Jason Spezza returns to lineup, scores in overtime to give Senators 3-2 win over Lightning.

Spezza’s OT goal lifts Senators past Lightning

OTTAWA — Jason Spezza scored a power-play goal 4:17 into overtime to give the Ottawa Senators a 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night.

Spezza, sidelined the previous two games because of back pain, drove a slap shot past Antero Niittymaki after Tampa Bay’s Mattias Ohlund was sent off for holding 3 minutes into overtime. Spezza also assisted on Daniel Alfredsson’s first-period goal.

Mike Fisher also scored for Ottawa (7-4-2) and Pascal Leclaire made 18 saves in the third meeting between the two teams this season, the second in seven days.

Alex Tanguay and Steven Stamkos scored power-play goals for Tampa Bay (5-4-5). The Lightning are 1-1-1 on a four-game trip that included a 2-1 overtime win in Toronto on Tuesday night. Stamkos has 12 goals this season.

Niittymaki stopped 26 shots in his second start in a row.

Stamkos drew the Lightning even at 2 when he drove a slap shot past Pascal Leclaire 13:40 into the second for Tampa Bay’s second power-play goal of the game.

Referee Kerry Fraser waved off a pair of Ottawa goals with under 5 minutes remaining in the third, including Chris Kelly’s high-stick tip with 26.8 seconds left.

A brief video review confirmed Fraser’s call.

The official drew the ire of the Scotiabank Place crowd moments earlier when he waved off another apparent go-ahead goal by the Senators with 4:09 remaining.

Fraser ruled that the Lightning gained possession while a delayed penalty was signaled against Tampa Bay’s Andrej Meszaros before Picard put a backhand past Niittymaki.

Tanguay gave the Lightning a 1-0 lead 3:03 in with his second of the season.

Alfredsson drew Ottawa even just under 2 minutes later with his sixth goal.

Fisher scored on a power play 12 minutes into the second to give the Senators a brief 2-1 lead.

NOTES: With thousands of Canadian military personnel on hand for Armed Forces Appreciation Night, a moment of silence was observed prior to the game in memory of the victims of the shooting spree at Fort Hood. … Tanguay has two goals and four assists in his last seven games. He had one point in his first seven games, an assist in the Lightning’s 6-3 season-opening loss in Atlanta on Oct. 3. … Tampa Bay beat Ottawa 5-2 at home one week earlier. Senators LW Milan Michalek had a hat trick in a 7-1 win over the Lightning on Oct. 15.