OTTAWA, Ontario — Gustav Forsling and Carter Verhaeghe each had a goal and an assist, and the Florida Panthers beat the Ottawa Senators 3-2 on Saturday night.
Evan Rodrigues also scored for the Panthers, and Sergei Bobrovsky had 18 saves. Florida snapped a two-game skid and got its second win in six games (2-3-1).
Fabian Zetterlund and Claude Giroux scored for Ottawa, which has lost four straight. Leevi Merilainen finished with 18 saves while allowing three goals for the fourth straight game.
The Panthers took a 3-1 lead at 3:43 of the third when Forsling stepped into the faceoff circle and wired a shot high glove side.
Giroux pulled the Senators back within one as he scored from a sharp angle with 1:42 remaining. Ottawa couldn’t beat Bobrovsky again.
Ottawa opened the scoring 4:03 into the game when Zetterlund took the puck behind the net, curled and put a shot on Bobrovsky from a sharp angle. The puck bounced off his blocker and rolled down his back across the goal line.
The Panthers answered with a power-play goal with 8:26 remaining in the first. Rodrigues took advantage of a poor defensive play by Tim Stutzle and beat Merilainen far side.
Florida Panthers’ Carter Verhaeghe (23), Ottawa Senators’ Shane Pinto (12) and Senators’ Tyler Kleven (43) scramble for the puck in front of Senators goaltender Leevi Merilainen (1) during first-period NHL hockey game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. Credit: AP/PATRICK DOYLE
Both teams had a number of chances in the second period, but the Panthers eventually got the go-ahead goal.
Florida’s power play capitalized with Verhaeghe using Nick Jensen, who had fallen, as a screen to beat Merilainen glove side with 6:47 remaining.
Verhaeghe then earned the ire of fans late in the second for pushing Artem Zub from behind into the boards. The initial call on the play was a five-minute major but upon review reduced to a minor for boarding.
Sandis Vilmanis made his NHL debut for the Panthers.
Ottawa Senators’ Dylan Cozens (24) and Florida Panthers’ Aaron Ekblad (5) battle for the puck in front of Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) during second period NHL hockey action in Ottawa on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. Credit: AP/Patrick Doyle
Up next
Panthers: Visit Buffalo on Monday night.
Senators: Host Vancouver on Tuesday night.
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