Star Power, Ullmark Lift Senators to 6-2 Win Over Lightning

With either the Detroit Red Wings or Columbus Blue Jackets guaranteed to claim two points in the standings, the Ottawa Senators needed to strike back against the Tampa Bay Lightning in order to maintain their lead in the wildcard race.

Tim Stützle came into this game as a marked man, targeted by countless cross-checks and heavy physical play from the Tampa Bay players. You can be certain that John Cooper told his team to make Stützle’s night long and uncomfortable. In typical Stützle fashion, he did not back down and brought his best every shift, creating something nearly every time he touched the ice. Stützle was by far the best player on the ice, and it’s remarkable to watch him come into his own this season, becoming as complete a player as you could ask for at 24 years old.

The first period had Ullmark busy, turning away eleven shots with the Lightning driving the play for most of the frame. Ullmark stood tall and made several key saves to keep the game scoreless heading into the intermission. It has definitely been refreshing to see our starter playing to his capabilities recently, and you can see the confidence the Sens play with when he’s on his game.

The second period started much like the first, with Tampa controlling the flow and generating shots on Ullmark, while Ottawa managed only one shot through the first nine minutes. The Senators were forced to kill a Stützle tripping penalty on Nick Paul, but Ullmark continued to be a brick wall.

Sanderson was seen heading to the players’ room just eight minutes into the tied second period after taking a shot off his left skate. Travis Green was immediately asked about it on the bench and confidently replied that he would be fine. Sanderson returned with nine minutes remaining in the period.

Tampa played a tight, structured game against the Sens, limiting passing and shooting lanes and forcing Ottawa to generate offense from the perimeter. It was a defensive chess match, with both teams waiting for a lucky bounce or a screened shot to find its way through.

The first elusive goal went to the Senators on a give-and-go, with Tkachuk returning the puck to Jordan Spence, and the former healthy scratch beating Johansson glove side to finish the two-on-one break. The Senators also surged ahead in the shot category during this stretch, generating more opportunities than they had in the first period.

Shortly after, Nick Paul found the back of the net on a backhand shot that beat Ullmark.

The Senators established a strong forecheck to start the third, leading to their second goal. Brady Tkachuk extended the play in the offensive zone with a hard shot on net, Fabian Zetterlund retrieved the rebound at the top of the blue line and fired a shot that redirected off Erik Cernak’s glove, dropped down, and beat Jonas Johansson.

Minutes later, Sanderson drove the puck one-handed down the right side, shielding it from a Lightning defender attempting a poke-check. Cutting in from the right boards, he took the puck to the net, and it slid favourably under Johansson’s left pad to put the Senators up by two with fifteen minutes remaining.

Nick Paul (who does it all, including stabbing us in the back repeatedly) responded with a great pass to Ryan McDonagh, who faked a shot from the point before finding Corey Perry in the left slot. Perry beat Ullmark to pull Tampa back within one with nine minutes remaining.

An extra effort from Lassi Thomson on the puck led to him drawing a penalty that became the catalyst for two consecutive Sens power-play goals.

The first power-play goal was buried by a net-hungry Stützle, who pounced on a loose puck and tucked it past the netminder. Jon Cooper unsuccessfully challenged the goal, resulting in a delay-of-game penalty. On the ensuing power play, the Senators capitalized immediately off a centre-ice faceoff play. Sanderson slipped behind the Lightning coverage, received a tap pass from Brady at the Tampa blue line, powered his way through the zone, and fired a shot past Johansson for his second of the night — his first multi-goal game — while Brady recorded his first-ever four-assist night.

Shane Pinto’s empty-netter put the exclamation mark on the game, sealing a 6–2 victory and earning a much-needed two points to protect their final wild-card spot in the tight Eastern Conference playoff race.

Ullmark deserves significant credit for this win, playing like the goaltender Sens fans expected when he signed his contract. This is great news for the Senators and bodes well for their fortunes in this final playoff push. With unfavourable out-of-town results — a Flyers win and a three-point game between Detroit and Columbus — this victory was key to remain two points and a tierbreaker ahead in the second wild-card spot. With four games remaining, they will need this same team effort to secure a playoff berth.

Food for thought after this game on Jordan Spence, I can’t help but wonder about his contract negotiations with the Sens come this summer. His play has been remarkable, with nine points in his past eleven games. With seven goals and twenty-two assists for a total of twenty-nine points, it will be interesting to see how his RFA extension negotiations unfold. Will the Sens buy up some of his UFA years, or will it be a shorter two-year extension that walks him closer to unrestricted free agency?