Madferret
3-22-07, 11:49 AM
Sens look to sweep series with Panthers
The Sports Network
(Sports Network) - The improving Florida Panthers will attempt to avoid a season sweep at the hands of the Ottawa Senators when the teams get together tonight at the BankAtlantic Center.
Ottawa has won all three previous meetings between the clubs in 2006-07 and has shut out the Panthers in each of the last two matchups. In the lone encounter that took place in Florida, the Senators came away with a 6-4 victory back in November. The win was Ottawa's ninth in its 10 most recent trips to the BankAtlantic Center.
Both teams have been playing well leading up to tonight's tilt. Ottawa comes in having won four of its last five games, while Florida has made a belated playoff push by compiling a 8-3-0 record since February 24.
The Panthers are still facing an uphill climb in regards to making the postseason, however. Florida stands in 12th place in the Eastern Conference at the moment and is five points behind Carolina, Montreal and Toronto, the teams currently tied for the eighth and final playoff spot.
The team helped its cause, though, by skating to a 4-1 road win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday. Olli Jokinen scored the go-ahead goal late in the second period and Ed Belfour made the lead stand up by stopping 24-of-25 shots.
David Booth, Nate Horton and Juraj Kolnik also had goals for the Panthers, who have won two in a row overall and completed the first four-game season sweep of Philadelphia in franchise history.
Ottawa, which is holding down the No. 4 playoff spot in the East, will be playing the third test of a four-game road trip this evening. After beginning the swing with a shootout loss Sunday in Pittsburgh, the Senators rebounded with a 4-2 triumph over St. Louis on Tuesday.
Chris Kelly led the way with a pair of goals, while Antoine Vermette scored once and assisted on two others for Ottawa. Chris Phillips contributed two assists to the winning effort, while Martin Gerber made 29 saves to record his third victory in his last four starts.
The Senators own a 19-12-5 road record this season and will complete the trek Saturday in Tampa.
The Sports Network
(Sports Network) - The improving Florida Panthers will attempt to avoid a season sweep at the hands of the Ottawa Senators when the teams get together tonight at the BankAtlantic Center.
Ottawa has won all three previous meetings between the clubs in 2006-07 and has shut out the Panthers in each of the last two matchups. In the lone encounter that took place in Florida, the Senators came away with a 6-4 victory back in November. The win was Ottawa's ninth in its 10 most recent trips to the BankAtlantic Center.
Both teams have been playing well leading up to tonight's tilt. Ottawa comes in having won four of its last five games, while Florida has made a belated playoff push by compiling a 8-3-0 record since February 24.
The Panthers are still facing an uphill climb in regards to making the postseason, however. Florida stands in 12th place in the Eastern Conference at the moment and is five points behind Carolina, Montreal and Toronto, the teams currently tied for the eighth and final playoff spot.
The team helped its cause, though, by skating to a 4-1 road win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday. Olli Jokinen scored the go-ahead goal late in the second period and Ed Belfour made the lead stand up by stopping 24-of-25 shots.
David Booth, Nate Horton and Juraj Kolnik also had goals for the Panthers, who have won two in a row overall and completed the first four-game season sweep of Philadelphia in franchise history.
Ottawa, which is holding down the No. 4 playoff spot in the East, will be playing the third test of a four-game road trip this evening. After beginning the swing with a shootout loss Sunday in Pittsburgh, the Senators rebounded with a 4-2 triumph over St. Louis on Tuesday.
Chris Kelly led the way with a pair of goals, while Antoine Vermette scored once and assisted on two others for Ottawa. Chris Phillips contributed two assists to the winning effort, while Martin Gerber made 29 saves to record his third victory in his last four starts.
The Senators own a 19-12-5 road record this season and will complete the trek Saturday in Tampa.