The Tampa Bay Lightning fell to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night. The Lightning had started the season quite well to kick off 2024-25. However, their loss on Monday has seen them drop back-to-back games. And this recent loss saw Jon Cooper make a rare decision involving star goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy.

Cooper pulled Vasilevskiy from the contest in Toronto in the second period. To be fair, the star netminder did not have his best game. He allowed four goals on 14 shots as the Maple Leafs raced to a 4-1 lead. Backup Jonas Johansson made his first appearance of the season, allowing one goal on 15 shots.

After the game, Cooper explained why he made the decision to bench Vasilevskiy. “It looked like one of those nights. I think I can count on one hand how many times I’ve pulled him in our careers together. ‘JJ' hadn’t played all year, and to me it was time to get him in and give our guy a rest,” the Lightning coach said, via NHL.com.

Andrei Vasilevskiy, Lightning cannot overcome Maple Leafs on the road

Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) shoots the puck around the boards against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the first period at Scotiabank Arena.
John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
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Andrei Vasilevskiy certainly did his team no favors with a poor performance against the Maple Leafs. Overall, though, the Lightning could not contain Toronto's attack on the road. Tampa Bay allowed four goals in the second period to diminish any chance at victory on Monday night.

Jon Cooper believes his team had an off night. “Every time we made an error they took advantage of it. It was just one of those nights. I look at (Max) Pacioretty’s goal and I think that’s kind of how the night went for us. It happens when you play 82. It’s just too bad that it happened in game five,” the Lightning head coach said, via NHL.com.

Pacioretty's goal is a fine example of what Cooper means. Tampa Bay was lax with the puck in their defensive zone. The Maple Leafs retrieved it and moved it up the ice. Lightning defenders put in a less-than-ideal challenge as they entered the offensive zone. And that gave Pacioretty the space he needed to get his shot off from the point.

The Lightning need to put this loss behind them in quick order. Tampa Bay is in action again on Tuesday against the New Jersey Devils as part of the NHL's Frozen Frenzy. Perhaps playing a back-to-back after a brutal loss like this could allow the Lightning to put this game behind them and move forward quickly.