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SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- DeForest Buckner is feeling pretty comfortable during his first NFL training camp.The San Francisco 49ers first-round pick is learning the NFL game from his former college coach, Chip Kelly. Hes playing next to one of his best friends and former Oregon teammates Arik Armstead. Jerry Azzinaro, Buckners college position coach, joined Kelly with San Francisco.The familiar faces are helping Buckners play stand out. The seventh-overall pick performed well enough during practice to earn time with the starters during the first week of training camp. In the early going, hes living up to the billing as one of the most highly-touted prospects in the recent NFL draft.(Buckner) worked his way from the third string all the way up to the first string, defensive coordinator Jim ONeil said. We didnt give him anything. He had to earn it. So, he earned our respect. He earned the players respect. I think all of our guys know, we dont care where you were drafted. Youre going to have to earn it. Nothing is going to be given to you and hes done a nice job.Buckner will try to improve the defense that ranked 29th in the NFL in 2015, when the team finished 5-11 and fired coach Jim Tomsula after one season. The 6-foot-7, 300-pound defensive end has been difficult to block for offensive linemen during the first six training camp practices.Hes a good player, Armstead said of his Oregon teammate. I think he showed that in college, came out here day one, is competing and making plays with the ones, with the twos. And I think he earned that to be able to get some reps.The 49ers lost a number of key veterans on defense in recent seasons, including former All-Pros Patrick Willis, Justin Smith and Aldon Smith. Alongside Armstead, a first-round pick in 2015, the 49ers are hoping Buckner turns into a Pro-Bowl caliber player to help rebuild a defense that reached three straight NFC Championship games from 2011 to 2013.Buckner and Armstead spent some of their time off before training camp working out on the sandy beaches of Hawaii. With them was Seattle Pro-Bowl defensive lineman Michael Bennett, who had 10 sacks last season and imparted veteran wisdom to the first- and second-year 49ers.He definitely taught me and Arik a bunch, Bucker said. Even though he plays for the Seahawks, he was really good help, helping us on our pass rush game and everything.The work appears to be paying off for the seventh-overall pick.Buckner was a key player in Kellys final recruiting class in Oregon. He joined the Ducks in 2012, a season before Kelly left to coach the Philadelphia Eagles. Back then, Buckner was a 260-pound pass rusher.Hes grown. Thats the biggest thing, Kelly said. When we first got him, he actually lined up when we first got him at Oregon at outside linebacker for us and then eventually grew into a 305-310 pound defensive lineman. So, just how big he is physically and just that growth and I still think hes got a little bit more to grow. OTTAWA, Ontario -- When the Tampa Bay Lightning arrived in Ottawa, they hadnt been pleased with their overall play this season. A strong performance against the Senators was definitely a step in the right direction.Andrei Vasilevskiy made 27 saves, Vladislav Namestnikov and Steven Stamkos scored early in the second period, and the Lightning beat the Senators 4-1 Saturday night.Alex Killorn and Valtteri Filppula also scored for the Lightning, who were playing their first road game of the season.For probably 40-50 minutes it was the best weve played all season, Stamkos said. The first 20 minutes was definitely the most dominating and you build on that.Chris Neil scored the lone goal for the Senators, and Craig Anderson stopped 31 shots.Its clear were just not there yet, Senators coach Guy Boucher said. Weve got work to do. We showed we were able to play with them at times, but to be able to compete with a team thats expected to compete for the Stanley Cup we definitely have more work to do.Anderson was solid for much of the game for the Senators, but Killorn was able to sneak one through his right arm to give the Lightning a 3-1 lead midway through the third. It was Killorns fourth goal of the season.Filppula made it 4-1 late in the third.They came out and played a better game than we did right from the start, Ottawas Erik Karlsson said. Unfortunately thats the way its going to be some times. We didnt have our best today.Boucher said part of the problem was trying to force plays.Its what hurt us in the first and killed us in the third, he said. We were a lot better in the second when we played with speed and pressure and stopped trying to make plays where there were none.ddddddddddddNamestnikov opened the scoring 2:36 into the second with the man advantage.We came out and got the lead for the first time this year which was nice.Tampa made it 2-0 at the six-minute mark, on the power play again, as Namestnikov made a cross-crease pass to Stamkos, who ripped it past Anderson. The Senators challenged the goal believing the play was offside, but after a lengthy review the goal stood.Our start was fine, Anderson said. We got out of the first period 0-0 then got into a little penalty trouble. The (penalty kill) just didnt get the job done. Im a big part of that. My job there is to be a big part of that PK, and I wasnt good enough.. The Senators managed to get on board with 4:33 left in the middle period as Neil picked up his own rebound. Vasilevskiy made the initial save, but wasnt able to freeze the puck and Neil got a stick on it.Game notes D Thomas Chabot and LW Matt Puempel were healthy scratches for the Senators. ... D Matt Taormina was a healthy scratch for Tampa Bay. ... This marked the first time Ottawa coach Guy Boucher faced his old team since being fired from the Lightning in 2013.UP NEXTLightning: At Toronto on Tuesday night in the second game of a five-game trip.Senators: At Vancouver on Tuesday night in the opener of a three-game trip to western Canada. ' ' '