Powerless: Ottawa Senators 5, Florida Panthers 2

The Florida Panthers fell to the Ottawa Senators the same way they have lost crucial games all season.

They took too many penalties — a category they lead the league in — and they failed to control the game from the start and it bit them as they extended their regulation losing streak to four with a 5-2 loss.

And it will continue to sting as their playoff hopes continue to dwindle.

Florida remains in a three-point hole behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final wild card spot in the East with eight games to go.

As quickly as they climbed back into the race during their seven-game point streak early in March, they crumbled and fell back into the same spot.

The Panthers fell into a two-goal hole early in the first period after an underwhelming offensive showing and were chasing the game for the remaining 40 minutes.

Gus Forsling appeared to get them back into it with a blast of a slap sot 5:58 into the second period right after taking a shot to the throat seconds before Ottawa’s second goal of the night but they could not keep their feet on the gas.

Anthony Duclair and Anton Lundell each had great chances to score but Mads Sogaard came up with big saves for Ottawa to preserve the lead.

An Eetu Luostarinen tripping penalty sent Florida to the penalty kill shortly thereafter and the Senators took advantage and scored their second power play goal of the night.

Forsling brought the Panthers back within a goal with another blast from the point but it was not enough.

Florida could not come up with an answer for Sogaard as he came up with save after save to keep them off the board.

Anton Lundell took a penalty after getting caught playing the puck with his hand on an offensive zone face-off with 4:06 to go and it killed all of the momentum the Panthers built up.

Tim Stutzle added yet another power play goal fro the Senators with 2:23 to go to help sink Florida for good.

The Panthers did not do themselves any favors when they had their chances on the power play, going 0-for-4 on the night.

They lost the special teams battle handedly and it costed them yet another crucial game.

GOALS OF THE GAME

• Senators 1, Panthers 0 (9:03, 1st): Brady Tkachuk opens the scoring with a one-timer off of a feed from Thomas Chabot.
• Senators 2, Panthers 0 (18:55, 1st, PPG): Erik Brannstrom scored off of the rebound of a blocked shot by Gus Forsling that took to the throat and left him in pain.
• Senators 2, Panthers 1 (5:08, 2nd): Forsling blasted a slap shot past Mads Sogaard after not missing a shift from the blocked shot to the throat.
• Senators 3, Panthers 1 (19:23, 2nd, PPG): Alex DeBrincat beat Sergei Bobrovsky with a one-timer on the power play with 37.3 seconds to go in the second period.
• Senators 3, Panthers 2 (9:15, 3rd): Forsling gets his second goal of the game with another blast from the point seconds after a power play expired.
• Senators 4, Panthers 2 (17:37, 3rd): Tim Stutzle fires a one-timer on the power play past Bobrovsky to secure the win.
• Senators 5, Panthers 2 (18:30, 3rd): Shane Pinto empty-netter.

COLBY’S 3 STARS OF THE GAME

1. Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa

2. Gus Forsling, Florida

3. Mads Sogaard, Ottawa

PANTHERS ON DECK

FLORIDA PANTHERS AT TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

• When: Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.
• Where: Scociabank Arena, Toronto
• TV/Streaming: Bally Sports Florida; ESPN+
• Radio: WPOW 96.5-FM2; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932
• Season Series (Toronto leads 2-0): Maple Leafs 5, Panthers 4 OT (Jan. 17); Maple Leafs 6, Panthers 2 (Mar. 23)
• Last season: Florida won 2-1
  
• All-time regular season series: Toronto leads 47-35-7, 7 ties