The Lightning has beaten all challengers on its way to the top of the East - except Ottawa, which is 3-0 against Tampa Bay this season.
By BRANT JAMES
Published March 29, 2004
TAMPA - Everyone agrees that the Lightning's next meeting with the Ottawa Senators would be the one that really matters, if there is a next one after their last of four regular-season meetings.
But there is importance for the Eastern Conference-leading Lightning in its date with fifth-place Ottawa tonight at the St. Pete Times Forum. Namely, checking one final piece of business off its to-do list.
Though the Lightning has 103 points - tied for best in the league - and is a combined 8-2-2 against the top four seeds in the East, it is 0-3 against Ottawa (96 points), including a 4-1 loss at the Times Forum on Dec. 4. This is no new development. The Lightning is 2-12-1 against the Senators the past four seasons. The teams cannot meet again until the second round of the playoffs. One on hand, a win would be a major mental plus for the Lightning.
"When you haven't played well against a team, it's always in the back of your mind," said left wing Fredrik Modin, who scored his 28th goal in a 4-1 win over Washington on Saturday. "Obviously, this is a really big game for us."
But then again, regular-season dominance by one team over another means nothing come April.
"Even though we've beaten the Flyers four straight, the Devils four straight, if we meet in the playoffs, it doesn't mean anything," center Tim Taylor said. "They're not thinking about that at all. The Devils beat us last year in the (conference semifinals), that's what they're thinking."
Despite a protracted lack of success against Ottawa, Lightning players tend to think that, with the exception of the home loss, they have been competitive.
"They've just outplayed us," Taylor said. "They've had our number. I thought in Ottawa we played well and they got a couple lucky bounces. They win the game (4-1 on Jan. 6) and then we go on and win five straight. It actually probably helped to get us going."
Ottawa, with a talented offense, presents a challenge for the Lightning because it has added what it sometimes lacked: grit and a nagging defensive system.
"They trap, and it's something we've had trouble getting through," defenseman Cory Sarich said. "I think the last few games playing against trap teams like New Jersey, we've made some adjustments and (that) helped us get better. I think it's given us some problems.
"They're a lot like New Jersey, but I think they have maybe a more physical defense, which presents more of a problem. And they like to bang, so it makes it tough on our forwards."
Ottawa has also added intangibles, Taylor said.
"It's not toughness that matters, it's grit and battling for the puck, and Ottawa has that," he said.
That grit has been disruptive to the Lightning's effort to dump the puck in and work from the back of the net.
"I think we have had trouble establishing a forecheck against them," Modin said, "getting the puck in and getting the chance to hold on to the puck down low and creating chances from there."
And the Senators still have the ability to counterattack. With forwards Marian Hossa (78), Daniel Alfredsson (78), Martin Havlat (63) and Jason Spezza (54) above 50 points, and newly acquired Peter Bondra at 47, Ottawa has depth and scoring ability on multiple lines. The Lightning has five players at 50-plus but has scored 13 fewer goals.
But if you ask Taylor, Bondra might not ultimately prove to be the right ingredient for the Ottawa mix.
"I don't really like him as a player," Taylor said. "I think he's selfish. He adds that extra element, I guess, but I always looked at him from the outside as a selfish player. I know there were rumors he was coming here, but I'm glad he didn't."
That should help this budding rivalry. Or can it count as a rivalry until the Lightning starts winning some games?
"Us and Ottawa?" Sarich pondered. "I don't think our performance has been good enough for us to call it a rivalry."
The Lightning has one more chance before it really might count.
