- Editor's note: Sheng Peng will be a regular contributor to NBC Sports California's Sharks coverage for the 2021-22 season. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at Sheng_Peng.
The two-time defending champs can afford to do this: The Tampa Bay Lightning kicked off their West Coast swing on Tuesday with a 6-4 victory over the Los Angeles Kings, and from what I understand, had a pretty good time in Southern California before losing 5-1 on Friday in Anaheim.
Their mandate coming into SAP Center for a back-to-back against the San Jose Sharks? Flip the switch, come out of California with two of three.
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The Sharks didn’t know what hit them: The Lightning struck again and again and again and again and were up 4-0 just 12:32 into the contest.
“That team exposes you when you don’t compete,” Andrew Cogliano acknowledged. “They can beat you even when you compete at your highest level. But when you don’t compete, you’re not even close to their level. It gets embarrassing really fast.”