The Ottawa Senators had a rough 3-1 loss on Thursday night against the New Jersey Devils in their previous game. Against the Devils, the Senators' offense couldn't catch a break.
Today's opponent, the Tampa Bay Lightning, offers another tough test for the Senators looking to get their confidence back, and the Senators are looking to translate their success from last season to this season against the Lightning.
Senators host the 3-0-0 Lightning to close out three-game home stand
The Senators host the Lightning at Canadian Tire Centre with puck drop scheduled for 1 p.m. ET. Last season against the Lightning, the Senators won the season series 3-1-0.
On Thursday, the Senators went from scoring eight goals in their win against the Los Angeles Kings, to scoring one goal and hitting the post four times against the Devils and not being able to catch a break. Brady Tkachuk scored the only goal of the game for the Senators to cut the Devils lead to 3-1 on a powerplay, but it was too little too late as he scored with 1:05 remaining in the game.
For the Lightning, they are riding high after their 4-3 win on Thursday night against the Vegas Golden Knights to improve to 3-0-0 on the season. Nikita Kucherov leads the Lighting with six goals and seven points on the season. Victor Hedman and Jake Guentzel are tied for the most assists on the team with four each.
The Senators are currently two points behind the Lightning in the standings, but they have had success against the Lightning. Along with winning the season series last season, the Senators have won five of their last six games against the Lightning.
Before the Senators start their three-game West Coast road trip on Tuesday, they need to gain confidence back at home against a team they have had success over the past six games. With a 2-2-0 record four games into the season, it's important for the Senators to not fall too behind in the standings early.