# Tampa Bay Lightning Face West Coast Test

> Lightning's road trip against NHL's top teams tests special teams and resilience.
- Title: Tampa Bay Lightning Face West Coast Test | Shortify
- Summary: Lightning's road trip against NHL's top teams tests special teams and resilience. Tampa Bay Lightning must improve special teams to win three challenging…
- Keywords: tampa bay lightning, vegas golden knights, colorado avalanche, utah mammoth, nfl, special teams, road trip, sports, Tampa, Bay, Lightning, Face
- Source: Tampa Bay Lightning On SI — https://si.com/nhl/lightning/onsi/news/lightning-face-early-season-test-against-nhl-s-best-on-west-coast-trip-01m5a9bbfnns
- Published: 2026-10-19T15:38:04+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: tampa bay lightning, vegas golden knights, colorado avalanche, utah mammoth, nfl, special teams, road trip, sports
## Lightning Prepare West Coast Trip
Tampa Bay Lightning prepare for first three-game West Coast trip starting October 20.
## Vegas Golden Knights Challenge
Vegas Golden Knights sit at 8-2 with 4.1 goals per game, leading NHL's most dangerous offenses.
## Colorado Avalanche Threat
Colorado Avalanche average 4.5 goals per game with Nathan MacKinnon and Cole Makar.
## Utah Mammoth Back-to-Back Test
Lightning wrap West Coast swing on October 24 against Utah Mammoth in back-to-back game.
## Special Teams Struggles
Tampa power play ranks 30th in NHL converting 10.7% of opportunities.
## Penalty Kill Struggles
Tampa penalty kill operates at 75% success rate, ranking 22nd in NHL.
## Kucherov vs. MacKinnon Storyline
Kucherov edged MacKinnon in last season's MVP race, adding compelling matchup.
## Road Trip Challenges
Lightning face three teams with high-powered offenses and back-to-back tests.
## Defensive Pressure Needed
Tampa must improve defensive efforts against teams generating scoring chances.
## Travel and Fatigue Impact
Travel, fatigue, and recovery could affect Lightning's performance on October 24.
## Special Teams Improvement Needed
Tampa needs better power play and penalty kill to win close games.
## Road Trip Momentum
Lightning aim to build momentum with strong special teams play on road.
## Can Lightning Prove Themselves?
Lightning must win close games and improve special teams to succeed on road.
## West Coast Trip Outcome
Lightning's success depends on special teams improvement against top teams.
## Key takeaway

Tampa Bay Lightning must improve special teams to win three challenging games against Vegas, Colorado, and Utah on their early-season West Coast trip.