Following two consecutive losses on their road trip, the Florida Panthers headed for Ottawa, searching for a win against the inconsistent Senators.
James Reimer would receive the start, opposing former Panther Craig Anderson for the Senators.
The Florida Panthers would begin the first period flat-footed on defense, allowing budding superstar forward Matt Duchene to sneak through and score on a breakaway opportunity (1-0 OTT).
With the Sens striking first, the Cats suddenly realized they cannot take the Sens lightly and applied consistent o-zone pressure.
Florida’s effort, particularly its gritty fourth line, was finally rewarded, with Troy Brouwer potting the equalizer off of a gorgeous feed from Juho Lammikko (1-1).
With the game suddenly tied, the Senators took an unnecessary penalty, providing Florida’s red-hot power play with its first chance on the night.
The Cats practically wasted no time capitalizing on the man advantage, as captain Aleksander Barkov scored on the doorstep, following a rebound opportunity (2-1 FLA).
Following several high-quality offensive scoring chances by Florida, generated by Mike Hoffman and Micheal Haley, the Cats extended their lead, courtesy of forward Jared McCann (3-1 FLA).
Off a steal by Dryden Hunt, McCann received a tremendous outlet pass from Hunt and made no mistake sniping one past Craig Anderson on a breakaway. Hunt picked up a primary assist on the play (Hunt’s 1st point this season).
Following several outstanding stops by James Reimer and a penalty called on Florida, the officiating crew decided to conclude the first period of play because of a medical emergency in the stands.
After the intermission break, both teams would play the remaining 3:37 of the 1st period along with the entire second period.
With the penalty nearly killed off, Florida suffered a devastating blow, as Vincent Trocheck was stretchered off the ice with a gruesome, long-term knee injury.
Florida capped off the first period by successfully killing the penalty, and tacking on a fourth goal, courtesy of Evgeni Dadonov’s buzzer-beating tap in (4-1 FLA).
However, the relentless Senators battled back, slowly but surely. Following an egregious turnover committed by James Reimer, Matt Duchene would be gifted an open-net goal, reaching double-digit goals on the season and slicing Florida’s lead in half (4-2 FLA).
Minutes later, with Ottawa on the power-play (Jared McCann slashing penalty), Matt Duchene’s effort would generate yet another goal for Ottawa, connecting with rookie phenom Drake Batherson for a brilliantly located, top-shelf deflection (4-3 FLA).
With momentum rapidly slipping away from Florida, the Cats realized that no lead is safe. The dynamic fourth line would eventually produce another timely goal for the Panthers, courtesy of enforcer Micheal Haley (5-3 FLA).
Off a magnificent assist from Juho Lammikko, who was stationed behind Anderson’s net, Micheal Haley quickly sniped a shot directly past Anderson’s blocker and into the goal.
Lammikko registered his second assist of the contest (1st career multi-point game) on Haley’s first goal of the season (1st game back).
The physicality and intensity increased from both sides. Bobby Ryan and Jared McCann would both be called for simultaneous penalties, resulting in four-on-four action for two minutes.
The Panthers would regain their three-goal cushion, with Juho Lammikko dishing a precise, cross-ice pass for the finish by Frank Vatrano (6-3 FLA). The assist was Juho’s third of the night, all three being primary helpers.
The second period concluded with the Florida Panthers carrying a commanding three-goal lead into the dressing room.
The third period commenced with Ottawa clearly intensifying their offensive zone pressure, mustering up countless shot attempts against backup netminder James Reimer.
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Zack Smith wound up scoring a controversial goal, giving the Senators some life (6-4 FLA). Reimer argued for goalie interference, but the puck crossed the line before Smith initiated any contact with Reimer.
The Sens continually applied their foot on the gas pedal. Following an initial highlight-reel glove save by James Reimer, star-studded rookie Brady Tkachuk potted home the rebound on a wide-open net (6-5 FLA).
The pressure from the Senators continued paying dividends, as they were rewarded a five-on-three man advantage down by a single goal.
However, the penalty killing units from Florida proved instrumental. Both penalties were killed off successfully by the Cats, who were clinging onto a one-goal lead in the final period of play.
Mike Hoffman, the former long-tenured Senator, would eventually seal the deal for the Cats. On an odd-man rush, Juho Lammikko brilliantly fed the speedy Hoffman, who finished off the Senators with an electrifying backhand goal on a breakaway (7-5 FLA).
Hoffman extended his point streak to sixteen games, while Juho Lammikko established a franchise record for most assists in a single game by a rookie (four primary assists).
The Cats snapped their two-game losing skid, defeating the Senators by a final scoreline of 7-5 on the road.
Be sure to tune in live as the Florida Panthers face their in-state rival, the Tampa Bay Lightning at 7:30 P.M. on Wednesday, Nov. 21.