James Reimer would receive the start, opposing former Panther Craig Anderson for the Senators.
The Florida Panthers would begin the first period flat-footed on defense, allowing budding superstar forward Matt Duchene to sneak through and score on a breakaway opportunity (1-0 OTT).
With the Sens striking first, the Cats suddenly realized they cannot take the Sens lightly and applied consistent o-zone pressure.
Florida’s effort, particularly its gritty fourth line, was finally rewarded, with Troy Brouwer potting the equalizer off of a gorgeous feed from Juho Lammikko (1-1).