Ottawa Senators return to Tampa Bay after months of absence The Ottawa Senators are set to face the Tampa Bay Lightning in a matchup that marks their first return to Tampa Bay since their season-opening victory in late September. The teams will meet on Saturday, nearly seven months after the Sens secured a 5-4 win in their opening game of the 2025-26 season. Both teams have been in strong form recently, with the Senators winning six of their last eight games and the Lightning claiming five of their past eight contests. The game will follow a night of mixed results for both teams, as they each picked up a single point in their previous matches. The Lightning fell to the Seattle Kraken in overtime, while the Senators lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in a shootout. Linus Ullmark, the Sens’ goaltender, played a pivotal role in the shootout loss, stopping 35 shots, including 15 in the second period. His performance earned praise from coach Travis Green, who emphasized the team’s confidence in Ullmark’s ability to step up when needed. Ullmark’s contributions extended beyond the shootout, as he was instrumental in the Sens’ season-opening win. Alongside him, Brady Tkachuk recorded three assists, Artem Zub added a one-goal, three-point performance, and Shane Pinto contributed two goals and three points. The team’s recent success has been highlighted by their strong March record, with a 19-5-4 mark over the past two seasons. This places Ottawa as the top Eastern Conference team in March since the 2024-25 season. Since returning from a personal leave of absence on January 31, Ullmark has posted a 9-2-3 record with a .904 save percentage and a 2.35 goals-against average. His performance has placed him among the league’s top goalies, with only Andrei Vasilevskiy and Lukas Dostal recording more wins.#tampa_bay_lightning #ottawa_senators #brady_tkachuk #linus_ullmark #drake_batherson
