The Tampa Bay Lightning pulled away late in a tight game with the Ottawa Senators to win 5-1. They swept the two-game series played in Tampa between the two teams.
Lightning Take Control of Game Late
The Lightning opened the scoring with the lone goal of the first period. Jake Guentzel (27) picked up a power-play goal when he flipped the puck in from in front of the net.
The Senators tied up the game at a goal apiece when Michael Amadio (5) tipped one past Andrei Vasilevskiy. Brandon Hagel (24) gave the Lightning back the lead, 2-1. The score held for the remainder of the second period with a push to finish off the Senators looming.
In the final minutes, Brayden Point (29) gave the Lightning an insurance goal to make it 3-1. The Senators pulled goalie Anton Forsberg for a final comeback push, but Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak popped an empty-net goal to give them a three-goal cushion. That empty-netter gave Cernak his first goal of the season.
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After the Senators put Forsberg back in, Mitchell Chaffee knocked one in with a wrist shot to wrap up the scoring.
Vasilevskiy saved 27 of 28 (.964 save percentage) and Forsberg saved 26 of 30 (.867).
The Lightning pick up a power-play goal in back-to-back games after going scoreless on the man advantage for four straight games. The Senators went 0-for-3 on the power play on Thursday and were a combined 1-for-5 with the man advantage against the Lightning this week.
With their five-game homestand concluded, the Lightning get back on the road and will take on the Detroit Red Wings. Puck drop is on Saturday at 1 p.m. EST. Meanwhile, the Senators head south to Sunrise to take on the Florida Panthers. Puck drop is on Saturday at 7 p.m. EST.
3 Stars of the Game:
- Ryan McDonagh: 1 assist
- Andrei Vasilevskiy: saved 27 of 28
- Brandon Hagel: 1 goal
