The Ottawa Senators host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, April 7, and Jake Sanderson is coming in with the kind of run that can tilt a game. He is enjoying the best offensive season of his career and is producing at a 63-point pace over 82 games.
Sanderson had a two-point night the last time these teams met, has hit the scoresheet in 11 of his last 14 home dates and has logged 15 points in that span. He has also picked up a point in eight of the last 10 meetings against Tampa Bay and has totaled nine points over his past five home dates against the Lightning, making him Ottawa’s clearest form player in a game that matters to both sides.
Tim Stutzle has also been active against Tampa Bay, recording three shots on goal in both meetings this season and combining for 11 shot attempts in those two games. He has registered at least two shots in six of his last seven outings, giving Ottawa another forward who has shown he can generate pressure even when the scoring does not arrive immediately.
The timing helps Ottawa. The Senators are tied for third in wins over the last 25 games, they have not traveled in April and they are pushing for a playoff spot, while Tampa Bay arrives in the latter half of a road back-to-back and is playing its third game in four nights against Ottawa. The Lightning are expected to start Jonas Johansson in goal, and that gives the Senators a matchup they can target.
Johansson owns an.886 save percentage on the season and has conceded 11.4 goals more than expected over his last 10 starts, the worst mark in the NHL over that span. That is the friction point in this game: Ottawa has been skating well at home and getting production from the right players, while Tampa Bay is leaning on a goalie run that has been difficult to trust. If the Senators keep pushing the pace, Tuesday night should reward the side with the legs and the cleaner form.
