Recap: Ottawa vs. Tampa Bay

By Sports Network

Ottawa, ON (Sports Network) - Jason Spezza scored the game-winning goal in overtime and assisted on both of Ottawa's regulation tallies, as the Senators edged the Lightning, 3-2, after having two goals disallowed late in the third period.

Spezza, who has scored at least 32 goals in each of the last three seasons, netted only his first goal for the Senators, who had lost four of their previous five games. Daniel Alfredsson and Mike Fisher also scored for Ottawa, and Pascal Leclaire stopped 18 shots for the win.

Steven Stamkos scored to give himself at least one point in nine of his last 10 games for the Lightning, who have not won back-to-back games since October 10-12. Stamkos, the top overall pick of the 2008 draft, leads the team with 12 goals and 17 points in his second season.

Alex Tanguay also scored, and Antero Niittymaki allowed three goals on 29 shots in defeat.

A penalty to Tampa Bay's Mattias Ohlund with two minutes left in overtime led to Ottawa's game-winning tally. Spezza had the puck at the right point, skated in to the top of the right circle and fired a slapshot. The puck deflected off the shaft of a defender's stick and to the top right corner of the net for the game-winning goal with 43 seconds left.

The Lightning struck quickly with a power play goal early in the first period. Steve Downie took the puck behind the net and dumped it to Jeff Halpern in front. Halpern tried to stuff it past Leclaire, who got a piece of the shot. The puck squirted behind the netminder, and Tanguay was there to put it into the net at 3:03.

Ottawa answered just two minutes later. Spezza attempted a wraparound backhand shot, which was initially stopped by Niittymaki. Alfredsson was there for the rebound and lifted it over the sprawled-out goalie to tie the game.

The Senators moved in front with a power play goal 12 minutes into the middle period. Spezza sent a perfect pass between two defenders across the crease to Fisher, who was able to simply redirect the puck into the wide open net for a 2-1 lead.

Tampa Bay responded quickly, though, as Stamkos fired a one-timer just inside the right post at 13:40 to tie the game again while on the man advantage.

The Senators appeared to score the go-ahead goal with just over four minutes remaining in the game, but it was ruled that a Lightning player possessed the puck during a delayed penalty, stopping play.

Ottawa didn't score on the ensuing power play, and the game went to overtime after another Senators goal was waved off with 26.8 seconds remaining. The potential game-winning score was not allowed because of a high stick.