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Game 79 Preview: Tampa Bay Lightning @ Ottawa Senators

The best versus the worst.

NHL: Ottawa Senators at Tampa Bay Lightning Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Tonight’s game will be an uphill battle for the Ottawa Senators, as they face the President’s Trophy-winning Tampa Bay Lightning. This edition of the Lightning may very well be the best team in the NHL’s salary cap era... the Sens are a long ways away from that, to say the least.

Ottawa’s lineup will be the same as from Saturday’s game against Toronto. Craig Anderson will get the start tonight, with Andrei Vasilevskiy on the other end.

Tkachuk - White - Gibbons
Smith - Pageau - Veronneau
Paajarvi - Lindberg - Duclair
Balcers - Tierney - Ryan

Chabot - DeMelo
Wolanin - Ceci
Harpur - Jaros

Anderson (starter)
Nilsson

Game Notes

  • A win tonight for Tampa Bay would bring them to 60 wins — the first 60+ season since the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings had 62. With four games left, there’s a chance they break that, which would make them the winningest team in NHL history.
  • The Sens, meanwhile, could possibly clinch last place in the NHL tonight. For that to happen, it would require a regulation loss for Ottawa, plus a point for the New Jersey Devils and two points for the LA Kings.
  • Anderson’s start tonight will mark his 400th game in a Sens uniform. Having it happen against the Lightning may not be the best present, although he’s already blown past the franchise records for goalies in games played and wins.
  • It’s April Fools Day, and the Lightning’s SB Nation blog, Raw Charge, has certainly embraced it.
  • Game time is 7:30pm, and will be broadcast on TSN5 and RDS.

Here are some stats from NHL.com and Natural Stat Trick.

Team Stats

Ottawa Senators New York Rangers
Ottawa Senators New York Rangers
Category Value Rank Value Rank
Goals/GP 2.96 15th 2.71 23rd
Goals Against/GP 3.66 31st 3.27 24th
Shots/GP 29.7 25th 29.2 27th
Shots Against/GP 35.9 31st 33.7 29th
Powerplay % 20.4 14th 19.6 27th
Penalty Kill % 79.6 21st 78.0 28th
Corsi (5v5, Score & Venue Adjusted) 44.04 31st 45.55 30th
Fenwick (5v5, SVA) 44.72 31st 45.87 30th

Player Stats

Ottawa Senators New York Rangers
Ottawa Senators New York Rangers
-- Player # Player #
Goals Brady Tkachuk 21 Mika Zibanejad 30
Assists Thomas Chabot 40 Mika Zibanejad 42
Points Thomas Chabot 53 Mika Zibanejad 72
Shots Brady Tkachuk 209 Mika Zibanejad 227
TOI/GP Thomas Chabot 24:08 Neal Pionk 21:15