Panthers Step By Senators

     The Florida Panthers moved by the Ottawa Senators 5-3 at FLA Live Arena on Saturday. It was the only home game for the Panthers in a seven-game stretch. The Cats will play their next four contests on the west coast. 

     Florida(5-3-1) took a 1-0 lead at the 7:59 of the first period. Brandon Montour crossed the Senators blue line and backhanded the puck to the right point. Matthew Tkachuk spined and connected a backhand pass to the middle. Carter Verhaeghe snapped a shot from the high slot by Anton Forsberg for his third goal of the season. 

     The Panthers extended their lead to 2-0 on the power play with 8:06 left in the first. The Sens committed a turnover from their own goal line. Tkachuk sent a cross-ice pass from the left point and Aleksander Barkov fired a wrist shot from the right wing for his first tally of the year. 

     Ottawa(4-4-0) scored with the man advantage 37 seconds into the second period and trailed 2-1. Jake Sanderson walked backwards by the blue line and found former Panther player Claude Giroux in the right corner. He centered it and Shane Pinto put in a one-time slap shot from inner right circle past Spencer Knight for his sixth goal this season. 

     The Senators tied it up 2-2 at the 3:23 mark of the second. Drake Batherson made a long lead pass from his own zone down the left side. Brady Tkachuk released a snap shot from the left-circle dot for his sixth goal of the campaign. 

     The Cats reclaimed the lead 3-2 with 36.5 seconds remaining in the second. Barkov passed across from the left point and Montour pushed a square pass from the high slot area. Verhaeghe blasted a one-time slap shot from the top right circle for his second tally of the game.

     In the third period, the Sens evened it up again 3-3 with 8:04 to go. Tyler Motte cycled the puck from the right corner and Nick Holden snapped a shot from the right point and it went off the skate of a defender for his first goal. 

     Florida reclaimed the lead 4-3 with 3:32 remaining in the third. Barkov passed from behind the cage and Montour powered in a one-time slap shot from the top right circle. Anton Lundell would later hand the puck to Tkachuk in the slot area and he placed it into the empty net with 12.5 seconds left for the fifth goal with his new team.