Pageau converts OT penalty shot to lift Sens over Panthers

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OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) Jean-Gabriel Pageau has scored a few highlight-reel goals for Ottawa. Thursday's winner is going to stand out among them.

Pageau scored on a penalty shot in overtime to lift the Ottawa Senators over the Florida Panthers 3-2 on Thursday night.

Pageau beat goalie James Reimer five-hole on the winner.

''I was pretty tired and just tried to get my breath back and that's the only move I know so I just tried to do it again and obviously it worked again,'' said Pageau, who also scored in regulation.

The Panthers dropped three points behind New Jersey with a game in hand for the final wild card in the Eastern Conference. The Devils lost to Pittsburgh 4-3 in overtime Thursday.

''Any other time of year you play a back-to-back game and you get a point out of the building on a back-to-back you'd be happy with it,'' Panthers coach Bob Boughner said. ''Obviously two points are what matter the most for us in the race that we're in. We saw what was happening on the scoreboard on the Jumbotron, and it was a chance to gain a point on a team we're chasing and we didn't get it done.''

Magnus Paajarvi also scored in regulation for the Senators, and Craig Anderson stopped 24 shots.

''It was time because we deserved the last game and we deserved this one,'' Senators coach Guy Boucher said. ''I think Reimer has played terrific against us this year, and I've been told it's not just this year for some reason, and he was doing it again tonight. I thought we deserved more goals than that.''

Aaron Ekblad and Evgeni Dadonov scored for the Panthers, and Reimer made 27 saves.

Both teams had several chances in overtime before Pageau converted with 16 seconds left after being tripped by Mike Matheson on a breakaway.

Paajarvi tied it 16 seconds into the third period by tipping Zack Smith's shot.

Erik Karlsson assisted on Paajarvi's goal for his 50th of the season. It's his fifth time reaching the mark.

Pageau had a number of chances in the second period and made good on one and was robbed on another.

Ottawa took a 1-0 lead on Pageau's 13th as he chased down his own shot that went wide and tucked it in behind Reimer 1:24 into the period.

The Panthers tied it with a power-play goal when Ekblad tied a franchise record for goals by a defenseman with his 16th. Just 1:31, later Florida took the lead as Dadonov took a pass in the slot and rang a shot in off the post.

Pageau looked like he had a sure goal late in the period, but Reimer made a great glove save to preserve the lead.

The Senators appeared to open the scoring at the 14-minute mark as Pageau broke in on Reimer, but upon review it was ruled the puck never crossed the goal line.

NOTES: Ottawa D Chris Wideman was shut down for the season with a hamstring injury. ... Ottawa F Mark Stone skated Thursday and is hopeful of playing soon. Stone missed his tenth straight game with a leg injury. ... Senators F Marian Gaborik missed his fourth straight game with an undisclosed injury. ... Florida's Maxim Mamin, Radim Vrbata, Connor Brickley, Micheal Haley and Ian McCoshen were healthy scratches.

UP NEXT

Panthers: Play at Boston on Saturday.

Senators: Play at Detroit on Saturday.

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