SUNRISE, FL – If the Florida Panthers had their way, they might want to play the Ottawa Senators all season long.
Through thick and thin, they always seem to find a way to beat this team, and today was no exception as the Cats dismantled Ottawa by a score of 2-0.
With the Stanley Cup Playoffs on the horizon, it’s going to become more and more rare to watch stress-free hockey, but the Panthers played a near-perfect game, limiting the penalties and dishing out punishment on offense, all with a rock-solid defense that gave Ottawa next to no opportunities.
Hear what head coach Paul Maurice had to say postgame about how Anthony Stolarz has looked this stretch of the season, along with the overall effort of the team tonight. #TimeToHunt pic.twitter.com/rRJoB5JKAm
— Jake Gibson (@JakeTheEmcee) April 10, 2024
You know things were calm and collective when even head coach Paul Maurice admitted that the second and third periods were pretty boring.
It certainly feels good to get a win like this, and it could potentially be a great omen for the rest of this homestand for the Cats as they prepare for the first round of the playoffs, likely facing off against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Gloves Came Off Early On
Speaking of punishment, the first period began with a bang, as a pair of fights early on sent a few players to the penalty box, including Jonah Gadjovich and Niko Mikkola.
Ultimately, the Cats found their first break in dramatic (and kinda hilarious) fashion. During a Panthers power play, Ottawa cleared the puck into the Panthers zone and proceeded to send in just about their whole team to the bench for a shift change. During this, Anthony Stolarz shot a rocket pass to Anton Lundell who was wide open, waltzing to the net and sinking a tip-in.
THAT was a fun first period!
Here's how it began for Florida, thanks to a massive blunder from Ottawa and a "Tua-To-Tyreek" pass from Stolarz to Lundell. #TimeToHunthttps://t.co/9zMxgKuV8K
— Jake Gibson (@JakeTheEmcee) April 9, 2024
Right after a Florida penalty that they killed off, a breakaway led to a flurry of shots on Ottawa, and Nick Cousins ultimately capitalized with a wrister to make it a 2-0 game.
And That…Was It
Period #2 came and went with little to no action to report. Florida looked to add one more goal off an Ottawa roughing penalty, but couldn’t capitalize. Other than that, there wasn’t much action to report.
The same thing applies to the third period. A few penalties to either side didn’t result in any scoring, only a bunch of time killed off the clock. It felt like both teams gave it their all in the first, then the rest of the game was on cruise control. Still, the final score is 2-0 in favor of Florida, so mission accomplished.
Overall, this win really goes to Stolarz and his 25 saves in a clean sheet, not giving up a single thing. Combine that with an assist thanks to his pass to Lundell for the first goal, and it was one of his best overall performances.
Hear what Anton Lundell had to say postgame about THAT pass from Anthony Stolarz, as well as his overall play this season. 🐈 #TimeToHunt pic.twitter.com/ihd9GpTuIO
— Jake Gibson (@JakeTheEmcee) April 10, 2024
Florida achieved 30 shots, 31 hits, and 13 takeaways on the night, and ONLY committed five penalties, though two of those were fighting penalties early on that didn’t lead to anything. Regardless, their penalty kill was as spectacular as ever.
With the win, the Panthers improved their record to 49-24-6, just about guaranteed to hold the second seed in the Atlantic Division Conference come playoff time. Technically, if they were to win out and if Boston were to lose out in this regular season, the Cats could steal first place.
Regardless, this is only the start of a four-game homestand to close out the regular season. They’ll host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday, April 11th at 7 pm.
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