In an eventful afternoon showdown in Ottawa, Senators hand the Tampa Bay Lightning their first loss of the season. They say all good things must come to an end and for the Bolts that was their hot start to the season. Considering how the game went this was a loss that one could take a handful of positives out of it. Despite the sloppy play throughout the afternoon, Tampa always found a way to claw back into the game and not let Ottawa run away with it. Jake Guentzel scored his first as a member of the Lightning and Nikita Kucherov kept his blazing start to the season rolling.
Special teams get to work early
Immediately, Anthony Cirelli is called for tripping much to his disagreement. Then, on the penalty kill the puck went over the glass and Tampa is called for a delay of game. Ottawa would take advantage of the 5-on-3 power play and open the scoring with a goal from Drake Batherson. Tampa killed off the latter half of the power play and the score remained 1-0. Minutes later Lightning would get their chance to tie the game on the power play after Tim Stützle is called for hooking. However, Senators easily killed off the penalty and kept the score 1-0 with 12 minutes left in the period.
Afternoon woes
Not much action would occur until Josh Norris extended Ottawa’s lead with a rush in the neutral zone. 2-0 Senators with just over 5 minutes to go. For the third time in the period Senators went on the man-advantage. Lightning continued to cough up penalties and the team as a whole looked flat out on the ice. Once again, Tampa continued to struggle with passing the puck, yet the score remained 2-0 with the first period coming to a close. All things considered the score could have been significantly different with Ottawa having a larger lead.
Nifty Nikita
Unlike the first period, the second period started tamer with both teams being more disciplined. Finally. Lightning cut the lead from who else but Nikita Kucherov. Kucherov’s 7th goal of the season got the Bolts on the board and now trailed the Senators 2-1. It was a breath of fresh air for a team struggling to get anything going on offense. As the period went on so did the rushes for Tampa. Just like Ottawa’s second goal, the Lightning scored off the rush to even the score.
The goal streak continues for 86 🔥 pic.twitter.com/5l8VopUAIv
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) October 19, 2024
Goals, goals, goals
Nick Paul netted his first of the season as momentum shifted sides. Paul was set up nicely by Cirelli to even the score. Unfortunately, the momentum shift did not last long, and Ottawa regained the lead. After Tampa nearly scored to take the lead Batherson instead scored his second of the game to give the home team a 3-2 lead. The Senators lead would not last thanks to Jake Guentzel scoring his first as a member of the Lightning to tie the game 3-3. Late in the period Senators received their fourth power play and re-gained the lead with a goal from Brady Tkachuk.
Guentzel's first as a Bolt ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/iw5BaRaPVb
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) October 19, 2024
Senators take over with momentum
Three icings in the first minute of the period against Tampa is how the period began. Lightning were able to win the face-offs but the puck mishandling continued to plague the Bolts. For only the second time today Tampa went on the power play and looked to tie up the game again. The power play then became a 5-on-3 power play but Lightning could not take advantage. Instead, Noah Gregor scored shorthanded to extend the lead 5-3. Everything that could have gone wrong for Tampa happened on those power plays.
Fighting until the very end
The two-goal lead would not last thanks to a goal from Mitchell Chaffee which would be his first of the season and make it 5-4 Senators. With 7:50 to go Tampa’s penalty kill would be tested for a sixth time this afternoon. Penalty expires and the score remains the same heading into the final stage of the game. Andrei Vasilevskiy was pulled with just under two minutes to go in hopes of sending this game to overtime and salvage at least a point. Overall, the last chance effort was not enough, and the Senators hand the Lightning their first loss of the season in this afternoon affair. Next up on the road is a showdown with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Chaffee brings us within one 👀 pic.twitter.com/J4tMb5ZhQN
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) October 19, 2024
