Senators Tame Panthers

The Florida Panthers tried to win their fourth consecutive game, however they were upended by the Ottawa Senators 6-2 Wednesday night at the Bank Atlantic Center. Florida attempted to get their longest win streak since March 2008. Although the Senators began slow, they scored at 5:35 of the first period as Jim O'Brien picked a rebound in front off a Nick Foligno shot, went around the cage and put in a wraparound shot for his first NHL goal. Florida evened it up at 1-1 at 11:47 as Shawn Matthias rushed through the neutral zone and took a wrist shot from the left face-off dot that sailed over the left shoulder of Craig Anderson. The Senators regained the lead at 5:18 of the second period as Kaspars Daugavins was in front of the crease when he deflected a shot from the blue line by Brian Lee. Ottawa extended their lead to 3-1 just two minutes later. Milan Michalek rifled a pass from the left circle to the right side of the crease where Bobby Butler redirected the puck by Scott Clemmensen. The Panthers gave up a shorthanded goal on their third power play of the game at 14:06. Daniel Alfredsson skated in alone on a breakaway and placed a backhand shot into the top of the cage. Ottawa continued to roll at 1:24 of the third period as Michalek redirected a shot in front to make it 5-1. Brian Campbell blasted in a power-play goal from the high slot for Florida at 4:25. Filip Kuba added a power-play goal at 14:54 with a one-time slap shot from the right face-off dot. The Florida Panthers play the second place Washington Capitals on Friday in a major four-point swing game in the division.