Because it seems like some need a reminder- the Ottawa Senators won on Tuesday night.
There was very little talk about their impressive third period rally the last couple days but the reality is that was a big two points for the Senators and a great way to kick off their two game swing through the state of Florida. They’ll be looking for more of the same when they take on Steven Stamkos and the rest of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
And yes, apparently Stamkos is still playing games for the Lightning even though he accidentally favourited that Leafs-related tweet yesterday.
It hasn’t exactly been a dream start to the season for the defending Eastern Conference Champs. The Stamkos situation has been a distraction for the Lightning off the ice and on it, their inconsistent start has them three points out of a playoff spot in the East. Expected to challenge for the Atlantic Division this year, this Tampa Bay team has sputtered to a 13-12-3 record including a surprisingly low 2.32 goals per game (ranked 26th in the NHL).
With that said, they still have a ton of talent up front and on the blueline and you sort of get the sense they could break out at any moment. Hopefully not against the Senators though.
Just an optional morning skate for the Senators so we may have to wait until game time to know what Dave Cameron plans to do with his line up. And even then, it’s probably going to change over the course of the evening. It does look like Shane Prince ends up a healthy scratch again though with Mark Borowiecki playing his second consecutive game as a forward. Expect to see the same defence pairings as the other night in Florida.
Based on what we saw at practice yesterday, here’s a best guess at Ottawa’s line up for this one.
Hoffman-Turris-Ryan
Smith-Zibanejad-Stone
Dziurzynski-Pageau-Chiasson
Borowiecki-Lazar-Neil
Methot-Karlsson
Wiercioch-Ceci
Cowen-Wideman
Craig Anderson makes another start in the Ottawa goal. Puck drop is scheduled for just after 7:30 PM.
