Anton Forsberg turned in a sensational performance on Saturday night, stopping all 40 shots he faced to lead the Ottawa Senators to a 3-0 shutout victory over the playoff-bound Florida Panthers at Canadian Tire Centre. It marked Forsberg’s third shutout of the season and arguably his most impressive, as he fended off a relentless Florida attack throughout the night.
The Panthers, who officially clinched a playoff spot later in the evening thanks to Toronto’s 3-0 win over Columbus, have now dropped four straight games. Despite outshooting Ottawa 40-22, they couldn’t solve Forsberg, who made several dazzling saves — including a sprawling stop on Sam Reinhart late in the second period — to preserve the clean sheet.
Jake Sanderson led the way offensively for the Senators with a goal and an assist, continuing his hot streak by scoring in his fourth straight home game. Drake Batherson and Matthew Highmore also found the back of the net for Ottawa.
The Senators improved to 41-29-6, moving seven points clear of the Montreal Canadiens for the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Ottawa is looking to return to the playoffs for the first time since the 2016-17 season.
With under two minutes remaining in the second period, Florida appeared to have finally beaten Forsberg. However, the would-be goal was waived off immediately due to a high stick, keeping Ottawa’s shutout bid intact and deflating Florida’s momentum heading into the final frame.
Florida came into the game undermanned, still missing several key players, including star winger Matthew Tkachuk. The team’s patched-together lineup couldn’t find the offensive spark needed to end their slide. Saturday marked their first shutout loss since December 28, when they fell 4-0 to the Canadiens.
Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 19 of 22 shots for Florida in the losing effort.
Ottawa has now won two straight against Florida-based opponents, following Thursday’s 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. With momentum building and Forsberg heating up at the right time, the Senators are making a serious push for the postseason.
Jake Sanderson’s goal made it four straight home games with a tally for the young defenseman, who continues to emerge as a key piece of Ottawa’s future.
Both teams are back in action Sunday. The Panthers return home to host the Toronto Maple Leafs, while the Senators stay put to welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets.
