The Florida Panthers might lose three games in a row for just the second time this season.But in recent years, they’ve performed admirably against the Ottawa Senators.On Monday night, the visiting Panthers aim to stop their mini-slide and prevent the home team, the Senators, from picking up their recent winning streak.
Prior to being defeated by a combined 6-1 in back-to-back home losses to Boston and Winnipeg over Thanksgiving week, Florida averaged almost four goals while winning six of seven games. It was the first time the Panthers have dropped two straight games since opening 0–2.
Florida star Aleksander Barkov returned to the lineup in Friday’s 3-0 loss to the Jets following two games missed due to a knee injury, and his side managed 33 shots on goal. But for the first time since a 2-0 loss at Minnesota to start the season, the Panthers were shut out.
Ryan Lomberg of the Panthers stated, “(Winnipeg) obviously outplayed us in a lot of aspects of the game.” “We’ve got to regroup and make sure we bring a better effort.”
Even though the Panthers’ attack has effectively been stopped over the previous two games, it is surely helpful to have a healthy Barkov (six goals, 11 assists in 2023–24) available once more after his knee–to–knee collision in a 2-1 triumph at Anaheim on Nov. 17.
With 30 career games against Ottawa, Barkov has 12 goals and 13 assists. “I was very happy to be back that quick,” he added.
Florida is 11-3-1 against the Senators since March 20, 2018. The Panthers were on a 6-0-1 road trip in this series prior to their 5-2 setback at Ottawa last season.
In the win over the Panthers, Brady Tkachuk scored for Ottawa. In the team’s 5-3 loss to the New York Islanders on Friday, he contributed an assist, ending the team’s second three-game winning run of the year.
“I think we played the way the coach wanted us to play, we had a chance to win,” stated Tim Stutzle, a star for Ottawa who has scored seven of his team-high 22 points in the last four games, including a goal and an assist on Friday.
However, Stutzle has only scored two goals against Florida in his seven career games without an assist.
Due to an undisclosed ailment, Joonas Korpisalo (5-4-0, 3.17 goals against average) of Ottawa is considered day-to-day. As a result, teammate Anton Forsberg (3.51 GAA), who stopped 21 of 26 shots against New York, may return to goal.
Sergei Bobrovsky of Florida, on the other hand, has dropped three of his last four games despite posting a 2.56 goals-against average and a.910 save percentage in that time. Anthony Stolarz, the backup for the Panthers, has made three of his four starts this season and has a 2.28 goals-against average.
Matthew Tkachuk of Florida will face his brother Brady once more.
Though he hasn’t scored in five games in a row, Matthew has scored four goals and provided six assists in his last six games versus the Senators. In contrast, Brady has three goals and one assist in six home games against Florida.
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