Game #11: Tampa Bay Lightning (4-3-3) @ Ottawa Senators (4-5-0)
Time: 7:00 PM EST
Location: Canadian Tire Centre
Broadcast/Streaming: BSSUN, SN1, BallySports.com
Opponent’s Site: Silver Seven Sens
Preview
The Bolts are in Ottawa to attempt to get their first road win of the season. The Bolts are 0-3-1 away from Amalie Arena in the early goings of the season but have stayed afloat with a strong record at home, buoyed by back-to-back shutouts from Jonas Johansson. The Lightning’s roster is struggling right now — hence why they’re sixth in the Atlantic (tied with Florida) — but if this is one of the low points of the season it’s a very modest one. The team has been winning games and their special teams are doing a lot to keep them afloat. The Lightning have a combined PK+PP rating of 118.8%, highest in the league. Even higher than New Jersey’s scorching power play that’s running at 43% because the Bolts penalty kill has been so good.
Going back to the roster at even strength, the Lightning have some really weird lines to throw at the Senators tonight. Headline is Nikita Kucherov on the third line with Anthony Cirelli and ABB, and taking his place Michael Eyssimont on the first line with Point and Hagel. Going back through their careers, Kucherov and Cirelli have only played a full game together at 5v5 maybe twice? There were a sprinkling of half games, or potentially games with tons of special teams. Either way, not much!
For Ottawa, their fans and local media have been touting for years that “this is the year” Ottawa will have a great power play and that’ll vault them into the playoffs. And with the other Tkachuk, Stutzle, Giroux, and Tarasenko how could it not! As of right now, their power play is strongly middling at 22% and they’re last in the Atlantic.
The Sens have a really young defense, with five under 26 years old. Sanderson and Hamonic as their first pair is not a great sign.
Stats Match-up
| Game #11 | Tampa Bay Lightning | Ottawa Senators |
| Overall Record | 4-3-3 | 4-5-0 |
| Home Record | 4-0-2 | 3-3-0 |
| Road Record | 0-3-1 | 1-2-0 |
| Goals For | 34 | 34 |
| Goals Against | 32 | 29 |
| xGF | 31.4 | 30.0 |
| xGA | 34.5 | 29.9 |
| Power Play | 30.3% | 22% |
| Penalty Kill | 88.5% | 75.8% |
Lines
Tampa Bay Lightning Projected Lines
Forwards
Brandon Hagel – Brayden Point – Michael Eyssimont
Steven Stamkos – Nick Paul – Conor Sheary
Alex Barré-Boulet – Anthony Cirelli – Nikita Kucherov
Tanner Jeannot – Luke Glendening – Austin Watson
Defenders
Victor Hedman – Erik Cernak
Mikhail Sergachev – Darren Raddysh
Calvin de Haan – Nick Perbix
Goalies
Jonas Johansson
Matt Tomkins
Lines based on Friday’s practice.
Ottawa Senators Projected Lines
Brady Tkachuk – Tim Stützle – Mathieu Joseph
Dominik Kubalik – Josh Norris – Vladimir Tarasenko
Drake Batherson – Roby Jarventie – Claude Giroux
Parker Kelly – Rourke Chartier – Zack MacEwen
Jake Sanderson – Travis Hamonic
Jakob Chychrun – Jacob Bernard-Docker
Tyler Kleven – Nikolas Matinpalo
Goalies
Joonas Korpisalo – confirmed starter
Anton Forsberg
Lines from their morning skate.
Question of the Night
Do the Sens score their way to a competitive game or will the Lightning get their first road win of the season?
