Panthers Put Down By Senators

     The Florida Panthers finished a quick two-game home stand and fell to the Ottawa Senators 3-2 on Sunday night at BB&T Center. The Senators have the worst record in the National Hockey League.
     The Panthers are now winless in their last four games and 5-2-3 in their last ten games overall. The Sens snapped a seven-game losing streak with the victory. Marc Crawford compiled his first win as Ottawa's new head coach.
     Ottawa(23-38-5) got their fourth line to score at the 5:10 mark of the first period. Magnus Paajarvi snapped a shot from the right circle which was saved by Roberto Luongo and Jean-Gabriel Pageau followed with his shot from close range. Zack Smith got another rebound and flicked the puck in from the crease for his seventh goal.
     Florida(28-26-11) tied it up 1-1 at 9:02. Keith Yandle sent a cross-ice pass from the left point to the right point. Mark Pysyk fired a wrist shot that was redirected by Aleksander Barkov from the low left circle by Anders Nilsson. It was his 28th goal of the season and his ninth goal in the last nine games. Barkov now has amassed 15 points in the past nine games.
     The Cats moved in front 2-1 with 4:24 remaining in the first. Brady Tkachuk attempted a clearing pass from deep in his zone that was intercepted by Troy Brouwer at the right point. He connected a diagonal pass to Riley Sheahan in the high slot. Sheahan returned it to him in the right circle for a forehand shot and his ninth goal this year.
     In the second period, the Sens would even it 2-2 at 5:06. Colin White handed the puck to Cody Ceci below the right circle and he went around the Florida cage. He placed a pass to the middle and Brian Gibbons scored on a one-time shot from the low slot for his first goal of the campaign.
    The Senators would add a power-play tally with 2:35 to go in the period. Christian Wolanin moved the puck to his right where Dylan DeMelo was at the right point. He took a slapshot that Rudolfs Balcers redirected in from the low slot.