Drake Batherson scores twice as the Senators knock off the Lightning 5-4

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Drake Batherson had two goals and an assist, and the Ottawa Senators handed Tampa Bay its first loss of the season with a 5-4 victory over the Lightning on Saturday.

Josh Norris, Brady Tkachuk and Noah Gregor also scored for Ottawa (3-2-0), and Anton Forsberg made 25 saves. Jake Sanderson collected three assists.

Gregor’s short-handed goal lifted the Senators to a 5-3 lead 6:17 into the third period. It was his first goal of the season.

Nikita Kucherov scored his NHL-best seventh goal for Tampa Bay. Nick Paul, Jake Guentzel and Mitchell Chaffee also scored for the Lightning (3-1-0).

Forsberg made a big save on Kucherov with 56.4 seconds remaining.

Andrei Vasilevsky stopped 23 shots for Tampa Bay.

TAKEAWAYS

Senators: G Linus Ullmark missed his third straight game with what has been described as a strain. Ullmark practiced this week but didn’t dress as the backup.

Lightning: Went 0 for 3 on the man advantage after scoring on the power play in their first three games.

KEY MOMENT

Clinging to a 4-3 lead, the Senators killed a 48-second, two-man advantage early in the third period.

KEY STAT

With seven goals and two assists over four games, Kucherov is off to the most productive start of his career.

UP NEXT

The Lightning visit the Maple Leafs on Monday. The Senators are at Utah on Tuesday.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Tampa Bay Lightning defenceman Victor Hedman (77) shoots the puck as Ottawa Senators left wing Noah Gregor (73) defends, during first period NHL hockey action in Ottawa, on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators goaltender Anton Forsberg (31) makes a save on Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Brandon Hagel (38) during first period NHL hockey action in Ottawa, on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh (27) and Ottawa Senators center Tim Stutzle (18) crash into the boards during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Ottawa, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators left wing Brady Tkachuk celebrates his goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning with teammate Drake Batherson (19) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Ottawa, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators head coach Travis Green directs his players from the bench during first period NHL hockey action between the Senators and the Tampa Bay Lightning in Ottawa, on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)

Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) watches as Ottawa Senators left wing David Perron (57) and Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Nicholas Paul (20) chase the puck as it bounces behind the net during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Ottawa, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)

Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Nicholas Paul (20) celebrates a goal against the Ottawa Senators during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Ottawa, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators right wing Drake Batherson (19) watches his shot go in the net behind Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Ottawa, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators right wing Drake Batherson (19) celebrates a goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Ottawa, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators right wing Drake Batherson (19) celebrates his goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning during second period NHL hockey action in Ottawa, on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Chelsea was back on the coaching carousel under its American ownership on Thursday after Enzo Maresca left his position as manager following a reported deterioration in his relationship with the Premier League club’s hierarchy.

There was no immediate announcement regarding the successor to Maresca. The BBC and The Athletic reported that Liam Rosenior, who coaches French team Strasbourg — a club in the same ownership group as Chelsea, is a leading contender.

Maresca was midway through his second year in charge, having won the Conference League and Club World Cup in his first season at Chelsea.

However, the team has endured a turbulent last few months — Chelsea has won just one of its last seven Premier League matches to drop to fifth place — while Maresca publicly expressed his unhappiness at a lack of support at the club in a post-match news conference on Dec. 13, when the Italian said he had just experienced his “worst” 48 hours at Chelsea.

“With key objectives still to play for across four competitions including qualification for Champions League football," Chelsea said in a statement, "Enzo and the club believe a change gives the team the best chance of getting the season back on track.”

Chelsea has advanced to the English League Cup semifinals, where it will play Arsenal over two legs, and begins its FA Cup campaign away to second-tier Charlton on Jan. 10. In the Champions League, Chelsea is in 13th place in the 36-team league, two points off the eight automatic qualification spots with two rounds of matches left.

Chelsea is seeking a fifth full-time manager since the takeover of the club by American investors, fronted by Todd Boehly, in May 2022.

In the past 3 1/2 years, Chelsea has spent hundreds of million of pounds (dollars) in what looked from the outside a chaotic bid to sign players to refresh its squad. It now has one of the youngest and most talented squads in the Premier League, with star players including Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernandez and Estevao, but managers have struggled to get the players to gel as a team after so many changes.

Out of all the managers to have led Chelsea in that period — and they include Thomas Tuchel and Mauricio Pochettino, the current coaches of England and the United States, respectively — Maresca appeared to have handled the chaos the best.

Yet he reportedly didn’t feel appreciated given the tough working conditions and, according to the BBC, recently switched agents. A few weeks ago, media reports in England linked Maresca with a possible move to Manchester City — where he briefly worked under Pep Guardiola — should Guardiola eventually leave, though Maresca played the reports down.

Chelsea’s results have taken a downturn since a 3-0 win over Barcelona in the Champions League in November.

The team’s only league win in the past month was over Everton, 2-0. There have been draws with Arsenal, Newcastle and Bournemouth (twice) and losses to Leeds and Aston Villa.

Its next game is at plays second-place Man City on Sunday.

Chelsea said its achievements under Maresca “will remain an important part of the club’s recent history, and we thank him for his contributions to the club.”

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

FILE - Chelsea's head coach Enzo Maresca reacts during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Atalanta and Chelsea, in Bergamo, Italy, on Dec. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni, File)

FILE - Chelsea's head coach Enzo Maresca sits on a bench ahead of the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Qarabag and Chelsea in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Nov. 5, 2025. (AP Photo, File)

Chelsea's head coach Enzo Maresca, left, gives instructions to Estevao during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Bournemouth in London, England, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)