Bolts get flashback as Sens run rampant

Thursday looked an awful lot like Groundhog Day for Tampa Bay as the Lightning took one look at the shadow of itself from last season and went back to hiding to erase the good feelings to start this season.

After starting the season on a 2-1-2 stretch with points in four consecutive games, the Lightning came crashing to reality in the form of a 7-1 loss to Ottawa.

Milan Michalek's first career hat trick came as the result of soft defense and soft goaltending by a Lightning team feeling positive vibes in the opening two weeks of the season.

"The press clippings, we were in first place early in the season, now two stinkers in a row, we are going to have to get to work (today)," Lightning coach Rick Tocchet said.

The Lightning opened the game looking like a team on a mission, controlling the puck in the offensive zone, cycling down low and making the Senators chase in their own end.

While the chances for Tampa Bay were not coming at a furious pace as some of the earlier games, the Lightning did hold a 4-0 shot advantage four minutes into the game.

But one bad bounce just inside the Tampa Bay blue line resulted in a lost puck by Marty St. Louis to Daniel Alfredsson, who found Alex Kovalev alone in front for an easy goal on the Senators' first shot of the game at 4:25 of the first period.

"I turned the puck over at our own blue line, I can't do that, especially at that time in the game," said St. Louis, who extended his scoring streak to six games. "I gave them the opportunity to get a scoring chance and they put it in the net. After being all over them, they go up 1-0. I wish I could take that play back, it probably would have been a different game."

Ottawa went on to register 13 consecutive shots on goal before Tampa Bay put one on frame at the 12:11 mark. By that time the Senators already had a pair of shorthanded breakaways to their credit, the second resulting in a 2-on-1 that Michalek cashed in for a 2-0 lead at 10:22.

Michalek would get another breakaway chance while shorthanded when St. Louis gloved down a puck at center ice, only to mishandle it and give it right to Michalek, who deked Mike Smith to the ice before lifting a backhander at 5:41 of the second.

Tampa Bay has allowed three shorthanded goals in the past two games, and given up numerous odd-man opportunities to the opposition.

"Two shorthanded goals against (Thursday), that's embarrassing," Tocchet said. "We give up one to Florida (on Monday), it's really an alarming thing right now. I know it's only game six, but when you give up three shorthanded goals in two games, there's going to be some video, there's going to be some talking and there might be some changes."

After two less-than-stellar efforts, Tampa Bay has to attempt to get things moving back in the right direction facing a showdown in Pittsburgh on Saturday against the defending Stanley Cup champions.

"It shouldn't have to come down to a game like this for us to realize that we have to be way better defensively than we have," defenseman Mattias Ohlund said. "Hopefully we'll look at the stuff we have to improve on, have a good practice, and the good thing about this league is you look at the things you can do better and come out and play better the next game."