Barkov Hurt, Panthers Lose in Ottawa

The Ottawa Senators have not been to the playoffs since 2017, but they came into Thursday’s home opener with hope that this is going to be the year that drought comes to an end.

Bringing in Linus Ullmark from Boston has helped fuel that optimism.

The former Bruin was the difference on Thursday. Ullmark made 30 saves and Ottawa beat the Panthers 3-1 to kick off their season in high fashion.

Ottawa got its goals from Tim Stutzle (twice) and Shane Pinto; Gus Forsling scored for Florida.

The big news for the Panthers was the potential loss of captain Sasha Barkov to injury.

In the final minutes, Barkov broke his stick in the offensive zone and went to chase a puck bouncing toward the empty net.

Barkov slid to try and block Stutzle from getting to the puck and ended up crashing skates-first into the boards.

Barkov had to be helped off the ice and into the room, trying to keep weight off his right leg.

Coach Paul Maurice said he did not have an update on the injury following the game.

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The Senators certainly came out jacked to start their season after last year’s misery.

Ottawa opened up by outshooting the Panthers 7-1,

Stutzle opening the scoring on a power-play chance.

Midway through the first, Pinto picked up a bouncing puck in the Florida zone, raced up the ice and beat Sergei Bobrovsky (28 saves) with a wrister.

Florida, after a sleepy first, would find their way in the second.

The Panthers finally found the net with 4:12 left in the second period, Forsling rocking a point shot through a Matthew Tkachuk screen.

Despite dominating puck possession for much of the game’s second half, the Panthers could not get anything else past Ullmark.

Stutzle ended it with 1:10 left by scoring into an empty net.

GOALS OF THE GAME

• Senators 1, Panthers 0 (5:52, 1st PP): Tim Stutzle fires off a wrist shot from the top of the right circle and Florida surrenders its first power-play goal of the young season. Ottawa was outshooting the Panthers 7-1 at the time.
• Senators 2, Panthers 0 (10:42, 1st): Florida turns over a bouncing puck in the offensive zone, Shane Pinto picks it and drives down and beats Sergei Bobrovsky.
• Senators 2, Panthers 1 (15:48, 2nd): With Matthew Tkachuk screening Linus Ullmark, Gus Forsling rips one from the point.
• Senators 3, Panthers 1 (18:50, 3rd EN): Stutzle gets No. 2.

GR’S 3 STARS OF THE GAME

• 1. Linus Ullmark, Ottawa
• 2. Tim Stutzle, Ottawa
• 3. Gus Forsling, Florida