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Home , Henrik Sedin, Mikhail Sergachev, Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman

Lightning-Senators: Observations from Tampa Bay’s 5-1 win

The Lightning have tied the NHL record for the fewest games it takes to get to 50 wins, dating back to the 1995-96 .

DIRK SHADD | Times center (91) remains down after being hit awkwardly into boards behind the net during second period action at in Tampa on Saturday, March 2, 2019. Stamkos into the locker room after the hit and did not return to the game or the bench during the second period.

By Mari Faiello

Published 6 hours ago

TAMPA – The Lightning knew coming into Saturday’s matchup against the Senators that the team had something to prove.

It was the same Senators that had just fired the head coach Friday. The same coming into the contest with a meager 49 points and sitting last overall in the NHL standings. The same Ottawa Senators that had traded away a core part of their team throughout the . The same Ottawa Senators that literally had nothing to lose, making them all the more dangerous.

It’s why a 5-1 win, as expected as that might be when you’re the No. 1 team in the league, means so much at this of the season.

Here are some odds and ends from Tampa Bay’s win:

Rough night for Steven Stamkos. Lightning fans held their breath when Stamkos hit ice after a hard slide by Brian Gibbons late in the second period. He kept a knelt position on the ice, leaning up against the boards as the play continued and got up without any assistance after about 10 seconds. He didn’t return until the beginning of the third period. Stamkos has also gone six games without a , his longest drought of the year. Defense wins games, well kind of. , Ryan McDonagh, Erik Černák and all logged a goal in the Lightning’s 5-1 win over the Senators. It was the first time in franchise history that four defensemen found the back of the net in the same game. Coach said the bench was chatting it up after Sergachev scored that all the pressure was on Brydon Coburn and Dan Girardi to come full circle.

Despite the fact that Coburn and Girardi didn’t notch a goal, they did log a point on the night (Girardi on Hedman’s goal and Coburn on Černák’s and Sergachev’s goal). It was only the third time in franchise history that all six defensemen logged at least one point in the same game.

When does a night go by that Kucherov isn’t mentioned? Not often. logged two points in Saturday night’s game against the Senators. He assisted on McDonagh’s goal and netted a goal of his own late in the second period. Kucherov now leads the league in points (106) and assists (75). Kucherov’s 75 assists are tied for the most in a single-NHL season since logged 75 for in 2010-11. He needs two points to tie ’s 108-point season, which is noted as the most points recorded in a single season in franchise history.

Making history, yet again. With Saturday’s win over Ottawa thee Lightning have matched the NHL record for the fewest games it takes to get to 50 wins, dating back to the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings, who improved to 50- 12-4 with their 66th matchup on May 10, 1996.

Zero across the board. The Lightning’s kill went 3-for-3 on the night, however, the power play was 0-for-3 against the Senators. It’s the eighth time this season the power play has been 0-for-3 and the 42nd time the penalty kill has been perfect in a game.

Lighting continue to take care of business versus NHL lightweights. Against teams that have won less than 30 games this season, Tampa Bay is now 24-3.

Andrei Vasilevskiy’s teammates owe him a beer. He saved a point- blank after a McDonagh turnover in the first period, then stopped a penalty shot in the second after a Nikita Kucherov penalty. Vasilevskiy notched 36 saves on the night, only allowing one into his territory between the posts.

Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba. Cue The Lion King’s famous “Circle of Life" song. Lightning fans had fun with the Simba Cam in Saturday’s matchup against the Senators, many hoisting their child above their head as the camera zoomed in on them.

Columnist John Romano contributed to this report.

Contact Mari Faiello at [email protected]. Follow @faiello_mari.

MARI FAIELLO Times Staff Writer