Senators at Lightning
Mike Hoffman is fast becoming one of the elite goal scorers in the league and is a big reason the Ottawa Senators are in a tie for second place in the Atlantic Division. The 26-year-old left wing has posted 11 goals in his last 11 games and looks to remain on a roll when the Senators visit the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday.
“He’s shooting the puck,” Ottawa forward Bobby Ryan told reporters of Hoffman, who recorded 27 goals during his first full NHL season in 2014-15. “The puck is finding him in the middle of the ice and he certainly knows how to deposit it.” The Senators have won three of their last four and are 8-3-2 in the past 13 contests, while the Lightning still are trying to find their rhythm as they return home from a 2-1-0 West Coast trip. Tampa Bay captain Steven Stamkos, who has a team-best 11 goals, is scoreless in the last six games and has tallied only twice in his past 10 contests. Ben Bishop has been carrying the Lightning, allowing fewer than two goals in seven of his last 10 games.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, TSN5, RDS2 (Ottawa), Sun Sports (Tampa Bay)
ABOUT THE SENATORS (15-8-5): Craig Anderson has made 12 straight starts, with his regular backup Andrew Hammond injured, and the Senators do not play back-to-back games until the end of this month. Anderson has posted a .925 save percentage during that stretch while Ottawa’s offense has produced 36 goals in the last 10 contests and stands fourth in the league (3.11 per game). Defenseman Erik Karlsson leads the team with 32 points despite being blanked in his last two games while Hoffman (15 goals) and Ryan are next with 27.
ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (13-12-3): The power play continues to struggle and may not have been worse than it was on Sunday, when it went 0-for-6 (four shots) in a 3-1 loss at Los Angeles. The Lightning are 2-for-23 with the man advantage in their last six games and ranked 25th in the league (16.5 percent) through Tuesday. The good news is that left wing Ondrej Palat (lower body), who was reunited with linemates Tyler Johnson and Nikita Kucherov at practice Wednesday, could return after missing the last 12 contests.
OVERTIME
1. Tampa Bay RW Eric Condra, who played the previous five seasons with the Senators, likely will sit out his second straight game due to a lower-body injury.
2. Ottawa RW Mark Stone collected three assists in Tuesday’s 4-2 win at Florida, giving him 10 points in his last eight contests.
3. The Lightning have earned at least one point in six consecutive meetings (3-0-3) with the Senators.