It was only Game 1, but it was a tough night for the Tampa Bay Lightning. A 6-2 loss to the Florida Panthers in their playoff opener inside a packed out Amalie Arena — and just like that, the home-ice advantage they fought so hard to get is gone.

Making a triumphant return to the lineup after missing two months with a lower-body injury, Matthew Tkachuk tallied two goals and an assist to lead the Florida Panthers to a 6-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference First Round at Amalie Arena on Tuesday.

And by the midway point, the defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers had run away with Game 1. The Lightning allowed five goals on Florida’s first 11 shots, sucking the energy out of the building and losing the home-ice advantage Tampa Bay had worked for in an eventual 6-2 loss.