For the second time in 10 days the Senators pay a visit to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning 4-1 win that night closed the gap between themselves and the Senators to 4 points, where it still sits now. This is an important game for both sides, for the Senators to get some breathing space and for the Lightning to get as close to a playoff spot as they have been for some time.
Steven Stamkos has been the center of attention for the past couple of weeks, and constant speculation over his future, and that has affected his play on the ice somewhat. He snapped a 10 game goal-less drought on Friday against Washington and since Senators fans know first-hand how streaky goal scorers can be, they need to keep Stamkos in check.
That Friday night game started out like a dream for the Lightning, as that Stamkos goal gave them a 3-0 lead on the Conference leading Capitals just before the midway mark of the game. That dream quickly turned into a nightmare, as the Caps roared back with 5 unanswered goals to knock off the Bolts.
After missing the first matchup with his former team, former Senators winger Erik Condra is expected to make his return to the Lightning lineup after missing two weeks with a lower body injury. Condra has 3 goals and 2 assists in 25 games with the Lightning, pretty comparable to the pace he put up in his Senators years.
Ottawa took some baby steps toward a more complete game in their 4-2 win over the Sharks on Friday. They escaped the first period without being in a position where they were behind, a first for the last 8 games. Next step is to actually score the first goal, which they haven't done since beating Chicago on Dec 3rd.
I wouldn't expect any lineup changes from the one that was successful against the Sharks, meaning Jared Cowen will occupy his seat in the press box.
It is a rarity this season where the Senators have the edge in both special teams categories, but such is the case tonight although the Senators' power play has dipped below 20% again. Tampa's has been abysmal and is operating at 16% and their PK is a mediocre 76%.
If Ottawa can take care of its own business in the next two games, and gets a little help from the Vancouver Canucks (who face both the Panthers and Lightning as well), the Senators could open up a nice gap heading into the Christmas break. On the flipside, things could get very dicey if they don't do well and the Canucks also struggle on the road.
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Senators 2015 first round pick Thomas Chabot played alongside returning defenseman Joe Hicketts in Team Canada's exhibition game against Belarus yesterday. I didn't see the whole game (it got a little boring after 5-0) but Chabot certainly didn't do anything to hurt his chances of making the team. There are 9 defensemen left, and two will be sent home following today's game against the Czech republic.