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Lightning welcome Sens to Tampa

Mar 11, 2011 - 4:08 PM (Sports Network) - Tampa Bay's playmakers helped the club halt its longest losing streak of the season last time out. The Lightning next try to knock off an Ottawa Senators club tonight that will be looking to play spoiler at St. Pete Times Forum.

The Lightning carried an 0-3-1 rut into Wednesday's meeting with the Chicago Blackhawks, but came through with a 4-3 shootout victory in Tampa to remain two points behind the Capitals for first place in the Southeast Division. Washington is also in action tonight, hosting Carolina.

Martin St. Louis had a goal and an assist in regulation and then scored on a nifty, spinning shot in the third round for the only shootout tally. The play was reviewed, but upheld by the officials.

"You're allowed to stop as long as the puck kind of keeps moving a little bit," explained St. Louis. "You can't stop and come back."

Steven Stamkos snapped a six-game goal drought with his NHL-leading 42nd of the season and also had an assist, while Dwayne Roloson made 28 saves and stopped all three skaters he faced in the shootout.

Tampa Bay broke its winless drought by scoring more than two goals in a game for the first time in seven contests, but tonight will be shorthanded on defense as Pavel Kubina picked up a three-game suspension for an elbow to the head of Chicago's Dave Bolland in the first period of Wednesday's game.

Blueliner Randy Jones also remains out with a high ankle sprain, while forward Steve Downie is questionable with a knee ailment as the Lightning close out a four-game homestand tonight.

The Senators will be looking to deal a blow to the Lightning's division title hopes as they try to win three straight for the first time since a four-game run from Nov. 2-9. Ottawa won for the sixth time in nine contests last night with a 2-1 triumph over Florida.

Erik Karlsson scored twice in the third period and Craig Anderson made 33 saves. Defenseman Sergei Gonchar notched his 500th career assist on Karlsson's second goal.

"It was a tight game, both goalies played well," Karlsson said. "We just stuck in there and finally got a [garbage] goal."

Ottawa remains last in the East with 57 points, but is three up on Edmonton for the fewest in the league overall. The Sens have picked up a victory in the first two contests of a four-game swing and have won three straight and five of six overall as the guest.

Anderson has been a big reason why. He has started all nine games since being acquired from the Avalanche and is 6-3-0 in that span with a 1.44 goals- against average. He is 3-1-2 in his career versus Tampa Bay with an excellent 1.36 GAA.

Roloson is 4-5-1 with a tie and 2.45 GAA in his career when facing the Senators.

While Ottawa used a late third-period scoring burst to win last night, the opposite happened when it hosted Tampa Bay on Jan. 8 in the first meeting between the teams this year. Zack Smith scored in the second frame for the Sens, but Adam Hall and St. Louis tallied third-period goals to lift the Lightning to a 2-1 win.

Tampa Bay has won two straight and three of four over Ottawa both at home and overall.