Ottawa Senators Fall 2-1 to Tampa Bay Lightning

Photo by Mark LoMoglio/NHLI via Getty ImagesAre the Ottawa Senators back? You know what, I think they might very well be. Sure, they aren’t back in the win column after tonight’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, but a 2-1 loss in which you could argue the team was only slightly outplayed is a commendable effort.

Ottawa got off to a good start against the back-to-back champs, gaining a 4-1 advantage in shots on goal. Their defense, featuring a return to form for Victor Mete, looked good for the most part, but turnovers from Nikita Zaitsev, Zach Sanford, and Austin Watson forced Anton Forsberg to make a couple of strong saves. Zaitsev would also suffer a lower-body injury early on,…