{"id":486162,"date":"2026-03-28T07:50:21","date_gmt":"2026-03-28T11:50:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=486162"},"modified":"2026-03-27T21:51:12","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T01:51:12","slug":"nhl-predictions-ottawa-senators-tampa-bay-lightning-march-28","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2026\/03\/28\/nhl-predictions-ottawa-senators-tampa-bay-lightning-march-28\/","title":{"rendered":"NHL Predictions: Ottawa Senators vs Tampa Bay Lightning, March 28th"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome to a Saturday afternoon edition of NHL Predictions with us here at Last Word On Hockey<\/em>, as the Ottawa Senators<\/a> begin a two-game tour of Florida, with a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning<\/a>. As we do all season, join us for storylines, statistics, and analysis, as we break down who we think might prevail. So check out our look at the Sens and Lightning, with lots of jockeying for Stanley Cup Playoff positions on the line.<\/p>\n

NHL Predictions with Senators and Lightning<\/h2>\n

Season Series:\u00a0<\/strong>Sens won 5-4 in October, and the two teams’ third and final meeting is scheduled for April 7th.<\/p>\n

Puck Drop:<\/strong> 1<\/span>:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)<\/p>\n

How to Watch<\/a>:\u00a0<\/span>TSN5, TVAS, The Spot<\/span><\/h3>\n

Location:<\/strong> The beautiful Benchmark International Arena, live from Tampa, Florida.<\/p>\n

Ottawa comes into this one following a tough shootout loss at home to the Pittsburgh Penguins<\/a> on Thursday night. Moreover, the Eastern Conference Stanley Cup Playoff Wild Card race remains ultra-competitive. After play on Wednesday evening, Ottawa had found themselves in that second Wild Card position. However, the loss knocked them back out of a playoff spot. Ottawa is currently among six teams within two points of one another, after the Detroit Red Wings beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-2 last night. Fortunately, for the respective teams’ playoff hopes, that includes two spots within the Metropolitan Division’s top three. Therefore, of those six teams, there are technically four spots up for grabs. Regardless, these are vital points for the Senators, who have 10 games left if we count this one.<\/p>\n

<\/smartframe-embed><\/p>\n

Credit Image: \u00a9 David Kirouac\/Cal Sport Media<\/span><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Tampa has separated themselves from the pack. They have 94 points, as they enter play second in the Atlantic Division.<\/p>\n

Recent Storylines Out of the Canadian National Capital City<\/h3>\n

Some good news for Ottawa is that star defenceman Jake Sanderson<\/a> joins the team<\/a> on this trip. Their blueline had been beat up with injuries of late, and they desperately need his return. It was announced Thomas Chabot<\/a> will be out at minimum a month, following surgery on his arm. They were already without Nick Jensen<\/a>. In addition, a few of their replacements had hit the infirmary. Lassi Thomson<\/a> and Dennis Gilbert<\/a> had both been injured recently, as well. That had prompted call-ups for NHL debuts of Carter Yakemchuk<\/a> and Jorian Donovan<\/a> this past week. It is likely at least one of them suits up today.<\/p>\n

There are some fortunate notes for the Sens. Their forward group is seemingly pretty healthy. With the depth the group possesses as a whole, even against a tough opponent like Tampa, they handle the matchup game quite well. This is why the Sens have been rated very strongly in 5v5 metrics all season long. Interestingly enough, according to MoneyPuck.com<\/a>‘s team 5v5 expected goal percentage, these two teams are similar. Ottawa is third at 55.8%, and Tampa is right there in fourth at 54.3%. Conversely, if we look at their respective actual goal percentages, Tampa is second at 57%, and Ottawa dips to 11th at 52.8%. Having the actual above expected, is a sign of offensive efficiency. It can be seen as a differentiator in the two teams’ season, thus far.<\/p>\n