Florida Panthers 6-3 Ottawa Senators
A five-goal haul from the Florida Panthers in the opening period paved the way for them to top the Ottawa Senators 6-3.
It took just eight seconds for Noah Gregor to give the hosts the lead, setting the pace for a strong performance from the Panthers. Matthew Samoskevich doubled the advantage 58 seconds later, already putting the Sens behind the eight ball.
The onslaught did not stop there for Ottawa, as Carter Verhaeghe netted twice with an AJ Greer marker sandwiched in between. By the time they pulled Linus Ulmark more than 14 minutes in, they were already down 5-0.
Out of the first intermission, the Sens got themselves on the board through Drake Batherson. While still down by four, the guests managed to get something going. Unfortunately for them, Florida scored sixth. Matthew Tkachuk joined in on the scoring midway through the period.
Jordan Spence and Mike Amadio got the Senators' other goals, which turned out to be consolations at best. However, it did not help them in the end as they fell to defeat for the third time in a row. They are two points out of the playoff spots in the Eastern Conference, and will need to rediscover their form again soon.
The Panthers' chances of making the postseason are all but over, even though they ended a losing streak of three. They remain second from bottom in the East.
Boston Bruins 6-3 Dallas Stars
Needing points to increase their likelihood of a playoff appearance, the Boston Bruins did their damage in the third period of a 6-3 success over the Dallas Stars.
Viktor Arvidsson stole the show for the Bruins, as the Swede scored a hat-trick in this one. Two of his goals were empty netters towards the end as the Stars were left chasing the game.
Marat Khusnutdinov, Elias Lindholm, and Henri Jokiharju were the other players to score for Boston as they made it four wins on the spin. They now sit eight points over the playoff line as the regular season nears its end.
Dallas never led in the match, though they did manage to overcome a two-goal deficit to tie things up in the second frame. They could not keep that momentum going for the final 20 minutes, where Wyatt Johnston's late goal gave them hope before they conceded yet again. Jamie Benn and Matt Duchene were the other scorers for the Stars.
Despite their sixth loss from their last seven, the Stars stay second in the Western Conference behind the Colorado Avalanche.
Other results
Buffalo Sabres 4-3 New York Islanders
New York Rangers 4-1 New Jersey Devils
Pittsburgh Penguins 5-1 Detroit Red Wings
Tampa Bay Lightning 1-4 Montreal Canadiens
Washington Capitals 6-4 Philadelphia Flyers
Columbus Blue Jackets 2-5 Carolina Hurricanes
Chicago Blackhawks 3-4 Winnipeg Jets (OT)
Edmonton Oilers 3-0 Seattle Kraken
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