Ottawa Senators' Jason Spezza, centre, tries to knock in the loose puck in front of Tampa Bay Lighting's goalie Antero Niittymaki at the Brandt Centre in Regina, Sask., Monday, Sept. 21, 2009.TROY FLEECE
Jason Spezza and Mike Fisher each had a goal and an assist to lead the Ottawa Senators to a 3-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in preseason NHL action Monday night.
With the exception of captain Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa (2-3-0) brought out most of its big guns, and they didn't disappoint.
Fisher opened the scoring 3:22 into the first when he ripped a wrist shot from the top of the circle top shelf past Lightning goalie Antero Nittymaki.
It was Fisher's fourth goal in his last two exhibition games.
Alex Kovalev made it 2-0 for the Senators as he converted a nifty feed from Spezza midway through the second.
Even if Kovalev hadn't recorded a point, he put on a stickhandlng show that wowed the fans and, at times, embarrassed Tampa Bay.
The only time Kovalev let the fans down was when he left the game early in the third after taking a stick in the face from Tampa Bay's James Wright. Kovalev made up for it by returning for the last few minutes of the game.
Spezza added a goal in the third when he picked up his own rebound and scored an insurance goal.
The Lightning, on the other hand, left franchise players Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis out of the lineup and iced a team made up mostly of unknowns.
Steve Downie, one of the few recognizable players skating for the Lightning, did manage to get Tampa Bay on the scoresheet in the second when he slid a perfect pass through the crease and onto Carter Ashton's stick for an easy tip in.
In the end, Tampa Bay managed only 12 shots to Ottawa's 29.
Brian Elliot picked up the win for the Senators, while Tampa Bay's Nittymaki was charged with a loss.