Senators tighten grip on playoff spot with win over Panthers

Fabian Zetterlund scored twice, Jake Sanderson had two assists and Linus Ullmark made 18 saves as the Ottawa Senators inched closer to a playoff berth with a 5-1 victory over the visiting Florida Panthers on Thursday.

Drake Batherson, Artem Zub and Claude Giroux also scored for Ottawa (42-27-10, 94 points), which completed a 4-1 homestand and stayed three points ahead of the New York Islanders and moved four points ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets for the Eastern Conference's second wild-card slot.

The Senators also moved within two points of the idle Boston Bruins for the first wild-card slot.

Jesper Boqvist scored off assists from A.J. Greer and Eetu Luostarinen with 5:43 remaining in the game for the Panthers (37-38-4, 78), just slipping the puck past Ullmark to avoid the shutout.

Two-time reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida will miss the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons and was unable to play spoiler Thursday.

Batherson scored 6:49 into the game to give Ottawa the early advantage. It was Batherson's 32nd goal, second on the team. Zetterlund added the first of his two tallies in the game with three minutes left in the period to double Ottawa's advantage. The Panthers only took five shots in the opening period.

The Senators only had five shots in the second period, going more than 11 minutes without one at one point.

Zub added to Ottawa's lead just over three minutes into the third after the puck found its way over to him on the right side, and he beat Florida goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (22 saves) above his right shoulder.

Boqvist's goal made things interesting in the waning minutes, but Giroux and Zetterlund put things away moments later.

First, Giroux intercepted a pass and sent a long shot into Florida's empty net for his 14th goal. Then, 19 seconds later, Zetterlund intercepted another pass, and with Bobrovsky back in goal, he still lit the lamp.

Ottawa, which is looking to make the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2013, has scored at least five goals in three straight home wins this week.

The Panthers dropped their fourth straight on a five-game road trip.

Defenseman Thomas Chabot returned to Ottawa's lineup after missing just 17 days with a broken arm. The veteran blueliner, who has seven goals and 24 assists, equaled Wade Redden's (1999-2008) franchise record of most consecutive seasons of 30 or more points for a defenseman with eight.

--Field Level Media