find a way to win with a depleted lineup.

Around the time the puck dropped for Game 2, the Lightning announced Callahan had the flu and would miss the contest. His availability for Game 3 in Tampa when the series shifts to Amalie Arena is unknown. Following the 3-2 overtime loss to the Penguins on Monday, Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said Callahan hadn’t left his hotel room all day.

“He’s got the flu really bad,” Cooper said. “I’m not even sure Callahan’s moved from his bed. I felt awful for …

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