Patric Hornqvist and Ryan Lomberg scored 12 seconds apart in the third period, Sergei Bobrovsky made 18 saves for his 36th career shutout and the Florida Panthers beat the Ottawa Senators 3-0 on Thursday night to snap a three-game slide.
Mason Marchment had a goal and an assist for the Panthers, and Hornqvist also had an assist.
Anton Forsberg stopped 45 shots for Ottawa, including 37 of the first 38 he faced. But Hornqvist batted home a rebound for Florida’s second power-play goal of the night and a 2-0 lead early in the third, Lomberg got his goal after a shot squirted through Forsberg’s pads, and from there the only drama left was to see if Bobrovsky would get the shutout.
The Panthers came into the night leading the NHL in shots per game at 36.8, and goals per game at 4.08.
Shots came easily Thursday.
Goals did not, until the third.
Marchment’s 12th of the season came midway through the first period, three seconds before a double-minor assessed to Ottawa’s Erik Brannstrom for high-sticking Anton Lundell was set to reach the midway mark. The Senators challenged the goal unsuccessfully, so Florida had a 5-on-3 when play resumed and a golden chance to add to its lead.
The Senators killed off the two-man disadvantage, and it remained 1-0 until Hornqvist’s goal.
Bobrovsky was nowhere near as busy as Forsberg. But when called upon, he made more than a few spectacular stops — including two off a shorthanded breakaway in the first, the initial shot by Josh Brown and the rebound try by Alex Formenton.
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