By JEFF MEZYDLO
STATS Senior Writer

Tampa Bay (5-4-4) at Ottawa (6-4-2), 7:30 p.m. EDT

The Ottawa Senators might need a boost to help end their current
rough stretch. The return of Jason Spezza could be it.

The Senators might have their star center back as they try to
avoid a third consecutive loss Thursday night against the
visiting Tampa Bay Lightning.

After missing Ottawa's past two games due to back pain, there's
a chance Spezza could return as the Senators (6-4-2) face Tampa
Bay for the third time this season.

Spezza took part in a full practice Wednesday, but his status
will likely be a game-time decision.

"I was pleasantly surprised with how I felt," Spezza told the
Senators' official Web site. "I thought I'd feel worse. But
we'll see how it goes. It's going to be more (about) how I
recover."

After scoring 100 goals the past three seasons, Spezza has eight
assists through 10 games, but no goals. Despite the drought, the
Senators missed Spezza while being outscored 8-3 in two losses
without him.

Spezza has nine goals and 17 assists in 21 games against Tampa
Bay.

Ottawa recorded a season-high 51 shots, but only Mike Fisher
scored on Atlanta goaltender Ondrej Pavelec in a 3-1 home loss
Saturday. Two nights earlier, the Senators had 23 shots in a 5-2
defeat at Tampa Bay.

"We did some good things and worked hard, but just didn't get
some of the breaks we needed to," said Fisher, who has five
goals after scoring 13 all of last season.

Even if Spezza is unable to play and despite the recent loss in
Tampa Bay (5-4-4), the Senators have dominated the Lightning at
home of late, outscoring them 12-3 during a three-game winning
streak at Scotiabank Place.

Milan Michalek had a hat trick and Daniel Alfredsson added three
assists in Ottawa's 7-1 home win over Tampa Bay on Oct. 15.
Alfredsson has seven assists in his last four games versus the
Lightning.

Pascal Leclaire faced 17 shots in the Oct. 15 win to improve to
2-0-0 with a 2.00 goals-against average against Tampa Bay.
Leclaire, 4-3-1 with a 2.76 GAA this season, is likely to be
back in net after making 18 saves Saturday against Atlanta.

Tampa Bay's Antero Niittymaki could earn a second straight start
after stopping 40 shots in a 2-1, overtime win at Toronto on
Tuesday.

After spending his previous five seasons with Philadelphia,
Niittymaki is 3-1-1 with a 1.95 GAA with his new club and making
a case to see more playing time ahead of Mike Smith.

Smith is 2-3-3 with a 3.64 GAA this season and 2-3-0 with a 2.98
GAA lifetime against Ottawa. Niittymaki is 5-5-2 with a 3.37 GAA
versus the Senators.

"There's nothing wrong with in-house competition," coach Rick
Tocchet told the Lightning's official Web site. "The good thing
is, those guys get along well with each other."

Vincent Lecavalier had a goal and Ryan Malone added his ninth
for the winner in overtime Tuesday to help the Lightning improve
to 1-4-1 on the road. Malone has two goals and two assists
against the Senators this season.

Lecavalier, who fell one short of a sixth straight 30-goal
season in 2008-09, has two goals through 13 games this season.
He's failed to find the back of the net in his last five games
against Ottawa.