Bruins slow start allowed Lightning to take control, give Boston first loss

BOSTON — After three straight wins to begin the season, the Bruins looked lifeless to begin Monday’s matinee.

Boston ultimately fell 4-3 to the Tampa Bay Lightning at TD Garden for its first loss of the season.

The Lightning came out strong with two goals in the first period, including one just 1:09 into the game. And while the Bruins scored three times in the third, Tampa Bay seemed to have an answer for each goal.

“They came ready to play,” coach Marco Sturm said after the game. “They lost two in a row. We know they just want to get to work right away and we just weren’t ready. That’s why we made mistakes and that’s why (the Lightning scored) four times pretty much on empty net.”

The Bruins couldn’t capitalize on a late power play in the third then on a 5-on-3 in the final eight seconds. They weren’t completely outplayed, but Tampa came more prepared after losing its first two games.

“We knew they lost a couple games to start the year, we knew they were gonna come out hot,” Morgan Geekie said. You can’t really do that in day games. You gotta figure out a way to get going, especially at home in divisional games. I wouldn’t pinpoint it to one thing. I thought we got to our game toward the end of the second and into the third. But, this league’s too good to fall behind that early.”

The Bruins today embark on a tough three-game road trip against the Vegas Golden Knights, Colorado Avalanche and Utah Mammoth.

“It’s a tough league and today look at the teams who are coming up. So it’s going to be a big challenge, big test,” Sturm said. “It’s going to be a lot of up and downs during the season, but we want to stay consistent. That’s going to be the biggest message for us or for me to my guys: Be consistent.”