Senators Sink Panthers

     The Ottawa Senators broke the Florida Panthers 5-2 at Canadian Tire Centre on Monday night. The Panthers lost their fourth consecutive game after previously going 6-0-1. 

     The Panthers began a four-game road trip. Not including tonight, the Cats have played just three road games since February 19. Matthew Tkachuk of Panthers and his brother Brady Tkachuk of the Senators faced each other in their 17th NHL meeting. 

     Ottawa(37-33-5) got out to a 1-0 lead at the 8:02 in the first period. A clearing pass by the Panthers was stopped by Thomas Chabot at the left point. Chabot went around Givani Smith at the blue line and then angled a diagonal pass. Brady Tkachuk nailed a one-time slap shot from the right-circle dot past Sergei Bobrovsky for his 34th goal of the season. 

     The Senators added a power-play goal with 1:05 left in the first and led 2-0. Ex Panthers player Derick Brassard poked the loose puck from the crease area. Erik Brannstrom snapped a shot from the inner right circle for his third goal this year. 

     Florida(36-31-7) made it 2-1 during the second period at 5:58. Eric Staal cycled the puck from the left corner to Sam Reinhart behind the Ottawa cage. He banked a pass to the left point and Gustav Forsling rifled a one-time slap shot by Mads Sogaard for his 11th goal of the campaign. 

     It became 3-1 for the Sens with 37.3 seconds remaining in the second as they scored on the power play. Tkachuk connected a pass from the right goal line to Drake Batherson at the top of the right circle. He angled a pass to his left and Alex DeBrincat blasted a one-time slap shot from the low left circle for his 24th goal this season. 

     In the third period, the Panthers cut it to 3-2 at the 9:15 mark. Eetu Luostarinen backhanded it across the slot from the inner right circle. Aaron Ekblad dropped it from the top left circle and Forsling powered in a snap shot from the top of the zone for his second tally of the game. 

     Ottawa compiled their third power-play goal with 2:23 left in the third and expanded their lead to 4-2. Former Panthers player Claude Giroux zipped a pass from the right wing to Travis Hamonic on the blue line. He fed the puck to his right and Tim Stutzle released a forehand shot from the right wing. 

     Florida pulled their goalie for an extra attacker to stay in the contest. Shane Pinto added an empty-net goal on a wrist shot from the left wing with 1:30 to go and the Senators led 5-2.