OTTAWA, Ontario — In a stunning performance, Anton Forsberg stopped all 40 shots he faced, earning his third shutout of the season as the Ottawa Senators defeated the Florida Panthers 3-0 on Saturday.
Jake Sanderson stood out with a goal and an assist, while Drake Batherson and Matthew Highmore also added their names to the score sheet for Ottawa.
Sergei Bobrovsky, the Panthers’ goaltender, made 19 saves, but could not prevent Florida from suffering their fourth consecutive loss. Despite the defeat, Florida clinched a playoff spot later that night thanks to Toronto’s 3-0 victory over Columbus.
Prior to this match, Florida had not been held scoreless since December 28, when they lost 4-0 to Montreal.
The Senators’ goaltender, Forsberg, was tested repeatedly by Florida’s offensive players. Among his critical saves, he denied Seth Jones midway through the second period and made a noteworthy stop against Sam Reinhart as the period came to a close.
The Senators, who now hold a 41-29-6 record, have edged seven points clear of Montreal for the leading wild-card position in the Eastern Conference, as they eye their first postseason appearance since the 2016-17 season. Montreal, meanwhile, was scheduled to play Philadelphia later in the evening.
Takeaways:
Panthers: As the season nears its conclusion, Florida is searching for a motivational spark. The team had to adapt its lineup against Ottawa due to the absence of key players, including Matthew Tkachuk.
Senators: Ottawa celebrated Forsberg’s commendable goalkeeping performance in their back-to-back weekend matches. Earlier this week, Ottawa also emerged victorious against another Florida team, defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 on Thursday.
Key moment:
With two minutes remaining in the second period, Florida seemed to have scored on Forsberg. However, the play was immediately called off due to a high stick, keeping the shutout intact.
Key stat:
Sanderson’s goal marks his fourth consecutive home game with a score.
Upcoming games:
Both teams are set to play again on Sunday. The Panthers will face the Toronto Maple Leafs, while the Senators will go up against the Columbus Blue Jackets.