Lightning Hand Senators Losing Streak

The Ottawa Senators were red hot before they started a back-to-back set with the Tampa Bay Lightning. It was like running into a brick wall for the Senators in their first matchup, as the Lightning ruined the return of Ottawa goalie Linus Ullmark.

Things didn't get better for the Senators when they met the Lightning once again just 48 hours later. The Lightning steamrolled the Sens by a score of 5-1, swapping the two teams in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference Wild Card standings. Tampa Bay moves back into a top three spot in the Atlantic, while the Sens shift down to the first Wild Card position in the East.

Brayden Point was the MVP of the Lightning's drubbing of the Sens. He notched one goal, thanks to a lucky bounce off the skate of Ottawa defender Artum Zub, as well as two assists to lead the team in scoring. Point now has 29 goals and 27 assists for 56 points in just 48 games.

Superstar winger Nikita Kucherov continued his ascent up the NHL scoring race as well. He recorded his 53rd and 54th assists of the year, increasing his season total to 77 points. He currently ranks third in the league in scoring, trailing Leon Draisaitl by four points for the NHL lead.

The second straight win for Tampa Bay is helping the team find their groove once again. They hit a bit of a rough patch, but they've improved their record to 5-4-1 over their last 10 games and it's bringing them further up the Eastern Conference standings.

With 29 games remaining in the regular season, the team is up to an overall record of 29-20-4. But what is making the Lightning such an underrated contender is their goal differential. The team currently sports a +39 differential and continue to build on it as they move closer to the 2025 postseason.