Gustav Forsling and Carter Verhaeghe each produced a goal and assist in the Florida Panthers much-needed 3-2 win over the Ottawa Senators that ended a two-game losing streak.
The Senators opened the scoring 4:03 into the first, one second after a high-sticking minor on Evan Rodrigues expired, when Fabian Zetterlund fetched the puck off the end boards, curled out and had his off-balance shot blocked by the blade of Gustav Forsling. The puck ramped up in the air and deflected off Sergei Bobrovsky’s blocker, and miraculously found its way up over his shoulder and into the net. The assists on the goal went to Shane Pinto and Claude Giroux.
Rodrigues would even it up with a power-play goal at the 11:34 mark. Aaron Ekblad’s backhand pass had just enough steam on it to get by Tim Stützle’s stick and find an open Rodrigues, who dragged the puck by Stützle and then blew a wrister by Leevi Meriläinen to end Florida’s 0=for-9 slump on the man-advantage.
Florida’s power play would click again 13:13 into second to give the visitors the lead. After Sam Bennett rushed the puck into the zone and was knocked to the ice, Anton Lundell was able to move the back puck to Forsling at the right point. He crossed to Verhaeghe, who loaded up and beat Meriläinen with a perfect shot from the top of the left circle.
Ekblad and Verhaeghe would exchange passes along the boards before the veteran defenseman sent the puck over to Forsling, who with the Senators focused on the right side, skated down into the left circle and unleashed a rocket that Meriläinen had no chance on. The goal came at 3:48 of the third period.
With Meriläinen off for an extra attacker, Drake Batherson deflected Giroux’s shot from just outside the left circle up and over Bobrovsky’s shoulder to halve the deficit with 1:42 left on the clock. The secondary ahelper went to Jake Sanderson. Credit to Ottawa, who did a nice job of moving the puck around the zone.
Fortunately, the Panthers were able to clamp down and close out the Senators to pick up its first win of the road trip after disappointing losses in Toronto and Montreal. Special teams was the difference as the Cats went 2-for-4 on the power play and the penalty kill came up big, going 5-for-5, allowing them to depart Canada’s capital with a big two points. The Panthers will shuffle off to Buffalo for Monday night’s meeting with the surging Sabres.
The Five Hole
- Gustav Forsling earned the First Star nod for his game-winning blast and assist. It was just his second goal of the season and first since November 24.
- Sergei Bobrovsky made 17 saves, including seven of the high-danger variety. Bobrovsky denied former Panther Claude Giroux on a breakaway shortly after Forsling put the Cats up by two.
- After halting a five-game pointless streak against Montreal, Evan Rodrigues ended a 16-game goalless drought with his beautiful first period wrister.
- Second Star Aaron Ekblad has picked it up offensively as of late. Ekblad has two goals and five assists in his last nine games.
- Carter Verhaeghe’s go-ahead goal was his 13th of the season. Verhaeghe has markers in two of the last three games. He scored Florida’s only goal in the 4-1 loss to Toronto.
- Sandis Vilmanis logged 11:48 of ice time in his NHL debut. The 22-year-old finished the game with an even rating.