The Tampa Bay Lightning returns to the Tampa Bay Times Forum tonight for a contest against the always competitive Ottawa Senators. Fresh off a solid win against the Carolina Hurricanes, the Lightning will be looking for its third win in four games to start the season. On the other side of things, the Senators will arrive in Tampa looking to remain unbeaten this season after dismantling the Panthers last night. One team is fighting to maintain a dominant run; the other is looking to establish itself as a real threat in the league. Something has got to give.

Returning home after a two game road trip, the Lightning will need to fire on all cylinders in order to grab two points from the red hot Senators. Sens head coach Paul MacLean is one of the brightest minds in the game and you can bet he’ll have his group prepared to dissect the Lightning’s systems. To beat the Senators, the Lightning are going to need a workman-like effort. There’s not going to be a lot of room for error.

When thinking about the Ottawa Senators, it’s hard to ignore the contributions of one Erik Karlsson. Arguably the most exciting defenseman in the game, Karlsson does it all for the Senators. He’s slick, he moves the puck, and he scores highlight reel goals that bring fans to their feet. His ability to transition the puck and generate offense from the back-end is something that the Lightning might have trouble with considering just how slow and pylon-like the Bolts’ defense has looked at times this season. Against a team that boasts Karlsson as its chief puck mover, having defensemen reach with the stick isn’t going to be good enough; the Lightning are going to have to move their feet to get the two points.

In addition to Karlsson on the back-end, the Senators also boast one of the most intriguing and potent offensive cores in the league. Names like Daniel Alfredsson, Kyle Turris, Milan Michalek and Jason Spezza are always ready to harm opposing teams on the scoresheet. Simply put – the Senators provide an incredibly difficult defensive challenge to opposing teams; they’re dangerous from all angles.

Last season, the Senators were a marginal playoff team; this season they could be something more. It’s important that Guy Boucher and the Lightning prepare for that something more. While Steven Stamkos, Martin St. Louis and Cory Conacher will provide the Senators with their own set of challenges, the Lightning need to be prepared to take on this Senators team as a group rather than as individuals. Outscoring the Senators isn’t a solution, shutting the Senators down isn’t a solution and relying on goaltending to stymie the Senators isn’t a solution. It’s going to take a full team effort to get the job done on Friday night.

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Now, specific to tonight’s game, here are some pregame notes.

* Cory Conacher will be looking to continue his hot play. So far this season he has amassed five points in three games and he looks like a bona fide top line NHLer. In my last blog, comparisons were drawn between him and Martin St. Louis. As the two continue playing together, it will be hard not to notice even more similarities. There’s something really special about Conacher and the fact that he’s in Bolts Blue only makes things better. The Senators are probably the best group that the Bolts have faced this season so it will be incredibly interesting to see how Conacher’s offensive game reacts.

* As mentioned, Vincent Lecavalier will be honored for having reached the 1000 game plateau. Once again, what a career he’s had in Tampa. Vinny sums up everything it means to be a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning and I think I can speak on behalf of the entire hockey world when I thank him for all he’s done for the game and congratulate him on this huge milestone. Here’s to many more contests, Vinny.

* Lindback gets the start for the Lightning, Bishop for the Senators.

* After a rather pedestrian 2-1-0 start to the season, the Lightning are now at home for a five game stretch. A hot start against the Senators is a must. If the Lightning could come out of this home stand with a record of 6-2-0 or 5-2-1, it would set them up beautifully for the rest of this shortened season. Early success in a 48 game schedule is a must.

* As mentioned, the Senators played the Panthers last night and won in an impressive fashion. Karlsson scored a beauty, Anderson was solid and the entire team looked very, very good. If that’s the squad that is going to take on the Lightning, the Bolts could be in trouble. This early in the season, the whole fatigue effect playing back-to-back games might be non-existent. This Senators group is very dangerous and incredibly well coached.
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As always, thanks for reading.

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