The Ottawa Senators faced the Tampa Bay Lightning, hoping to break out of a slump. Some would think that a 6-1 dabbing drubbing of the Toronto Maple Leafs might count as slump-busting, but the Leafs haven't been very good. They're in fact in a three-way tie for last in the league. So, although beating them was satisfying, the Sens had work to do to prove the haters wrong.
The first period did a lot of that proving. The Sens came out firing, controlling possession and seemingly catching the Lightning off-guard. Zack Smith had a great period, scoring a beauty of a snipe and drawing an interference penalty while killing a penalty.