Panthers Explode for Five First-Period Goals to Rout Senators

Carter Verhaeghe scores twice as Florida overwhelms Ottawa in the opening frame

Apr. 1, 2026 at 6:04am

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The Florida Panthers scored five goals in the first period, including two from Carter Verhaeghe, to cruise to a 6-3 victory over the visiting Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night. Matthew Tkachuk and Seth Jones each recorded three assists for the Panthers, who jumped out to a 5-0 lead before the midway point of the opening frame.

Why it matters

The win snaps a three-game losing streak for the Panthers, who are fighting to stay in the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, the loss is a setback for the Senators, who entered the game just two points out of a wild-card spot.

The details

The Panthers scored just eight seconds into the game when Noah Gregor capitalized on a miscommunication between Senators goalie Linus Ullmark and defenseman Jordan Spence. Mackie Samoskevich, A.J. Greer, and Verhaeghe (twice) also scored in the opening period to chase Ullmark from the game. Tkachuk added a second-period goal for the Panthers, while Drake Batherson, Spence, and Michael Amadio scored for the Senators.

  • The Panthers scored just 8 seconds into the game.
  • Florida scored five goals in the first 14:06 of the opening period.
  • Batherson scored for Ottawa 1:40 into the second period.
  • Tkachuk scored for Florida with 7:19 left in the second period.
  • Spence scored for Ottawa with 4:46 remaining in the second period.

The players

Carter Verhaeghe

A forward for the Florida Panthers who scored two goals in the first period.

Matthew Tkachuk

A forward for the Florida Panthers who recorded three assists in the first period and scored a goal in the second period.

Seth Jones

A defenseman for the Florida Panthers who recorded three assists in the first period.

Linus Ullmark

The starting goaltender for the Ottawa Senators who was pulled after allowing five goals on 16 shots in the first period.

Drake Batherson

A forward for the Ottawa Senators who scored a goal in the second period.

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What they’re saying

“We came out flying and really set the tone early. That's the kind of start we need to have more often if we want to make the playoffs.”

— Carter Verhaeghe, Panthers Forward

“We just didn't have it tonight. That first period really put us in a hole that we couldn't dig out of.”

— Drake Batherson, Senators Forward

What’s next

The Panthers will look to build on this dominant performance when they host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday. The Senators, meanwhile, will try to bounce back on the road against the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday.

The takeaway

This game highlighted the offensive firepower of the Panthers, who can overwhelm opponents when they get off to a fast start. However, it also exposed defensive lapses that the Senators will need to shore up if they hope to secure a playoff spot in the tight Eastern Conference race.