Lightning 2 - 3 Senators
Final - OT
  for this game

Lightning continue to slump, lose to Sens in OT

Mar 20, 2011 - 4:59 AM Ottawa, ON (Sports Network) - Jason Spezza scored with 1:32 left in overtime, lifting the Ottawa Senators to a 3-2 victory over the Lightning at Scotiabank Place.

Nick Foligno netted the equalizer late in the third period for the Senators, who continued to play spoiler in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

While dead last in the conference, Ottawa beat the playoff-hopeful New Jersey Devils on Thursday. Saturday's victory was a setback for the Lightning, who are in a fight for the Southeast Division lead and playoff seeding.

But the loss was just the latest for a slumping Tampa Bay club that has dropped eight of 10 since March began.

Curtis McElhinney made 35 saves, including five in overtime, for Ottawa, while Ryan Shannon also scored.

"Pretty gritty win for us," Spezza said. "Come back like that in the third period, get the win in overtime. Definitely a good feeling right now."

Dwayne Roloson turned aside 31 shots in the loss.

Ottawa faced a 2-0 deficit entering the third period, following Vincent Lecavalier's first-period tally and Dana Tyrell's marker in the second.

But the Senators got one of the goals back with 7:33 remaining, when Shannon scored during a Lightning power play.

Ottawa then applied lots of pressure in the Lightning end after Shannon's goal, forcing Roloson to make several sudden saves, and broke through with 3:55 to play.

Zack Smith took a sharp-angle shot from the right side of the ice, and Foligno re-directed it into the net. McElhinney stopped all 10 shots he faced in the final period to help send the game to overtime.

Late in the extra session, Tampa Bay worked to keep the puck in the zone and began to set up its attack at the point. But Ottawa intercepted the disc, leading to an odd-man rush and Spezza's winning tip-in.

"It's tough [to lose] obviously. We needed two points," Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman said.

Game Notes

The teams combined to go 0-for-5 on the power play...The Lightning finished a four-game road trip with a 1-0-3 mark...Erik Karlsson had two assists for Ottawa.






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