In Ottawa, the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning extended their point streak to five games in a 5-3 win over the Senators on Saturday afternoon.
Steven Stamkos broke a 2-2 tie in the third period, and the li9ghtning wrested control of the game from Ottawa.
“I think we just kept patient with our game,” the Lightning’s Victor Hedman (one goal) said. “We had some good looks (in the third period). We didn’t sit back, we were active. Some good chances and guys made some great plays there at the end. [Anthony Cirelli] and [Ondrej Palat] finding each other (for goals) a couple times, and obviously [Stamkos] driving the net. … That was a big, tiebreaking goal.”
The Bolts improved to 6-3-2.
Brian Elliott made 24 saves for the Tampa win.
“I feel good getting back in there and coming into a rink that I’ve known pretty well throughout the years,” Elliott said. “It’s good to get some shots under my belt early. Then we settled in and played a really good game.”
Brady Tkachuk scored in for the Senators.
“I was definitely overwhelmed with all the support throughout the whole night and I really appreciate all the support from the fans,” Tkachuk said. “But like I said yesterday, it’s not just going to be one person. It’s going to be a group of us, it’s going to be the whole team.”
The sens dropped to 3-7-1.
“[Elliott] was great tonight,” Hedman said. “He made some big saves, especially in the first. I can’t put myself in his shoes, but it can’t be easy playing once every 12 days. It’s not an easy job. But he’s such a professional and such a veteran. He knows how to prepare for games.”
Connor Brown and Logan Shaw also scored for the Senators.
“When you watch them, they’re complete players all over the ice,” Ottawa head coach D.J. Smith said of Tampa Bay. “They’re above the puck. They don’t give anything. They just keep working, and that’s the challenge for our guys. With as much skill as we have, we have to learn the other side of the puck.”
Palat] and Jan Rutta had goals for Tampa.
“It was a big thing for us to come out in the third and not change, not chase the game, even with it tied,” Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said. “We didn’t and got rewarded for it.”
Cirelli added an empty-net goal for a 5-2 lead.
“In those last two periods, we didn’t give very much up,” Cooper said. “If you want to win hockey games in this league, you’ve got to defend. And we’re used to scoring goals, we have been over the years. Taking [injured forward Nikita Kucherov] out of our lineup probably takes away half a goal, maybe a goal a game, because that’s what he can deliver for you.”
Matt Murray made 28 saves in the Ottawa loss.
“We played a very mature hockey team and they just kept playing their game for the whole 60 minutes,” Tkachuk said. “I think we can learn from their team. They’re two-time defending Stanley Cup champions and work to the very end.”
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