OTTAWA, Ontario — In an intense hockey clash, Ottawa Senators emerged victorious against the Tampa Bay Lightning with a 2-1 win, featuring a stellar performance by goalie Linus Ullmark who managed to stop 31 shots. This victory for the Senators delayed Tampa Bay’s opportunity to secure a playoff position.
Shane Pinto kickstarted the scoreboard for Ottawa, registering a goal with 6:15 left in the first period. The Senators expanded their lead to 2-0 through Jake Sanderson, who netted a power-play goal at 5:17 in the second period. The Lightning managed to narrow the gap when Brandon Hagel found the back of the net seven minutes into the second period, marking his 34th goal of the season.
The Lightning’s goaltender, Andrei Vasilevskiy, defended his net with 17 saves during the match. Tampa Bay was working through a four-game road trip after having secured four consecutive victories prior to the Ottawa face-off. A win or overtime loss could have pushed the Lightning into the playoffs following Colorado’s win against Columbus. However, the Senators maintained their hold on the first wild-card slot in the Eastern Conference.
Key observations from the match reveal that while Tampa Bay had numerous power-play opportunities, they couldn’t convert these into goals. Ottawa, despite occasional defensive lapses, heavily relied on Ullmark’s abilities between the pipes. A pivotal moment in the game came with Ottawa leading 2-1 when Ullmark made a crucial save against Jake Guentzel with just 23 seconds left in the second period.
Looking ahead, the Lightning are slated to visit Buffalo on Saturday night. Meanwhile, the Senators are busy with upcoming games as they prepare to host Florida on Saturday and Columbus on Sunday night.