(AP Photo/Chris O’Meara) Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) stops a shot by Ottawa Senators right wing Adam Gaudette (81) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, ...

Sometimes, the difference between making or missing the playoffs isn’t just about how many wins but who those wins are against.

The Tampa Bay Lightning ended a five-game homestand with a 5-1 Atlantic Division win over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday. A power-play goal gave the Lightning a 1-0 lead through 20 minutes of hockey.

TAMPA — The Lightning knew the importance of Tuesday’s game against the Senators, the first of ... a loose puck in front and batted it past Andrei Vasilevskiy with 5:51 left in the period.

Chaffee scored with 26 seconds left. Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) stops a shot by Ottawa Senators right wing Adam Gaudette (81) during the third period of an NHL hockey ...

Luke Glendening, Nikita Kucherov and Ryan McDonagh also scored for Tampa Bay while Andrei Vasilevskiy finished with 25 saves. Michael Amadio, Claude Giroux and Drake Batherson scored for Ottawa ...

Luke Glendening, Nikita Kucherov and Ryan McDonagh also scored for Tampa Bay while Andrei Vasilevskiy finished ... after scoring against the Ottawa Senators during the third period of an NHL ...

The Lightning beat the Senators 4-3 on Tuesday ... Cernak also scored for Tampa Bay, and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 27 saves. Michael Amadio scored for Ottawa, and Anton Forsberg stopped 26 shots.

Brandon Hagel scored less than two minutes into the third period to give the Tampa Bay Lightning the lead for good in a 4-3 win on Tuesday night that snapped the Ottawa Senators' five-game winning ...