The Ottawa Senators came back to defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning in their road opener by the final score of 5-4 in regulation. 

The tone of the game early was physical as it was for the Bolts’ preseason conclusion. After an early questionable hit by the debuting Curtis Douglas on Tim Stutzle, newly acquired Kurtis MacDermid answered the call of duty and scrapped with the former Leafs’ prospect. 

Tampa opened the scoring with 2 goals in 85 seconds. The first goal was on the powerplay caused by a Dylan Cozens hold on Gage Goncalves. Oliver Bjorkstrand ripped a shot pass Ullmark for the first home goal of the regular season. Jake Guentzel and Brayden Point had the apples. 

With 13 minutes remaining in the first, Point extended the lead with Guentzel and Darren Raddysh having the assists.

A Brandon Hagel trip on the captain led to a Dylan Cozens powerplay goal for the Senators’ first goal of the season. His 83rd career goal was supported by Americans Brady Tkachuk and Jake Sanderson. 

Tkachuk dragged his team into rough housing as the captain and Thomas Chabot along with Tampa skaters Anthony Cirelli and Hagel served coincidental roughing minors. Seconds after that, Donovan Sebrango dropped the gloves with Emil Lilleberg. Half a minute after that, David Perron was sentenced to the sin bin for a holding infraction. 

As the power play was about to end, Nikita Kucherov executed the third powerplay of the evening. The Russian winger’s first of the campaign was assisted by captain Victor Hedman and Point. 

Artem Zub brought the road team to within one for his first of the year from Tkachuk and Stutzle just 42 seconds into the second period.

Shane Pinto tied the game at 3 all with 4:51 remaining for his first of the year from Zub and Tkachuk.

Pinto got his second of the game with 1:47 left in the game for his second of the night from Sanderson.

Claude Giroux put the game away with the empty netter 59 seconds later from Pinto and Zub. 

Kucherov replied with 14 seconds remaining for his second of the night from Raddysh and Hedman.

Linus Ullmark had 21 saves on 25 shots for a 0.840 save percentage.

Andrei Vasilevskiy allowed 4 goals on 33 shots against for a 0.879 save percentage.

Kucherov, my Bolts’ skater to watch, had 2 goals and was a -2 in 20:55.

Tkachuk had 3 assists and was a +1 in 19:24TOI.

Sens’ 3 Stars of the Game

Shane Pinto – 2 goals (2)Claude Giroux – EN GWG (1)Artem Zub – goal (1), 2 assists(2)

Agianst the defending back to back Stanley Cup champions in Sunrise… the Florida Panthers.