Bobrovsky earns shutout as Panthers top Sens

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Patric Hornqvist and Ryan Lomberg scored 12 seconds apart in the third period, Sergei Bobrovsky made 18 saves for his 36th career shutout and the Florida Panthers beat the Ottawa Senators 3-0 on Thursday night to snap a three-game slide.

Mason Marchment had a goal and an assist for the Panthers, and Hornqvist also had an assist.

Anton Forsberg stopped 45 shots for Ottawa, including 37 of the first 38 he faced. But Hornqvist batted home a rebound for Florida’s second power-play goal of the night and a 2-0 lead early in the third, Lomberg got his goal after a shot squirted through Forsberg’s pads, and from there the only drama left was to see if Bobrovsky would get the shutout.

Ottawa won 8-2 in its other trip to Florida this season back in mid-December. This one was nothing like that — with the Senators needing almost two full periods just to get to eight shots.

The Panthers came into the night leading the NHL in shots per game at 36.8, and goals per game at 4.08.

Shots came easily Thursday.

Goals did not, until the third.

Florida outshot Ottawa 25-7 in the first period, 10-1 in the first 13 minutes of the second period — and still led only 1-0 despite that massive shot disparity. The Panthers hit goalposts, opposing defensemen and even their own teammates with shots, and the ones that got through the maze of bodies in front of the net were just about all handled by Forsberg.

Marchment’s 12th of the season came midway through the first period, three seconds before a double-minor assessed to Ottawa’s Erik Brannstrom for high-sticking Anton Lundell was set to reach the midway mark. The Senators challenged the goal unsuccessfully, so Florida had a 5-on-3 when play resumed and a golden chance to add to