The Florida Panthers hosted the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night in Sunrise looking to wrap up their season-opening three-game homestand with an unblemished record.
That’s exactly what they did, taking down Ottawa in what was Florida’s first divisional game of the season by a final score of 6-2.
It didn’t take long for the Panthers to get on the scoreboard.
With play in Florida’s zone, Seth Jones flipped the puck over Ottawa’s defensemen and into the neutral zone, where a streaking Brad Marchand caught up with it and went in alone on a breakaway.
His backhand along the ice beat Linus Ullmark under his left arm to give the Cats a 1-0 lead at the 6:08 mark.
About four minutes later, Evan Rodrigues came down the left boards and fired a nasty wrist shot that Ullmark tried making a windmill glove save on, but he only got a piece of the puck, and it trickled underneath him and across the goal line.
Initially, the officials reviewed the play to see if the puck was ever stopped, but officials ruled that it was “in continuous motion” and the goal was confirmed.
The Sens cut Florida’s lead in half with 2:27 to go in the period when Shane Pinto took a quick pass from Ridly Greig in the corner and beat a seemingly surprised Sergei Bobrovsky from right beside his net.
Florida started the second period with an abbreviated power play and were able to cash in before time ran out.
Aaron Ekblad and Seth Jones did a quick cross-cross play just inside the blue line, with Ekblad going to the left side of the zone with the puck on his stick and a suddenly wide open shooting lane.
His shot beat a screened Ullmark over the glove to restore Florida’s two-goal lead during the opening minute of the middle frame.
That’s how the score would remain for much of the period, until a late power play for Florida thanks to an offensive zone roughing call on Brady Tkachuk.
Jeff Petry’s shot from the point deflected off Anton Lundell in front of the net and past a sprawling Ullmark to send Florida into the third period with a 4-1 advantage.
Ottawa defenseman Thomas Chabot was called for a high-sticking double-minor after catching Eetu Luostarinen with an errant stick, and it led to another Florida power play goal.
This time it was Mackie Samoskevich tickling the twine. He picked up the puck to the right of Ullmark’s net and, with the goaltender down and covering the low part of the net, sent a shot into the upper corner of the cage to put the Panthers up by four.
They weren’t done there.
Sam Reinhart picked up his first goal of the season, taking a quick feed from the point off the stick of Gus Forsling and sending a quick forehand shot past Ullmark’s glove with 8:46 to go to put the Cats up 6-1.
Pinto added a second goal that went off the skate of Aaron Ekbald in the final minutes, but by then the game was well out of reach.
Florida will now take their perfect 3-0-0 record on the road for a five-game trip that begins on Monday night in Philly.
On to the Flyers.
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Photo caption: Oct 11, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell (15) celebrates a goal against the Ottawa Senators during the second period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Jim Rassol-Imagn Images)
