Major Issue Plaguing Lightning, Senators’ Poor Starts

The Ottawa Senators and Tampa Bay Lightning are dealing with a major issue as they start the 2025-2026 campaign.

Oct 9, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Oliver Bjorkstrand (22) scores a goal on Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark (35) during the first period at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The Ottawa Senators and Tampa Bay Lightning are dealing with a major issue as they start the 2025-2026 campaign. Two playoff teams from the Atlantic Division last season, the Sens and Lightning are off to poor starts this season.

The Lightning are 1-3-2 in six games and the Senators are tied in total points with a 2-4 record through their first six contests. Marking their tough beginnings is a shared struggle, and it’s both affecting their team defenses.

Goals Allowed

The two franchises play very different styles and employ unique schematics, but neither is finding a ton of success early on. They are being greatly outscored through their first six games. The Senators have allowed the most goals in the NHL this season, giving up 30 goals in six games. Even as they’ve scored 20 of their own, that still gives them a negative goal differential of -10.

The Lightning aren’t faring much better. They’ve allowed the third-most goals in the Eastern Conference, letting in 21 goals through six games. They also possess a negative goal differential because of it, sporting a -5 differential to begin the year.

Oct 16, 2025; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators goalie Linus Ullmark (35) looks up the ice in the second period against the Seattle Kraken at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-IMAGN Images / Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images

(Former) Vezina Trophy Winners

And both teams are relying too much on their elite goaltenders to make up for their lack of team defense. Just because they each have a former Vezina Trophy winner, it seems they’ve been content with allowing more scoring chances. The Sens have hung Linus Ullmark out to dry often this season.

It’s been most noticeable in their lack of support around the goal crease. According to data from MoneyPuck, the Senators have allowed four goals against off of rebounds, the second-most in the NHL this year.

Meanwhile in Tampa Bay, the Lightning are letting Andrei Vasilevskiy be pummeled with shots on goal. Through six games, they’ve allowed 188 unblocked shots on goal, the third-most in the NHL.

The Lightning are letting Vasilevskiy see far too many pucks and are relying too heavily on the former Stanley Cup-winner to make up the difference. So far this year, that hasn’t been a successful recipe for victory.

Missing Key Players

Further hurting the matters is the absence of key players. The Senators lost their captain and top player Brady Tkachuk to a wrist injury that required surgery to correct. He could miss nearly two months as he recovers, and the Sens are hoping he can return sooner.

The Lightning pulled superstar winger Nikita Kucherov from the lineup due to illness. He’s missed the last two games for Tampa. When in the lineup, he has two goals and an assist in four contests.

With both teams missing key players, their team game isn’t reaching the level everyone wants. But more than anything, the team’s commitment to both sides of the puck are lacking as they wait for their top players to return. Hopefully with that, the return of the teams’ defense and the end of their poor starts.

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