Jake Sanderson scored twice and Brady Tkachuk had a career high four assists.
The Senators took care of their own business on Tuesday night.
Jake Sanderson scored twice, and Brady Tkachuk had a career-best four assists as the Senators defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-2 to maintain their two-point wild card lead in the East with just four games to play.
Tim Stützle had three points on the night, while Linus Ullmark led the way with 28 saves.
The game was tracking to be a defensive affair through the first 40 minutes, but the third period didn’t get that memo.
Jordan Spence and Nick Paul swapped goals late in the second before the Senators erupted for five goals in the third en route to the win.
Fabian Zetterlund scored early in the third, banking one in off the upper body of Tampa Bay defenceman Erik Černák to make it 2-1.
Jake Sanderson then made it 3-1 with a gorgeous goal, cutting hard to the net and slipping the puck through Tampa goalie Jonas Johansson.
Corey Perry cut the lead to 3-2, standing alone at the side of the net and redirecting a slap pass from the point past Ullmark. The Lightning appeared to be gaining momentum before Tampa was called for hooking.
Stützle restored the two-goal lead on the ensuing power play, jamming home a loose puck during a goalmouth scramble. Tampa challenged for goaltender interference, but the goal stood.
Then came the dagger. On ensuing delay of game penalty, the Senators executed a gorgeous set play off the centre ice faceoff.
Jake Sanderson dropped the puck off to Drake Batherson who hit Tkachuk with a long stretch pass at the blue line. Tkachuk quickly fed Sanderson, who had turned on the jets after quietly and slowly jumping into the rush after the original drop pass. Sanderson, now on a breakaway, beat Johansson with a slick backhander to make it 5-2.
Shane Pinto then added a hard working empty-netter to seal the 6-2 victory.
With the win, the Senators maintain their hold on a wild card spot in the East, two points up on Columbus, and three points up on Detroit and the Islanders. All four teams have four games remaining and the Senators own the tiebreaker on all three opponents.
Out of town on Tuesday, the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 in overtime. The Philadelphia Flyers handled the New Jersey Devils 5-1, while the Boston Bruins, who sit in the second wild card spot, lost 6-5 in overtime to the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Senators are back at it Thursday night at home against the Florida Panthers, a team they’ll be eager to get another crack at after Florida handed them a lopsided loss a week ago.
Steve Warne
The Hockey News