Panthers hold on for win in Ottawa after early road losses

The Florida Panthers beat the Ottawa Senators 3-2, scoring twice on the power play and finishing 5-for-5 on the penalty kill.

The Florida Panthers picked up a 3-2 win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday in Ottawa. The club arrived in the game battered and struggling after losing the first two games of a road trip. Florida's special teams were a defining factor in the outcome. The win returned two points to the Panthers' standings. Game details: - Final score: Florida Panthers 3, Ottawa Senators 2. - Fabian Zetterlund opened the scoring for Ottawa at 4:03 of the first period on an early power play. - Evan Rodrigues tied the game at 1 with a power-play goal at 8:26 of the first period. - Carter Verhaeghe scored later in the first after a Gus Forsling cross-zone pass to send Florida into the second intermission up 2-1. - Gus Forsling scored at 3:28 of the third period on a shot from the slot off an Aaron Ekblad pass; Claude Giroux scored with 1:42 remaining with the Senators' goalie pulled to make it 3-2. - Florida converted two of four power-play chances and went a perfect 5-for-5 on the penalty kill. Summary: The win halted a two-game stretch of road losses and reflected a strong night by Florida's special teams. The Panthers relied on power-play scoring and a spotless penalty kill to preserve the lead, and they travel next to Buffalo. Undetermined at this time.