The Bruins went into the third period down by a goal but any chances they had were one-and-done until Nikita Kucherov ended it with an easy empty-netter for the Bolts. Tampa, which was playing its first game back from a West Coast trip, wasn’t clicking very well offensively, either, but they did a very good job protecting a one-goal lead for over half a game. A possible first-round opponent for the Bruins, the Lightning looked more playoff ready on this night.

The Bruins’ power-play woes, especially with the first unit, continued. They didn’t have a lot of opportunities but they went 0-for-2 and a timely goal could have made a big difference.

“Tough loss,” said David Pastrnak, who drew both second-period power plays. “Obviously we weren’t at our best and didn’t deserve to win. The outcome is just as it should be. Tough power play, couldn’t get a goal. And the 6-on-5 was tough, couldn’t get in the zone. It’s a tough loss and it’s bad. It was a heck of game by our group (on Tuesday) and too bad we couldn’t roll it over into today.”

Though the B’s were on the second half of a back-to-back, it was not the follow-up you’d like to see after a such an emotional win against the Panthers.

“(Tuesday) there was a lot of emotion in that game and the physical product also contributes,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said. “You win a game like that and we’re sky high. Then we have to come back and play an elite team in the league again. It’s a hard schedule.”

For the second time in as many nights, the B’s allowed the first goal, this time with a Mitchell Chaffee tally at 10:06 of the first.

On a quick Tampa reload in the neutral zone, Mikey Eyssimont fed Nick Paul along the right wing just inside the blue line. Brandon Carlo came over to help Parker Wotherspoon but he could not keep Paul’s pass from getting through to Chaffee, who’d gotten behind James van Riemsdyk.

Still, van Riemsdyk, back in the lineup for Jakub Lauko after getting scratched against the Panthers, appeared to have had Chaffee’s stick tied up from behind, but Chaffee was able to wriggle it free and snap a quick shot over Linus Ullmark’s shoulder.

Van Riemsdyk, who’d be limited to a team-low 9:37 in ice time, then took an offensive zone penalty to give the NHL’s most dangerous man advantage unit an opportunity. But the B’s were able to kill it off without much drama and then finally went on the attack.

They had several close calls, including a Charlie McAvoy hit post and a 3-on-1 that saw Charlie Coyle turn down a good shot for a pass that didn’t connect.

The Bruins tied it up at 17:11 off a good forecheck by Pastrnak, who forced Matt Dumba to drop a pass for no one behind his net. Pavel Zacha was the first one on it and he fed Danton Heinen in the right circle. Falling away from the net, Heinen ripped a wrist shot that beat Andrei Vasilevskiiy to tie it up with his 15th of the season.

With the B’s taking over the play, the Bolts’ Tanner Jeannot tried to put a stop to it on the next shift. He tagged Hampus Lindholm with a good hit along the boards and Trent Frederic went to address it. They dropped the gloves, but Jeannot got in a good first uppercut that cut open Frederic. From there, Frederic just had to hold on until he could get to the dressing room for repairs.

The Lightning took control of the play at the start of the second, refusing to allow any scoring chances until the Bolts took their second lead of the game. On a dominant shift, Point gave Tampa its lead back at 6:50. Emil Lilleberg’s shot was blocked and went behind the net, where Point collected it.

With Ullmark leaning toward his left, Point simply went behind the net and beat the netminder as well as defenseman Andrew Peeke to the far post on a wraparound for a 2-1 Tampa advantage.

That’s all the Bolts would need.

“Obviously it was a nice wraparound by him, but I’ve just got to check off and meet him at that post earlier if I can,” said Peeke.