Ottawa Senators goalie Craig Anderson (41) makes a save on a shot by Florida Panthers right wing Jimmy Hayes (12) in the third period at BB&T Center. The Panthers won 3-2.Robert Mayer
Jimmy Hayes scored the winning goal to lift the Florida Panthers over the Ottawa Senators 3-2 on Friday night.
Sean Bergenheim and Dylan Olsen also scored for the Panthers, and Vincent Trocheck had two assists. Al Montoya made 22 saves in his fourth start of the season. No. 1 goalie Roberto Luongo missed the game because of a lower-body injury sustained Wednesday against Carolina.
Cody Ceci scored a goal, and Chris Neil had a goal and an assist for Ottawa. Craig Anderson stopped 43 shots.
The Panthers had a season-high 46 shots and won its second in a row at home.
After struggling to get anything past Anderson for most of the game, the Panthers scored two goals in the third to take a 3-2 lead.
Trocheck passed from the bottom of the left circle to Hayes, who skated in on the right side. His wrist shot beat Anderson at 7:31 to make it 3-2.
The Panthers had gotten even just 34 seconds into the third. Bergenheim's shot from the left circle went over Anderson's right shoulder and in off the post.
Ottawa took a 2-1 lead in the second on Ceci's goal. Neil's shot was blocked but the rebound came out to Ceci in the right circle, and he put the puck behind Montoya at 2:41.
Anderson, 11-3-1 against the Panthers, was especially sharp in the second period when he turned away 16 shots, many of them quality chances.
The Senators went ahead 1-0 on Neil's goal. Eric Condra passed from the right circle across to Neil in front. Neil slapped the puck past Montoya on the glove side at 5:04 of the first period.
The Panthers tied it 47 seconds later. Dylan Olsen took a pass from Trocheck in the high slot, and his wrist shot slid under Anderson's pads for his first goal of the season.
NOTES: Ottawa played its third of five games on the road. ... Anderson spent parts of three seasons (2006-09) with the Panthers and played in 53 games. ... Panthers LW Shawn Thornton took a puck to the face and left the game late in the second period. ... Florida RW Scottie Upshall was placed on the injured list with a lower-body injury. ... Dan Ellis was recalled by Florida from AHL San Antonio on Thursday to back up Montoya.