Panthers 6, Senators 2
This was a measuring stick for the Ottawa Senators.
And the Senators learned the hard way they have a long way to go to be a contender.
Ottawa was no match for the two-time Stanley Cup-champion Florida Panthers in an embarrassing 6-2 loss on Saturday at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla.
“Not good enough to win. Simple as that,” said coach Travis Green. “If you’re going to beat a team in that building, you’re going to have to be better than that.”
After opening the season with a 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning across the Sunshine State on Thursday, the Senators looked as if they were in a state of confusion most of the night against the Panthers.
Top goaltender Linus Ullmark wasn’t at his best, but he wasn’t alone on that front. Only Shane Pinto, who scored twice, was able to beat Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky on the few chances the Senators mustered.
The Senators came into this game with a 0-5-1 record against the Panthers in Florida since their last win in Sunrise on March 3, 2022.
The Senators now haven’t started a National Hockey League season with two straight wins since the 2016-17 campaign, and they’ll have to wait until next year to try that again.
Shane Pinto of the Senators scores a goal on Sergei Bobrovsky of the Panthers during the first period.
PENALTY KILL NON-EXISTENT
The Senators have to find a way to make a massive improvement with their penalty kill, and it has to happen quickly.
Ottawa allowed the Panthers to score three times with the man advantage, including a goal by Mackie Samoskevich at 5:29 of the third period to put this one away.
Trailing 4-1 after 40 minutes, the Senators weren’t playing with enough desperation. Anton Lundell scored Florida’s second power-play goal of the night by tipping a shot past Ullmark.
It should be noted that no Senators skater was there to clear Lundell from the front of the net as the Panthers scored with only 1:32 left in the period and Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk in the penalty box.
Aaron Ekblad restored a two-goal lead for the Panthers in the second with an earlier score on the man advantage.
The Senators have now allowed four power-play goals on six attempts by the opposition this season.
The Atlantic Division is one of the best in the NHL and, if the Senators are to make the next step this season, they have to be ready for a physical challenge.
There were times it felt like the Panthers were coming in waves, and the Senators weren’t at the top of their game.
Senators netminder Linus Ullmark dives to make a save against the Panthers during the second period on Saturday night.
GOALTENDING HAS TO IMPROVE
Ullmark came into this game with a 9-3-1 lifetime record against Florida with a .930 save percentage and a 2.47 goals-against average.
He wasn’t great in Thursday’s win in Tampa, and he didn’t look good against Florida. Ullmark took responsibility.
“I don’t think we played badly or anything like that,” Ullmark said. “There are a couple of instances where a save from me would have kept the game closer. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, and they got a couple of extra, unnecessary ones.”
Evan Rodrigues gave the Panthers a 2-0 lead at 9:54 of the first period with a shot that Ullmark should have stopped. He caught the puck with his glove, but couldn’t grip it and swept it through his five-hole and into the net.
‘I f-cked that up. You can easily say,” Ullmark said. “Excuse my French. All the rules are made for offence. They are screwed up. That’s the god’s honest truth.”
The call on the ice was a no-goal because the whistle had been blown, so the NHL’s situation room had to take a second look. Ullmark said when the whistle is blown, the play is supposed to stop, but that wasn’t the case.
“The referee initiated a video review and deemed that the puck entered the net as the culmination of a continuous play; therefore, they awarded the goal,” the league said in its explanation.
Brad Marchand opened the scoring at 6:08 of the first period. He ended up behind Nick Jensen and Thomas Chabot, took a pass for a breakaway and showed great patience before beating Ullmark with a backhander.
That was one that Ullmark would want back, too.
Tim Stutzle of the Senators puts a puck on net against Sergei Bobrovsky of the Panthers during the first period of Saturday night’s game.
THERE WAS ONE BRIGHT SPOT
Pinto scored his third goal of the season to get the Senators on the board at 17:33 of the opening period. He was on the doorstep and beat Bobrovsky on a rebound to cut Florida’s lead to 2-1
Pinto scored twice by night’s end, and he also scored two goals against the Lightning. On top of that, he also had a stick break on a breakaway in the second period, and was stopped by Bobrovsky when he was in alone later in that period.
Steve Staios, the Senators’ president of hockey operations and general manager, has been holding regular talks with Pinto’s New York-based agent Lewis Gross about another contract, but his camp wanted to let the season start.
Senators head coach Travis Green didn’t make any changes from the lineup that had played Thursday, which meant forward Drake Batherson wasn’t ready to return from his pulled muscle.
Ollie Lycksell and Jordan Spence were also scratched, and Tyler Kleven didn’t make the trip because of an ankle injury.
Batherson should be ready to return on Monday in the home opener against the Nashville Predators.
bgarrioch@postmedia.com
Lars Eller of the Senators chases the puck against the Panthers during the first period of Saturday’s game at Sunrise, Fla.