Game 25 Preview + Open Thread: Tampa Bay Lightning @ Ottawa Senators

The Ottawa Senators will face the two-time defending Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning for the second time this afternoon. The Bolts prevailed 5-3 in the season’s first match-up, the Sens’ fourth straight loss at the time. As the two teams prepare to do battle again, Tampa seems destined for the play-offs, and perhaps a lengthy defense of their title, while Ottawa looks to be consigned to the lottery yet again. Nonetheless, these are the types of games that a young team like the Sens should be using as a measuring stick: to be the best, you have to beat the best, and the Lightning have been the NHL’s model franchise for the better part of the last five years.

Here’s how DJ Smith lined ‘em up for practice on Friday:

Friday practice lines:

Tkachuk Norris Batherson
Formenton Stützle CBrown
Sanford Tierney Ennis
Paul Gambrell Watson
Gaudette

Chabot Zaitsev
Holden Zub
Heatherington Mete
Del Zotto JBD

— TSN 1200 (@TSN1200) December 10, 2021

Smith was unwilling to provide any final lineup updates, including who might start in net, during his media availability on Friday and with a 1 p.m start we likely won’t know who will slot where until warm-ups.

Game Notes:

• The one thing we do know for sure is that Michael Del Zotto will not be suiting up for the Sens as he was put on waivers yesterday. Like with Matt Murray, I’m not here to defend Del Zotto’s play but it is really striking how willing the Sens are to just put veterans on waivers. Del Zotto, like Murray before him, is reportedly unhappy with the decision. As has been noted elsewhere, this is yet another indictment of the Sens’ professional scouting but it was also hard to justify continuing to give him ice-time. Certainly Smith was no fan. Will sending your marquee off-season signing to the AHL after he’s played only ten games for you have a negative impact on the Sens’ perception around the league? Maybe but I don’t think we can know for sure. It certainly is strange.
• The other likely change is Alex Formenton moving up to the second line to take Nick Paul’s place alongside Tim Stützle and Connor Brown. Formenton notched a goal and an assist against the New York Islanders earlier this week to give him four points in his last four games — as many points as Paul has for the whole year. One of the big things I will be watching for is whether Formenton’s game-breaking speed can be put to good use in a scoring rather than a checking role.
• Meanwhile, Tampa is coming off a 5-3 win over Toronto on Thursday night. Without Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov, the Lightning are being carried by Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman and to no one’s great surprise are near the top of the league standings yet again.
• Puck drop on this one is 1 pm ET, you watch the game on TSN5 or RDS (en français) or listen on TSN1200 radio./

Stats:

Stats, as always, are courtesy of NHL.com and Natural Stat Trick.

Team Stats

Player Stats