The Ottawa Senators are a fast team that is dangerous in transition, and they burned the Lightning by scoring four goals off the rush. Three of those were odd-man rush opportunities. The Sens built a first-period multi-goal lead and never relinquished it. After the early minutes, they defended tightly and limited scoring chances. As a result, the Lightning dropped their second straight game in regulation.
The Lightning’s best hockey came in the opening minutes. They posted six shots on net through the first 4:12. Anton Forsberg stopped them all, however, keeping the game scoreless.
The Sens weathered that early surge and eventually pushed back. Just past the halfway point of the period, they netted the game’s first goal. From the neutral zone, Tim Stutzle brought the puck into the Tampa Bay end, cut inside, and angled to the low slot. He finished a wrist shot past Andrei Vasilevskiy’s stick at 10:45.
From that point, the Lightning’s play dipped. They didn’t record another shot on goal for the rest of the period, and they allowed a second Ottawa goal when they were caught in transition. Stutzle’s outlet from the defensive zone sprung Claude Giroux and Mathieu Joseph on a two-on-one. Joseph converted the chance at 13:35, extending the Ottawa lead.
The Sens entered the game ranked 30th in team defense, but once they grabbed the lead, they defended effectively. Up until the late stages of the second period, the Lightning had managed to post just 10 shots on net. They allowed a third Ottawa goal during a four-on-four — a turnover at the offensive blue line coincided with the Lightning D attempting to execute a line change. Joseph took advantage of the open ice to score on a breakaway at 15:49. Soon after, Mitchell Chaffee tallied the first Lightning goal — the puck caromed off the stick of Jacob Chychrun to Chaffee at the front of the net, and Chaffee roofed a shot over Forsberg’s glove at 16:55.
The Sens tacked on a fourth goal at 4:01 of the third when Brady Tkachuk and Vladimir Tarasenko teamed up on a two-on-one. Tkachuk’s right-circle shot to Vasilevskiy’s far pad created an open-net rebound goal for Tarasenko. Although Brandon Hagel set up Brayden Point for a goal 35 seconds later, the Lightning would get no closer.
Following Saturday’s blowout loss to Florida, the Lightning wanted to rebound well in the next game. That didn’t happen. They’ll look to end their two-game losing streak when they conclude the homestand on Thursday versus Washington.
Lightning Radio Three Stars of the Game (as selected by Phil Esposito):
- Tim Stutzle — Senators. Goal and assist.
- Mathieu Joseph — Senators. Two goals.
- Mitchell Chaffee — Lightning. Goal.
