TAMPA, Fla — Even though Lightning fans left the game with a loss, energy was still high. Fan capacity was the highest it has been since the start of the pandemic.
Around 14,800 fans were welcomed to cheer on the Bolts. Season ticket holder Sarah MacDonald was not phased by the loss, "We're totally ready for game two. We're gonna take this we're gonna win the whole thing and back in the Stanley Cup finals."
That energy and determination was palpable throughout the game. "No pun intended, but it was electric. It was fun. The whole intro, from start to finish," said fan Andrew Shire. "We started off strong and didn't finish the way we wanted to. But it's a series so we're looking forward to the next game."
He brought his family along, and it was 14-month-old Liam's first game. "He was like cheering them on, like 'go bolts go bolts.' It was, it was a great time. We absolutely loved it. It was like memorable for us," said mom, Irene Shire.
The fans are hopeful that the Lightning can clinch this series and move onto another Stanley cup final, one that they can watch in person.
"Like it's crazy to see how far we've come from like this time last year," said Katie Schmidt. "Kind of weird, but like in a good way."
Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Semifinals will be at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday at Amalie Arena.
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