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April 9, 2026
Panthers senators

The Florida Panthers had eight players who had played in the AHL — or were on their way before being picked up — in their lineup Thursday night against the Ottawa Senators.

Yet, despite going down a couple goals in the first period, the Panthers continued to show the fight they have in many a game in this rough end to the season.

With the Senators in a fight for a playoff spot, however, Ottawa was not going to be denied in this one.


The Senators won for the fourth time in their past five games with a 5-1 win over the Panthers.

Florida has lost its past four games (0-3-1) since beating the Bruins in Sunrise last Thursday.

Gus Forsling was the only Opening Night defenseman in the lineup for the Panthers after Dmitry Kulikov and Seth Jones went down with injury on Tuesday night.

Although two of Florida’s defensemen were making their NHL debut in Ottawa, the Panthers did not let the homestanding Senators get too many Grade-A chances at Sergei Bobrovsky.

Ottawa got its first goal off a power play with Forsling in the penalty box, then added a second for a 2-0 lead going into the second.

Bobrovsky stopped all five shots faced in the second to keep it 2-0 going into the third.

The Senators, who lost to the Panthers 6-3 last week in Sunrise, pushed their lead to 3-0 early in the third and scored three in the final period.

With the win, Ottawa helped solidify its playoff spot with the Sabres beating the Blue Jackets in Buffalo.

Linus Ullmark, who got pulled in Sunrise last week after giving up five goals, made 21 saves in the win. Bobrovsky had 22 saves in his second straight loss.

HOW THEY SCORED

  • Senators 1, Panthers 0 (6:49 1st PP): Jake Sanderson sends a shot to the net that Drake Batherson knocks past Sergei Bobrovsky.
  • Senators 2, Panthers 0 (17:00 1st): Fabian Zetterlund rips off a wrister from 10 feet out.
  • Senators 3, Panthers 0 (3:03 3rd): Defenseman Artem Zub gets a loose puck in the right circle and one-times it through.
  • Senators 3, Panthers 1 (14:17 3rd): Jesper Boqvist takes a pass from A.J. Greer off the rush and trickles one past Linus Ullmark.
  • Senators 4, Panthers 1 (16:43 3rd EN): Claude Giroulx ices this one.
  • Senators 5, Panthers 1 (17:02 3rd): Zetterlund gets his second off a turnover in the Florida zone, scoring from the high slot.

FHN’S 3 STARS

  • 1. Fabian Zetterlund, Ottawa
  • 2. Linus Ullmark, Ottawa
  • 3. Jake Sanderson, Ottawa

ON DECK: GAME No. 80

FLORIDA PANTHERS at TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

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